Albany in Pop Culture

Never been to Albany? Wondering what New York's state capital looks and feels like?

Maybe you already do.

Albany has been used as a location for an assorted lot of different projects, from a cycle of novels by a devoted local to setpieces from a Hollywood blockbuster. Some of them depict the most historical aspects of the town, some of them simply use it as a negation of New York City, and others are a faithful depiction of what the state's capital.

Albany's Guest Starring Spots

    William Kennedy
  • If you have ever read a word by a writer called William Kennedy, then you know Albany. This celebrated author with over a dozen books to his name has been nicknamed the James Joyce of Albany for using his hometown as the setting for much of his stories.

  • His most famous one, Ironweed, was turned into a movie starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. So memorable were their performances that they earned each thespian an Oscar nominations. And guess what. It was shot in Albany.

  • Angelina Jolie's 2010 action blockbuster Salt depicts a very expensive chase sequence taking place on Water Street near the Interstate 787 ramp.

  • Likewise, the sleuth comedy The Other Guys, starring Mark Whalberg and Will Ferrell, shot several sequences in the capital.