Lake Life
‘O Z A R K’ IN THE OZARKS BY MARIE KROLIKOWSKI
P
erhaps it’s nothing more than the name of the series that drew us into the lives of Marty and Wendy Byrde, their two children, and the criminal activity of their lives while living in the Lake of the Ozarks. In spite of what some want to believe, the Netfl ix series “Ozark” is not based on any actual activities that took place in the Lake area. There are, however, local residents who were able to experience the fi lming of this popular American crime drama fi rst-hand. Bill Dubuque is the St. Louis native who created the series and wrote the fi rst two episodes. While attending college in the 1980s, he worked at Alhonna Resort and Marina, a popular destination at the Lake still today. It’s here where Dubuque got his inspiration for his story. In reality, there has never been any known money laundering business at the Lake of the Ozarks. Nothing more than the location of the show is connected to the Lake area, and with good reason. The Lake, built by Union Electric for the purpose of generating electricity and making money, is real and sets the tone for capitalism. Although Marty and his wife are engaged in illegal activity, it’s their business sense that draws us to their story. To Marty and Wendy, it made perfect sense to pack up their family, leave their Chicago home, and shift their money laundering shenanigans to the Lake area. Although the show suggests it’s located in the Lake of the Ozarks, only the fi rst few episodes were fi lmed at the Lake. The fi rst episode was released in July of 2017. It was during the summer of 2016 that actor Jason Bateman and a fi lm crew were spotted in the Lake are, mainly on the Bagnell Dam Strip, fi lming the pilot episode. Throughout other episodes you can still see some Lake of the Ozarks scenes — arieal views and footage from the area — but what is mostly portrayed as the Lake of the Ozarks is actually Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona in the Atlanta area. Because of tax incentives, fi lming moved from the Lake to in studio and in Georgia. The series stars Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrde. Although Bateman is most known for his acting roles, he decided to impress with his behind-the camera-skills in directing and serving as executive producer for most of the Ozark episodes. Camdenton resident Bill Moulder had the rare opportunity to work fi rst-hand with the cast and crew during the fi lming of the fi rst episode. Bill, who worked for the sheriff s department for 32 years, was initially contacted as the perfect person to escort the crew around the area. This role eventually led to additional responsibilities with the cast and crew.
10 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 | LAKE LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE
