For ‘Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison, it’s rumble, then ‘Reagan’

The guy who looks like Rick Harrison in the upcoming “Reagan” movie, is.

Harrison, the famed co-star of “Pawn Stars” and owner of Gold and Silver Pawn in Las Vegas, is cast as a Secret Service agent in the movie, which stars Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan. The film is due for release next year.

We will adjust expectations. Harrison is not a major character. He’s not playing Frank Sinatra, for instance (but remarkably, Scott Stapp of Creed is portraying Old Blue Eyes).

“It was just a small cameo, so no preparation needed actually,” Harrison says. “But I really enjoyed it and had a great time.”

Harrison’s cast his first presidential vote for Reagan, in 1984.

“Reagan was absolutely amazing,” Harrison says. “He brought down the Soviet Union, the biggest military threat, without firing a shot. As a kid I thought there was going to be a nuclear war., so I was very thankful that did not happen.”

Harrison’s cameo role is the result of an episode of “Pawn Stars” filmed last winter. Quaid and Harrison met in Las Vegas back in December to bank an episode that eventually premiered on May 3.

Quaid took a look at some Reagan memorabilia displayed at Gold and Silver, including a pilot’s cap, a St. Genesius (patron saint of actors) pendant and a letter Reagan had written to an ex-girlfriend. Quaid offered $2,750 and dinner for the pendant, Harrison accepted, and the crew wound up at Barry Dakake’s Barry’s Downtown Prime at Circa.

Suffice to say Quaid and Harrison hit it off in Vegas. That filming and dinner led to Harrison’s role as a Secret Service agent in “Reagan.” Quaid, “Reagan” producer Mark Joseph and “Pawn Stars” producer Tracy Whittaker all felt that Harrison would be great to include in the film project, even in a limited role.

So Harrison shaved his goatee and took part in the scenes set at Reagan’s Rancho Del Cielo in Santa Barbara, Calif., in February.

Before Harrison’s work as a thespian reaches the public, he is hosting an event focused on two of his primary passions — charity and motorcycles. His seventh annual Pawn Stars Poker Run for The Hundley Foundation for epilepsy starts Saturday morning at Gold and Silver Pawn. Registration is at 9:30 a.m., and “kick stands up” at 10 a.m.

The format is participants on motorcycles must visit five checkpoints, drawing a playing card at each one. The object is to have the best or worst hand at the end of the run. Best hand pays $2,000, worst hand pays $1,000 (registration, map and info is at pokerrun7.eventbrite.com).

Stops include Porchlight Grille on West Sahara Avenue, Backyard on Water Street in Henderson and the legendary Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, then back to Gold and Silver for the post-event party at 1:30 p.m.

The charity organization was founded by former UCLA star and NFL QB Brett Hundley, most recently on the Arizona Cardinals’ roster. Harrison has suffered from epilepsy as a child, and much of his 2011 autobiography, “Licensed to Pawn,” chronicles those challenges.

“It’s so hard on a kid to grow up with epilepsy, to have a seizure and wet your pants in front of your friends,” Harrison says. “You’re constantly in a daze because of medication, the teachers are searching you for drugs. It’s very tough, very embarrassing, and that’s why we are having these events.”

Harrison has been riding motorcycles since age 12. This is a biker, not a ballroom, fundraiser.

“When we started doing this, we didn’t want to be in tuxedos and gowns,” he says. “It’s a very fun, informal time, and it helps a lot of families.”

As they say, deal us in.

BFG on the road

Rock legend Billy F. Gibbons reports from Nashville that the tribute show held May 16 at the Grand Ole Opry in his honor was a rocking success.

“We got it in one take and the producers said, ‘That’s good,’ ” Gibbons said in a phone chat Tuesday. “That is all you can ask for.”

The show, “A Tribute To Billy Gibbons,” featured the aforementioned Quaid, along with Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Jimmie Vaughan, Larkin Poe, Lucinda Williams, Ronnie Milsap, Travis Tritt, Tim Montana and Guthrie Trapp. A broadcast/streaming platform and date is to be announced.

Gibbons took part in a high-volume biker event, the annual Tennessee Motorcycles & Music Revival (TMMR), over the weekend. Gibbons appeared with his side project, The BFG’s. The event was on Loretta Lynn’s 3,500-acre ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., outside of Nashville.

“We had 10,000 people through the gate, a huge motorcycle gathering,” said Gibbons, who lives in Las Vegas. “Loretta Lynn’s personal house, the log cabin she grew up in, was moved there. It was a great bonus to our visit.”

Gibbons said the next ZZ Top album will be out after Gibbons’ own “Hardware” album drops on June 4. We anticipate the new album to coincide with the band’s return to the stage Oct. 8-16 at The Venetian Theatre, but the release plans are not confirmed.

Dani-sauer

Entertainment royalty was represented on stage last week at the Tape Face show at Harrah’s Showroom. Too bad nobody in the audience realized this nifty bit of stunt casting.

Danielle Lewis, daughter of the entertainment legend Jerry Lewis, performed the role of the dinosaur in Wednesday’s performance. She scampered to the stage, then shot confetti out of a tube. This is all in proper context in the Tape Face show.

It turns out the headliner, legal name of Sam Wills, needed someone to play a dinosaur for a night, so he found the nearest Lewis. This happens in the Vegas entertainment community.

“Performing is a passion of mine, and I will jump at any chance to be onstage,” Lewis says. “I had so much fun in the process, with some of my closest friends.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.