Patrick Renna (Aka Ham Porter) Spills on-Set Secrets of 'The Sandlot' (EXCLUSIVE)
Jul. 28 2020, Updated 6:21 p.m. ET
As we all know, legends never die...
The stars of the cult classic The Sandlot reunited (virtually) after 27 years to talk about their favorite moments in the 1993 film and even reenacted some of the most iconic scenes in a YouTube special on Patrick Renna's (who played Hamilton "Ham" Porter) channel.
Seriously, it's a grand slam.
Hosted by Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, the cast reunited in honor of the Justin Turner Foundation, which helps homeless vets and children battling illnesses, youth baseball organizations, and most recently, those who have been affected by the coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) pandemic.
Distractify spoke with the actor who is known for saying some of the film's most memorable lines. Patrick, who played the trash-talking catcher, dished on some of The Sandlot's behind-the-scenes secrets, the "rigorous" casting process, and more.
'The Sandlot': Patrick Renna spills secrets on filming the 1993 movie.
Most known for his brash personality and making s'mores, Ham is definitely a character that generations of Sandlot fans certainly can't forget. And, they don't let the actor either!
It's not surprising that the 41-year-old has heard the infamous line, "You're killing me, Smalls," repeated to him nearly 30 years after the film's release. But, the actor told Distractify that he doesn't mind being recognized for the nostalgic movie.
So, is there ever an inopportune time to approach Patrick with all of your Sandlot quotes and questions? "You know, maybe the public urinal is not the best place," he jokingly quipped. Noted.
Patrick also revealed to Distractify some "Sandlot secrets" about how certain scenes were filmed. In one scene, the gang heads to the town's local carnival to enjoy some of the rides... after experimenting with chewing tobacco. Unfortunately, "whirly" rides makes the guys sick and things don't exactly end well after being spun around.
"We probably begged to keep going on it," the actor told us when asked if any of the actors actually got sick while filming the scene. Additionally, Patrick revealed that the cast was not all on the ride (like the scene depicted) at the same time.
He explained: "A little Sandlot secret is they hooked the camera onto one seat and then rotated us all into one seat and then switched the background actors accordingly. So, we are all actually sitting in the same seat in the movie."
While he did enjoy the carnival ride, one thing Patrick thought was not so fun was having to chew the tobacco, which was a combination of beef jerky and licorice. "That combination was pretty fowl," he said. Yuck.
Patrick Renna reveals how the stars of 'The Sandlot' bonded before being cast.
Part of the emotional appeal of The Sandlot comes from the chemistry and connection that these adolescents have with one another on-screen. According to Patrick, making sure that the guys all got along was actually part of the casting process for the film.
"The casting process was pretty rigorous for everyone," he explained to Distractify. "The final callback was going and meeting the guys that were already cast. The director made sure that we got along before we were hired."
To help solidify the on-screen friendship, the guys all attended a baseball camp for a few weeks to really get to know one another. He added, "We had a good amount of time to become buds. But, we already got along so it was pretty fast."
