Jenice Armstrong: Last remaining HIV-positive extra in 'Philadelphia' grateful to be alive

By Jenice Armstrong Philadelphia Daily News Daily News Columnist BACK WHEN the AIDS movie "Philadelphia" was being filmed, producers hired 53 extras to appear in various scenes. Granted, they were just bit parts. Some of them made it to the screen for mere seconds. But what made these roles noteworthy was that all of the actors were either HIV-positive or had AIDS. This was no accident. Director Jonathan Demme intentionally set out to include as many people with the virus as possible in the critically acclaimed movie. A group called Action AIDS provided the volunteers. No one was turned down. Now, 15 years later, every single one of those novice performers is dead - except one. Suellen Kehler, 44, a former bank secretary who lives in the Northeast, is the lone survivor. If you watched the movie, you may have spotted the... [read full story]