Shelton-Mason County Journal - Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886

Meet Ray Shoesmith. He's a fascinating animal.

Australian actor, writer and director Scott Ryan spent the better part of 20 years honing this character, and the results impressed no less than actress Helen Mirren and her husband, director Taylor Hackford.

Ryan's first draft of Ray's character came in a low-budget but critically acclaimed 2005 independent film called "The Magician," streaming on Amazon, which established Ray in Melbourne, before Ryan transplanted the character to Sydney, for three seasons of a half-hour TV show called "Mr. Inbetween," whose 26 episodes originally ran from 20...