Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Parlapanides.
Hi Charles, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Charley: We grew up along the Jersey Shore, chasing the American Dream while juggling multiple jobs to support our family. Ours was the quintessential immigrant experience, one shared by many Greek families, including the tradition of owning a diner. When our father’s family eventually sold the diner, we transitioned to running a hot dog stand and parking lot in Seaside Heights, NJ, a town now infamous as the backdrop for MTV’s Jersey Shore and later devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. That’s the town where the roller coaster “fell” into the ocean, which is an image that came to symbolize the destruction there.
Just next door, in Seaside Park, we were raised with the values of education and hard work. Every step we took was driven by a desire to make our parents proud. So, when my brother and I first considered pursuing a career in the “movie business”, we hesitated, aware of the sacrifices our parents made, often working three jobs to support us. Yet, they were dreamers at heart and never wavered in their encouragement. Without any connections in Hollywood, we started from the ground up, doing whatever it took to break into the industry; whether working as Production Assistants or taking office jobs at small production companies. We simply set out to learn, fueled by the same work ethic our parents had instilled in us.
We quickly realized that writing was one of the few disciplines in Hollywood that required no permission, no connections, just a willingness to sit down and do the work. Almost every other job in the industry depended on someone hiring you, but with writing, success was entirely in your hands. If you were willing to invest the time and effort, you could create something from nothing. It cost nothing but your time and, as we’d later learn, plenty of blood, sweat, sanity, and tears. What also drew us in was the meritocratic nature of it. In the end, a great script was a great script. It didn’t matter where you went to school or who you knew. If you wrote something that resonated, people would pay attention. That idea spoke to us, and we saw writing as our way into the industry.
Vlas: I completely echo everything Charley said. Our immigrant experience deeply shaped who we are. Our mother instilled in us the faith and values of the old country. Greek was our first language, and we learned English later. Growing up in an immigrant family gives you a unique perspective. On the surface, it looked like we fit right in with our peers, but I always felt like a bit of an outsider. We were just a little different, we ate different foods, attended Greek school and Greek dancing classes, and celebrated Easter on a different date. I never fully felt like I belonged, but I didn’t see that as a negative. I tried to take the best from both cultures, and that, in my opinion, made our lives richer. That dual perspective also influenced our writing. We saw the world through a slightly different lens, which gave our work a distinct voice. When it came time to write about an outsider, we knew we could bring authenticity to that story. Heron, in Blood of Zeus, is the quintessential outsider. We drew from our own experiences growing up, amplifying and dramatizing them. While the stories are different, they share the common thread of feeling like you don’t fully belong.
As for how we got here, we have to go way back. I left my steady job in 1996, and after a long road, we finally sold a script, Live Bet, to Universal in 2006. We were a ten year overnight success! That sale officially welcomed us into the industry as professional writers. But the path between 1996 and 2006 was anything but smooth.
We made an indie film, Everything for a Reason, which premiered at the AFI International Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by the Shooting Gallery (Sling Blade, You Can Count on Me). Just as things were looking up, the Shooting Gallery went out of business. By the time we navigated the bankruptcy process, My Big Fat Greek Wedding had been released. Since Everything for a Reason had a Greek element, we suddenly seemed like we were riding the coattails of something that had already been done. That perception made it nearly impossible to find another distributor, it felt like the momentum we’d built had evaporated overnight.
So, it was back to square one. We wrote scripts that were well-received, which helped us land a manager, but none of them sold to a studio, the key milestone that marks your official entry into the business. During that time, we were struggling writers juggling survival jobs while chasing our dreams, navigating the unpredictable highs and lows of the industry.
What made the difference for us was that immigrant “never give up” mentality, it fostered grit, persistence, and determination. And honestly, I think those qualities matter more than talent when it comes to succeeding. After we sold Live Bet, I thought things would get easier. But the truth is, it’s never easy in this business. Around 70% of writers who sell a script to a studio and become WGA members never sell anything again. Many are out of the business within 4-5 years. The average WGA writer’s career spans just 8 years. So, selling a script and getting your foot in the door doesn’t guarantee a sustainable career.
Writing is a lot like the NFL: Not For Long. We’ve experienced our fair share of highs and lows, but we were fortunate to land writing jobs in both TV and film, collaborate with some incredible people, and see two of our films produced. So, we feel blessed.
A big turning point came during a general meeting with John Derderian, the Head of Animation at Netflix. He asked if we had any ideas for an animated series. We pitched Blood of Zeus, and to his credit, he had the vision and courage to greenlight it.
Seasons 1 and 2 were both critical and commercial successes, with Season 2 earning a WGA Award nomination for Episode 3, Winter Is Born. The winner will be announced on February 15th, 2025. And we’re excited to share that Season 3 of Blood of Zeus is set to premiere later this year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Charley: No, the road wasn’t smooth; not then, and not now. But this business isn’t for the faint of heart. And while I don’t mean to sound pretentious, my brother worked on Wall Street, and I went to law school, both highly competitive and demanding fields. Yet, in our experience, neither compares to the challenges of Hollywood.
In this industry, uncertainty, rejection, and failure are constants, especially in the beginning. Unlike most professions, there’s no clear path forward. If you want to be a doctor, you follow a well-defined trajectory: pre-med, medical school, residency, and then you being your practice. In Hollywood, no such roadmap exists.
After college, I watched my friends land great jobs, some as investment bankers at Goldman Sachs, others as consultants at Arthur Andersen while I moved back home and returned to my high school job at a fish market, working four days a week to cover my student loans and a bus pass into the city. The other three days, I interned for free at a small production company in New York. That’s how I got my foot in the door, not as a writer, but simply to be near the business.
When it came to writing, we spent seven years writing whenever we could, while working random survival jobs, only to face a relentless stream of rejection. Over time, you get better at your craft. Your writing becomes sharper. In our experience, you have to write six or seven scripts and reading hundreds more, before you even begin to understand what it takes to make the page sing. But all the while, you’re essentially in an unpaid, unsanctioned apprenticeship. You start to wonder, “Am I wasting my life? Is this even a good idea?’ Still, our passion for this dream was so strong, we refused to relent. While the rejection could be discouraging, we refused to let it make us jaded. Cynicism, in my opinion, is the death of creativity, you have to avoid it like the plague. You can’t afford to let it extinguish your creative spirit.
That said by 2005, though, I was on the verge of giving up. I was about to get married and seriously considered a different path. But we had an idea for a heist script that we both felt was strong. I told my brother, “Let’s just write this one last script.” That script ended up selling to Universal, got us into the Writers Guild of America, and officially launched our professional careers. Since then, we’ve been writing full-time, but these last two decades haven’t been without its ups and downs, too. That’s the nature of this business. The key is perseverance.
Vlas: I agree with Charley, nothing about this journey is ever smooth. But honestly, that’s true in any profession. The difference with Hollywood, though, is that the challenges are magnified for two reasons. First, it’s a global stage. Everyone in the world dreams of breaking into this industry, which makes it insanely competitive. Second, as Charley mentioned, you can pour years of hard work into trying to make it, only to end up with nothing to show for it. That kind of uncertainty is tough to face, and it can be downright scary. I also believe that at some point, you need a little luck, something that keeps you believing it’s possible. When we first moved to LA, I was working a survival job as a golf caddy at the Bel-Air Country Club. The most famous caddy to ever work there was James Ellroy. The other caddies showed me the exact spot where he used to sit and write while waiting for a loop. Being a huge Ellroy fan, I figured maybe sitting in that same spot while working on a script would help me in some way.
At that point, we’d been grinding for years, trying to break in, and the constant rejection was starting to wear me down. It got to a point where I prayed. I remember saying, “God, if we’re meant to make it in this business, please help us. But if not, that’s okay. I’ve given it my best shot, and I can live with doing something else.” And I genuinely meant it. I felt at peace with the idea of walking away if that’s how it was meant to be. But I added, “If we’re supposed to make it, I need a sign. I need some help.”
The very next day, a caddy I’d never met sat next to me in the caddy shack. We started chatting, just small talk, and completely out of nowhere, he asked, “Did you pray last night?” I just stared at him, stunned. Then he said, “What you prayed for will come to pass.” I was floored. I got emotional right there. I couldn’t believe it. I kept thinking, What are the odds? The very next day after I poured my heart out in that prayer? Then, of course, the logical side of me kicked in, trying to rationalize it. Maybe this guy says that to everyone, hoping to get a reaction. But still, what are the odds?
