A distance of 1,738 miles — the stretch from Ames to Hollywood — could not dash one ISU alumnus’ dreams of cinema stardom.

Shaun Broyls, a 1995 ISU graduate, is about to embark on the journey that could be his breakthrough into the movie industry — he’s about to star in a million-dollar feature movie.

“I’m really proud of the film,” says Broyls from his home in California.

The film, which Broyls also wrote and produced, is about a black man (played by Broyls) who finds himself in situations in which he is not familiar or comfortable, Broyls says.

“It’s about a black guy, who you could call the whitest black guy in America,” Broyls says. “Think Carlton from ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.’ The guy ends up on the streets as a pimp … it’s the classic fish-out-of-water tale.”

The writing process of the film, tentatively titled “Uncle Tom the Pimp,” took around two and a half months, Broyls says.

“I’ve always been a performer and a writer,” Broyls says. “To be honest, I wrote this film to perform it. I’ve gotten some great responses from the script. It was made to be a breakout film.”

Since moving to Hollywood two years ago with his wife and two children, Broyls has found steady work, from writing and starring in two short films to appearing in national commercials and competing on the game show “Hollywood Squares.”

“That was the worst experience,” Broyls says, laughing. “I was the worst player on ‘Hollywood Squares.’ I got one question right. I disagreed with all the stars. Little did I know, they were trying to help me.

“I could have won a car, money … I couldn’t sleep for three days afterwards. I cannot watch that show.”

“Hollywood Squares” is a far cry from Iowa State, but Broyls says he enjoyed his time in Ames. While he was a student, he became involved in broadcasting and was a sports editor for the Iowa State Daily.

“I would not change one minute of my experience there,” Broyls says. “It’s funny, because [ISU broadcast students] did a newscast every week on the student station.

“I will never forget Tom Beell [professor of journalism and communication] taking me aside and calling me a star. At the time, I just thought it meant I would be a big sports anchor in Chicago or something.”

Broyls says he is still very impressed with the broadcast program at Iowa State.

“Iowa State has one of the best and underrated programs in the country,” Broyls says. “Take full advantage of every minute in the program. I would never be doing this if it wasn’t for my experience there.”

Broyls admits he did not start his entertainment career in the traditional way, but he does have some advice for dreamers such as himself.

“Here’s how you do it,” Broyls says. “You pick up a camera and make a film. It can be anything. Get yourself used to writing, acting [and] filmmaking. You have to know the industry.”

Above all, Broyls says, try not to tarnish the university’s name.

“I tell you what,” Broyls says, “Try to do things that make our university proud.”