Sonic Order, A Prayer & Go Pokes: How An Oklahoma Man Helped With The Movie, ‘Stillwater’

From how he talks, to what he orders at Sonic and what to say when the Oklahoma State University marching band is playing, Baker said he is humbled at how he was able to help with the movie.  

Thursday, July 29th 2021, 6:23 pm



One of Oklahoma's Own helped inspire Matt Damon's character for the movie, "Stillwater," which hits theaters Friday.  

The movie features an oil field worker who goes to France trying to get his daughter out of jail after she is accused of murder. News On 6 sat down with Kenny Baker to learn how he shared Oklahoma life with Hollywood. 

From how he talks, to what he orders at Sonic and what to say when the Oklahoma State University marching band is playing, Baker said he is humbled at how he was able to help with the movie.  

Baker recently got back home from the red-carpet premiere in New York, standing shoulder to shoulder with his new friends, Matt Damon and Tom McCarthy. 

It all started two years ago.  

"We got a phone call in 2019," Baker said.  

The drilling superintendent from the small town of Marlow has kept things quiet until now.  

Damon told CBS Sunday Morning Baker was an "expert in his corner." 

"She invites me to go to the theater and Tom is like, "Theater or The-A-ter"? and Kenny just goes, "The-A-ter," man!” Damon told CBS.  

"'The-A-ter, man!' and I heard Matt in the background, 'I told you that's the way he said it!’" Baker said.  

McCarthy, who had Baker at his house for dinner, also asked him how to say something more serious. 

"I got a phone call from Tom and he said, 'Hey man, would you write me a prayer? How do you pray over dinner?” Baker recalled.  

Baker said some of the prayer he wrote made it in the movie. 

Willing to help however he could, there was one change to the movie he fought for, during a scene with the OSU marching band.  

"We was going to eat dinner I said, 'Hey Tom, we gotta change this deal.' He was like, 'What're you gonna change?' I said, 'You gotta say, Go Pokes.' He said, 'No, no, no we ain't doing that Kenny …There's two big colleges in Oklahoma so they gotta be neutral.' I said, 'Not when the OSU band's playing!'" Baker said. “So, when you see ‘Go Pokes!’ just remember ‘ol Kenny fought hard for all you cowboys out there.  

While shooting a scene at Sonic, Damon asked Baker for advice on what to order.  

"Matt's got a question for you. So, he's like 'What's your go to?' And I said, 'What do you mean what's my go to? He says, 'What would you order?' And I said, 'Oh I already know that one.' I said, 'I'm gonna order a footlong chili cheese cone with mustard and onions, large order of Tater tots and what do you want to drink?' He said, 'I like cherry limeades.' I said, 'Alright, we're gonna have cherry limeade.'" 

While Baker, his wife and daughter can all be seen in the movie, Baker said he’s no star, just willing to let his Okie pride shine.  

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