A couple of months later, we sold the script I mentioned earlier, LIVE BET, with 50 Cent attached to star, to Universal Studios. And if it hadn’t been for that caddy, on that particular day, I honestly don’t know if I would have kept at it. Sometimes, you need those moments to inspire you, to remind you that you’re not crazy for pursuing this dream. Making it in this business takes talent, grit, and a little bit of luck. And that day gave me just enough of all three to keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Charley: My brother and I love writing. We’re incredibly fortunate to get paid to sit in a room and make things up. That’s the essence of what we do and our process is simple: we ask ourselves, “What would be interesting? What would we want to see?” While we started our careers solely in feature films, our love for television, especially producing an animated series has been one of the most fulfilling evolutions of our journey. The past seven years working on Blood of Zeus, have been the most rewarding and enjoyable of our careers. It is also what we’re most proud of. With Blood of Zeus, what we wrote is what ended up on screen. For better or worse, that was the story we wanted to tell and incredibly, we got to tell it our way. It’s the first time in our careers that we’ve been able to see a project through from the inception of an idea to the final mix of Season Three. I’m also especially proud of Episode 203, Winter Is Born, the episode that earned us a Writers Guild of America Award nomination. It’s funny because when I first pitched the idea of intercutting Hades and Seraphim’s storylines in that episode some people on the team weren’t sure it would work. But I had a gut feeling that we could make it work, and in the end, the episode turned out beautifully. Sometimes, you just have to trust your gut.
Vlas- Charley was absolutely right about intercutting Hades and Seraphim’s storylines. When he first pitched the idea, I wasn’t sure it would work. But I was wrong, it worked beautifully. I’m grateful he stuck to his guns, and we committed to that direction. It ended up becoming one of the episodes we’re most proud of. As for the questions about our work, we’ve become known for writing in the Greek mythological space. It feels fitting, considering we’re Greek, and it’s a world we’ve loved since childhood. These stories were introduced to us at a young age by our grandmother, and that, in itself, was something of a miracle.
Our grandmother was born and raised in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey). When Turkish forces invaded, she was forced to hide in her basement to escape the brutal violence. Recognizing the imminent danger, her father rallied the Greek men of the village to fight, not in hopes of victory, but to buy precious time for the women and children to flee. Their sacrifice saved lives. Our grandmother managed to escape and eventually found refuge in the United States. But her father paid the ultimate price. As the leader of the Greek resistance, he was captured, hung, and killed, targeted simply for being Greek. A similar story unfolded on our mother’s side. Her grandfather, an educated and respected man, was tortured and murdered by the Turks. His intellect and prominence made him a target. These personal histories have deeply shaped us. They’ve instilled in us a profound empathy for anyone persecuted because of their ethnicity or race, and a strong understanding of what it means to be marginalized or made to feel less than. That sentiment influences our writing and permeates every aspect of our lives.
When it comes to what I’m most proud of, it’s the moments when we hear from fans that the show has impacted them in meaningful ways. I remember an interview with a reporter who told us she had been burdened by anger for years. It was affecting her life in ways she hadn’t realized. After watching the show, she said she came to understand that her anger was hurting her more than anyone else. The show helped her recognize that, and when she let go of that anger, her life began to improve. Hearing that made us incredibly proud. If Blood of Zeus can help even one person, whether by inspiring them, offering comfort, or simply making their day a little better, that’s success to me. That’s what I’m most proud of.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Charley: I love the spirit of this city. Los Angeles is a place of dreams, where anything can happen, both good and bad. But that duality is the essence of storytelling, dating back to ancient theater, where every story was either a comedy or a tragedy. In that sense, LA couldn’t be more fitting and it makes for a far more interesting life, in my opinion. What also really sets this city apart, though, is its people. They’re driven, passionate, and relentlessly ambitious. You don’t fully appreciate that energy until you step away from LA for a while. What I least like is easy, LA traffic. I’ve never seen anything like it. We were back in NJ a few months ago and the traffic driving into the city from the Lincoln Tunnel seemed like a cake walk after living on the West Coast. Also, LA traffic makes no sense. You can be leaving an event at midnight and still hit traffic. It’s insane.
Vlas: What I like best about LA: Los Angeles is a city of endless possibilities. The creative energy here is unmatched, you’re surrounded by people chasing their dreams, which is both inspiring and motivating. I love the diversity, not just in the people, but in the neighborhoods, the food, and the culture. One day you’re hiking in the mountains, the next you’re at the beach, and by evening you could be at a film premiere or an underground art show. That mix of natural beauty and creative opportunity is hard to beat. What I least like about LA: The hustle can be exhausting. The city thrives on ambition, but that also means it can feel superficial at times, with people more focused on what you do than who you are. And of course, the traffic is legendary for a reason, it’s not just inconvenient, it’s a lifestyle adjustment. Plus, the cost of living can be brutal, especially when you’re trying to break into the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.asiaminorpictures.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bloodofzeus
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bloodofzeus
- Twitter: www.x.com/bloodofzeus
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/bloodofzeus
Screenshot
