Spirit is back home in Renton but soon movie-goers across America will know his face.

Spirit plays Marmaduke in the just-released movie of the same name about a Great Dane living in sunny California with his often-harried family. The movie is based on the popular comic strip.

Spirit shares the role with his brother, George, who lives in Los Angeles. But it’s Spirit who carries the heavy acting load.

George does a surfing scene, standing on a surfboard, but Spirit does all the other action scenes, said his owner, Julie Evans, who lives in the Renton Highlands.

It was George who appeared at the movie’s premiere. He’s owned by the movie’s dog trainer.

Actor Owen Wilson is the voice of Marmaduke in the movie.

Evans and Spirit were separated for about nine months total out of the last year. She missed Spirit, one reason she brought home Serena, a female Great Dane.

Did Spirit miss Evans?

“Oh, yeah,” Evans said. “He rolled back into his old routine.”

Spirit did come home with one bad habit. He now jumps on the bed and sleeps, something he never did before he went to Hollywood (unless he was invited).

Spirit got the acting gig basically by being in the right place at the right time, said Evans.

George’s owner called up the dogs’ breeder – Daynakin Great Danes of Ferndale – to find out whether George had any siblings. They needed a dog who could pass for George to share the role.

Evans sent photos of Spirit. Only someone who really knows both dogs can tell their differences, Evans said.

The trainers called the next day. Spirit was the perfect match visually.

Then, Spirit had to undergo what basically is a screen test for dogs, in which his personality, intelligence and trainability are evaluated.

Spirit was picked up in Renton in April 2009 for the drive to Los Angeles. The testing was to take three weeks. Evans got a call after one week.

“We love him,” the trainers told Evans, she said. Then they tried to entice Evans to sell Spirit to them. No deal.

“There is no carrot that would entice me to sell him to you,” she told the trainers.

Spirit attended dog-obedience classes at the Tukwila-based Paws-Abilities, which Evans said was a key to his success.

Besides being a budding actor, Spirit is already a champion show dog, winning top prizes in shows in the American Kennel Club and in Canada. He already has started his breeding career.

Besides that, Spirit is a member of the family. Spirit is 2 1/2 years old; Evans got him when it was nine weeks old.

“He’s my everyday dog,” Evans said.

He shares the Evans home with Evans’ mom Patti and three cats, Lilly, Coco and Happy, a tabby who is best buddies with Spirit. Spirit weighs in at 160 pounds and is 36 inches tall at the withers or shoulders.

He plays hard with Serena. “They get along great,” said Evans.

Spirit is always on a leash when he’s anywhere but inside the house or in the back yard.

Filming of “Marmaduke” started in late late June and ended in November, with some shots done in Vancouver, British Columbia, and at Huntington Beach in California. While invited to the movie set, Evans didn’t see any of the filming because of her schedule.

Their longest time apart was seven months. “That was a very long time,” Evans said. It’s during that time that Evans bought Serena, who is also a champion show dog.

Evans has seen “Marmaduke” twice.

“I thought he did great,” said Evans of Spirit. He jumped into a sinkhole and swam down the water viaduct often used in movies shot in Los Angeles. That was the first time she saw Spirit swim.

“He was smart enough to do all that,” she said.

Following filming and weeks of promotional work, Spirit was home for good in April.

Evans isn’t sure what the future holds for Spirit’s acting career. He also did a burger commercial. So far, she said, she hasn’t heard of any plans for a sequel to “Marmaduke.”

Spirit was off the dog-show circuit during filming, but he recently appeared at shows in the Spokane area where he was named Best of Breed.

This weekend, he’s headed for Puyallup for a dog show. He won’t compete, but he’s sure to draw a crowd.

He’s also going to attend a “meet and greet” with members of Evans’ church in Factoria, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, on Monday. Then he’s off to the AMC Loews Factoria 8 theater with Evans, where he will make a brief appearance.

“He loves the attention,” Evans said.

Dean A. Radford is editor of the Renton Reporter.