"King of the Corner" is not Riegert's first foray into directing. He has directed some theater, and his short film, "By Courier," an adaptation of an O. Henry short story, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2001.

But becoming a filmmaker was not part of Riegert's career plan. "People pretty much see that as the natural evolution for an actor, but I really do love acting and want to keep doing that as long as I can."

He added that he has been enjoying his mini-tour of the United States, which has already taken him through the Midwest and parts of the East Coast. "It's a real eye-opener. You get so used to the way things are in this business, where you never really get to interact with your audience. It's not like theater at all."

But he's been on a shoestring budget, making just enough from each stop to pay for his transportation, meals and hotel rooms.

Riegert is expecting his Salt Lake stop to be a success in that regard. His cousin, Nancy Borgenicht, is one of the producers of the Salt Lake Acting Company. "It's a happy little coincidence. I can stay for free with relatives and they can do a lot of my work for me out there," he said with a laugh. "That's an ideal situation for me."

He's also interested in seeing how LDS audiences will react to a movie that is steeped in Jewish culture. "I think it will do well there. Jews and Mormons are both heavily religious peoples, so we have more in common than you'd probably think.

"And besides, there's even a reference to a Mormon character in the movie. It's a flattering one, too. I promise."

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If you go . . .

What: "King of the Corner," followed by Q&A with Peter Riegert

Where: Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. Broadway (300 South)

When: Tonight and Saturday, 7 and 9 p.m.

How much: $7.50

Phone: 321-0310

Web: www.saltlakefilmsociety.org

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com