Conversations with Eric St. John

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric St. John

Eric, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always been fascinated by movies since I was a child. I grew up watching the classics with my father. I had never given much thought to acting as a profession until I was in my early 20’s. I would say my acting journey formally started when I was 22 years old. I was going to school in Phoenix, AZ and was doing some commercial print and modeling work. Unsure of what direction I ultimately wanted to go in my life, I was sitting in a World Literature class and we were reading and analyzing the classics; Homer’s “The Iliad”, and “Odyssey”, and “Jason and the Argonauts” by Apollonius of Rhodes. Along with movies, literature, and stories, have always stimulated my imagination and I remember having this overwhelming feeling that I didn’t just want to read these great stories, I wanted to live them out, somehow. I think that was the first seedling of my desire to act. I spoke to my mother about it and she said “Well, if you think you want to be an actor go audition for a play and see if you get a part, see how you like it”…So I did, got a great part in a local production. It was a sort of surrealist experimental take on Leonardo da Vinci‘s famous painting “The Last Supper”. That experience opened up a whole new world for me. I had never before had the feeling of being so alive while at the same time serving others and adding value to our collective Humanity. I had the feeling then, and I still do, that Acting is a Nobel Profession. Uncertain of how I would go about pursuing this “Nobel Profession”, I had a defining moment in life one fateful night, I was a passenger in a near fatal car accident, the kind where no one should’ve walked away . When I woke up in the hospital, days later battered and broken with a displaced jaw, severe lacerations on my face, a fractured nose, nearly broken orbital bone and almost losing an eye, I had a vision, very clearly, that I was given a “second chance”, and that I should pursue my passion without fear. So I auditioned for The American Academy of Dramatic Arts New York, with a displaced jaw and healing laceration scars on my face, I was accepted and moved to New York. I knew that I wanted to work in film and television and would eventually move to Los Angeles, but I first wanted to study and learn the craft of acting and become the best actor I that could be, and at that time most all of the actors that I looked up to started in New York and had worked on stage doing theatre…so that’s where I began. So I suppose the driving force for me has always been story and imagination, and bringing those two elements to life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with most every human being going through this human experience, there have been countless struggles and challenges.. A common challenge of the profession of Acting, for most people, but not for all, is that the work that you get paid for is on a “per job” basis. You do an acting job, and whether that job lasts one day, one week or one year, when the job ends, you are theoretically unemployed and must then look for the next acting job. So I think of the job of the actor is to work to get the work, and then the actual doing of the job once you get it is kind of the reward in and of itself. So I would say the most challenging part of being an actor is not the work itself, because the actual work, while challenging in many ways is pure joy and purpose driven, but rather it is the time in between acting jobs that is always the most challenging.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an actor. I am frequently cast in dramatic roles and physically demanding roles. I am also a life long martial artist, starting at the age of 7, and I won the Gold Medal in the Jr. Olympics in the Black Belt Division in Taekwondo. I am trained in multiple disciplines, including Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Silat and Kali, and continue training and learning to this day. I would say the attributes that set me apart are that I have a deep emotional availability and range, while at the same time possessing a strong physical presence and the skill set required for physically demanding roles…so that combination is usually reflected in the types of roles that I am cast in for Film and Television jobs. One of the greatest rewards as an actor is taking part in moving people emotionally, and having an impact. One particular moment in time that I cherish occurred after a screening of a movie I did called “Ride the Thunder” it is a movie about the Vietnam War and I play the role of real life war hero Major John Riley. The movie played in theaters across the country and we would have panel discussions on occasion after the screenings at select movie theaters…After one particular screening and panel discussion, I walked out of the theatre and there were several men lined up just outside the theater door, all with tears in their eyes, some were so moved that they had trouble speaking. They were all Vietnam War Veterans and some of them had even served with John Ripley, the character I was playing, in his platoon during the Vietnam War.. With tears streaming down their faces, each one thanked me for my portrayal of John Ripley and for making this movie. It absolutely moved me to my core to see these battle hardened frontline infantry Vietnam War veterans moved to tears, and to have them express their appreciation for my work is the greatest reward I could ever dream of.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First and foremost I give credit to my mother and father for their unwavering love, support and encouragement in my pursuits as an actor, this has made all the difference in the world for me on my walk along the road less traveled. Another mentor I give credit to is my first acting coach in Scottsdale AZ, Jean Fowler, who was an original cast member in Woody Allen’s “Play it again Sam” on Broadway. Jean basically told me I have three choices if I want to become a professional actor, I could stay where I am, I could go to New York and get formal training and start in the theatre to gain experience, or I could go straight to Hollywood. I chose the New York route. Having been an Alumni of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts New York herself, Jean wrote my letter of recommendation and I subsequently auditioned, got in, and graduated. Without Jeans guidance in those early days I wouldn’t be where I am today. I credit my training at AADA NY I’m giving me a solid foundation of the craft and understanding of what it means to be a professional actor. Here in Los Angeles I have studies with many great coaches, all of whom I gained knowledge and insight into my craft and which I draw on to this day. Harry Mastrogeorge, Silvana Gallardo, Bruce Glover and Milton Katselas have all been instrumental in my development as an artist. Also, in a way, every job I have done as an actor, whether on stage, film, or television, has served as a kind of “mentor”, because I have learned and developed as an artist through each and every experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089340
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericstjohnofficial
• Other: https://esjventures.com

Image Credits
Stephanie Findley & Kobi Gulianni