Raised in a Catholic household with half a dozen siblings,
life was never boring. As my mother’s choices in husbands changed, our
geographic location, religion, and size of family changed with them. I would
venture to guess that if my mother had stayed married to my biological father (a lifer in corporate America), my life would
have turned out very different. As it was, my early aspirations were conflicted
by my mother’s ambition and biological father’s best intentions. Like
my mother, I constantly looked for greener and more exciting pastures. At the
same time, I felt a responsibility to find a secure and traditional nine-to-five career, just like Dad.
My college years were a good example of this. My gut told me that I shouldn’t be there, but my brain made me stay.
In the end, I think I got more out of the process of earning my degrees than I got from the actual diplomas –
but that’s the point, right?
In college I discovered painting, enjoyed it immensely, and
knew I had found a passion in my life. The last week of the my first art class,
the professor pulled me aside, looked me in the eye and said, “So what else would you like to do with your life?” As you can imagine, having little self-confidence, I was devastated, and didn’t
draw or paint again for several years
After college, jobs ranged from cleaning up monkey crap in
a primate house to babysitting professional football players in the weight room. Okay,
not much difference between the two, but you get the idea. It wasn’t until
I became so desperate for something to cover my dingy studio apartment walls that I picked up a paintbrush again. Unable to afford decent posters or prints, I painted my first real painting.
I have been a professional artist now for over fifteen years
and have sold paintings all over the world - my first lesson in not giving too
much credit to those in authority positions.
Always on the look out for new experiences, Many years
ago I agreed to design a local theater group’s set. One day they handed
me a script. I had always fantasized about acting, but never had the guts to
try. After my first time on stage, I was hooked.
Part of it was the attention, trying to make up for what I lost fighting with my many siblings for the limited attention
of our mother and varied fathers, but most of all I enjoyed the opportunity of being in someone else’s skin.
Interested in creating more roles for myself, I began to write
- a big mistake. I am now able to create more fun and bizarre characters than
I had been handed in my acting career. The possibilities seem endless. Screenwriting is a continuous learning process.
I am sure there are still some crappy screenplays in me, but the good ones are also starting to show themselves and
be acknowledged.
In 2003, I was chosen as a finalist in the Sony/AtomFilms
short screenplay competition and a small San Francisco production company picked up the script, "Tea with Tiffany" with me attached as lead and co-director.
The highlight of 2003 was working with Francis Ford Coppola
for several weeks. I was cast for a workshop conservatory in which Francis preshot his current film project on video
to show to potential investors to raise money for the future epic.
2004 was my adjustment year to L.A., needless to say, I am
still adjusting. Wrote a lot and was fortunate enought to be cast in several indies. I just finished
my sixth feature length script "Mile Markers", and am working on an "untitled" seventh feature.
Presently, my book Penis Pokey, is about to be released and
has already garnered quite a bit of interest with forthcoming reviews in Esquire magazine and The Advocate.
