By LEAH WEATHERSBY

The former naval base at Sand Point had made a major contribution to the glamour quotient of North Seattle. ³Rose Red,² a new ABC-TV miniseries about a haunted mansion that feeds on ³life force² has been filming there since October.

The miniseries is an original screenplay by best-selling horror author Stephen King.

³Rose Red² has also filmed at several other Seattle locations including the University of Washington. According to Suzy Kellett, managing director of the Washington State Film Office, the production has brought approximately $24 million into Washingtonıs economy, as well as roughly 1,200 temporary jobs for people in our state.

Not only that, but the production has patronized local businesses such as Rossman Paint Supply, which used to have a retail space located in Lake City.

³Rose Red² has also brought several celebrities to Seattle including actors Nancy Travis (whose previous movies included ³So I Married an Axe Murderer² ), Julian Sands (³A Room with a View²), and King himself who has a cameo in the film.

In addition to creating a large number of jobs for extras, crew members, drivers and security people, ³Rose Red² has given local actors, such Laura Kenny, a major career boost.

Kenny plays Kay Waterman, the self-centered and possessive mother of a young psychic who is hired for a job that takes him to Rose Red, the haunted mansion.

While Kenny, a Queen Anne resident, has had several small movie roles in the past, she is perhaps best known in Seattle for her role in the long-running local theater production ³Angry Housewives.² Kenny spent four years portraying Carol in the play (two years as an understudy) and that job helped her get her Actors Equity card.

While this union credential is an important step in becoming a full-time, paid professional actor, Kenny said itıs very difficult to make a full living as an actor in Seattle and continues to support herself with other jobs, most recently Web site maintenance.

She landed her part in ³Rose Red,² by showing up at her second auction with a Winnie the Pooh T-shirt and a teddy bear. This was good move considering that Kay Waterman is apparently teddy bear-obsessed. Kenny said she has read Stephen Kingıs work in the past and thinks ³Rose Red² is one of the authorıs scarier stories. Even after months of filming the miniseries Kenny still seems ecstatic over her latest lucky break.

³I did the dance of joy.² Kenny said of her reaction to the news that she had been cast in ³Rose Red.²

The production has suffered at least one major set-back: the untimely death of actor David Dukes. According to Kenny, Dukes, who portrayed Professor Miller in the miniseries, died of a heart attack after a game of tennis. Dukes had filmed most of his scenes and Kenny believes that the producers are committed to keeping him in the series.

³David (Dukes) was a wonderful actor, an incredible gentleman and a lovely man,² Kenny said.

Bringing more major film projects to Seattle may not be easy. While our area saw a whopping $55 million worth of movie business in 1994, the industry has fallen off sharply in recent years due in no small part to the major economic incentives which Vancouver, British Columbia, offers film production companies.

Part of the reason Washington state was chosen as the location to film ³Rose Red² is the presence of Thornwood Mansion in Lakewood, Wash., one of the sites where the series has been shooting on location.

Sand Point itself also played a major role in getting the production to come to Seattle, because the airplane hangar the film crew is using makes such a good sound stage. Elaborate sets have been constructed in the hanger as well as a large green screen for special effects.

³Having Sand Point available is a great carrot,² said Donna James, director of the Mayorıs Film and Video Office. James went on to say, however, that Sand Pointıs presence wonıt help Seattle in every case since not every production needs a sound stage. James did say that the Seattle area may be in line for two major projects next year but she said she was not at liberty to comment on specifics.

³Rose Red² is scheduled to air in three segments in February 2002 on ABC.