Showtime's hit series "Ray Donovan" filmed inside the home of Robert and Laura Pandolfi in Charleston. (Courtesy of Robert Pandolfi)
On set of 'Ray Donovan:' Showtime series filmed on the South Shore.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The Pandolfi's describe themselves as a "typical, middle-class" family from the South Shore.
Soon after retiring from the NYPD, Robert Pandolfi was looking forward to spending his down time at home with his wife, Laura, and two children, Gianna, 17, and Robert Pandolfi Jr., 20.
That is until Laura heard a knock at their door.
"My wife calls me up and told me someone was at the door," Robert said. "I told her to not worry about it. If they're selling something they'll go away."
It wasn't until Laura noticed there was an official notice from Showtime network that she realized the mysterious guest was a scouting agent taking interest in their Charleston home as a filming site for the sixth season of the noted TV series "Ray Donovan."
The first thing she said to her husband was, "You're not gonna believe this."
"She called me to tell me what happened and I was like 'Are you crazy? Why didn't you answer?" Robert said with a laugh. "Everyone in my house are super fans of the show, it was sort of unbelievable that out of all the houses in town, they took interest in ours."
Pictured are, left to to right, Gianna Pandolfi, Robert Pandolfi Jr., Laura Pandolfi, Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan and Robert Pandolfi on set of "Ray Donovan." (Courtesy of Robert Pandolfi)
"There was nothing special about my house," said Robert Pandolfi
The network had dropped by a few other homes in the area but representatives told the Pandolfi's "authenticity is key when it comes to this production" and since Robert is a retired NYPD officer, their home would be ideal for the "Ray Donovan" fictional cop character -- played by Domenick Lombardozzi.
After the initial house visit in late May of this year, "Ray Donovan" filmed inside and outside the Pandolfi's Charleston home sporadically from June through September.
"There was nothing special about my house," said Robert. "It's just a typical Staten Island home, but we're really thankful for this experience. It's exciting stuff, the cast and crew involved are fantastic people."
Pictured are Robert Pandolfi and Jon Voight, known for his roles in the films "Anaconda," "Midnight Cowboy" and "Transformers." (Courtesy of Robert Pandolfi)
Some major stars were on set.
The titular character "Ray Donovan," played by Liev Schreiber, was on set multiple days along with Jon Voight, who plays Mickey Donovan in the show.
Production took place inside the Pandolfi's home, located on Clay Pit Road, the West Shore Motel, Broadway Stages Staten Island and multiple locations in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Nyack, N.Y..
Pictured are Robert Pandolfi Jr. and Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan. (Courtesy of Robert Pandolfi)
A moment with the lead character
When word got around that a major production was filming on the South Shore, crowds began to form outside of the Pandolfi residence.
"Clay Pit Road was a disaster for a bit," said Robert. "But the stars of the show -- especially Liev Schreiber-- were so nice about everything. The cast never said no to anything and took millions of pictures."
Showtime's hit series "Ray Donovan" filmed inside the home of Robert and Laura Pandolfi in Charleston. (Courtesy of Robert Pandolfi)
Wanna see Staten Island on the small screen?
"Ray Donovan" airs on Showtime Sundays at 9 p.m. EST. For more information, visit Sho.com/ray-donovan.
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