Rising Stars: Meet Josh Williamson of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Williamson.

Hi Josh , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am originally from Michigan, and about thirteen years ago, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. I packed up my life and moved to San Diego, California.

At the time, part of the reason was my career in roofing. I had already spent about twenty years in the roofing industry, working for multiple roofing companies and eventually running roofing departments here in California. Over the years, I learned the business from the ground up, learned how to work with people, learned how to solve problems, and learned what it really takes to build something that can stand on its own.

Eventually, I decided to take everything I had learned and bet on myself.

I started my own roof repair business.

I continued building that business in San Diego, and it has now followed me here to Los Angeles. It is a unique business because a large part of our work is driven by the weather. When it rains, the phones start ringing. We do a lot of leak repairs and help homeowners deal with problems that suddenly become very real when water starts finding its way into their homes. There’s no work when it’s not raining and well, it barely rains here outside of our rainy season so you can imagine!

But roofing was never just a job to me.

It taught me discipline.

It taught me perseverance.

It taught me how to communicate with people.

It taught me how to walk into a difficult situation, figure out what is wrong, and find a solution.

Most importantly, it taught me how to build something of my own.

And I think those lessons prepared me for everything that came afterward.

Because if there is one thing I have learned through twenty years in the roofing industry, it is that you cannot build anything meaningful without putting in the work. You have to show up when it is difficult. You have to keep going when things do not go according to plan. You have to be willing to get uncomfortable, take responsibility, and sometimes climb higher than you ever thought you could.

That mindset has followed me into every part of my life.

But if I am being completely honest, roofing was only part of the reason I came to California.

I came because something inside of me kept pulling me toward California.

I had visited multiple times before making the move, and every time I came here, I felt something different. I have always been a California soul at heart. I loved the weather, the energy, the people, the lifestyle, and most importantly, the feeling that there was something more waiting for me here.

Eventually, I decided to stop thinking about it and pull the trigger.

It was one of the biggest risks I had ever taken, but it ended up being one of the most important decisions I have ever made.

California changed my life.

It brought out who I am. It gave me the ability to be myself to the fullest. People back home in Michigan would reach out to me and say, “Josh, you are glowing. You look so happy. You are doing amazing things.”

They could see something had changed.

And they were right.

I felt different.

I felt alive.

I felt like myself.

I am internally happy.

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart and someone who believes in taking chances. I have never been the type of person who wants to live inside somebody else’s idea of what my life should look like. I have always felt that there was something greater inside of me, something I was supposed to become, even when I had no idea what that was.

I still cannot completely explain where that feeling comes from.

Maybe it is God.

Maybe it is the universe.

Maybe it is something inside each of us that knows where we are supposed to go before we consciously understand it.

Whatever it is, I have always felt it.

I have also always believed in energy.

I do not care what somebody thinks about me. I care about how I treat people. I try to be kind. I try to spread love. I try to bring positive energy wherever I go.

You never know what somebody else is going through.

You never know what is happening behind somebody’s smile. You never know what somebody is carrying when they walk into a room. Sometimes a simple hello, a smile, or telling someone that you hope they have a great day can mean more than you will ever know.

You might have no idea that the five seconds you spent being kind to someone changed their entire day.

You might not even know that it saved them.

That is how I choose to move through life.

At the same time, I have learned that protecting your energy is just as important as giving it.

I have had to remove negativity from my life, even when that meant creating distance from certain people in my own family. I have heard people tell me that I should not do certain things, that I should be doing something else, or that I should take a different path.

But the older I get, the more I understand something very simple.

Nobody else has to live my life.

I do.

I have to wake up every morning and live with the decisions I make.

So when I feel something deeply, when I see an opportunity, when something inside of me tells me to move, I listen.

There have been so many moments in my life where something appeared directly in front of me and I somehow knew I needed to take it. I followed that feeling, made the move, and watched things happen that I could never have predicted.

It almost feels like divine intervention.

You start accomplishing things that you once only imagined. You start checking things off that only existed in your head. You start meeting people who somehow end up being incredibly important to your journey.

And eventually, you realize that maybe all of those things were connected.

In June 2026, I made another major decision. I moved from San Diego to Los Angeles full time.

For the past year, I had been driving back and forth from San Diego to Los Angeles to meet my call times on sets. If I had to be on set at 7 AM, I would have to leave San Diego around 3 AM just to beat all the traffic that forms throughout San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles. I would then get on set and work for twelve hours before getting back in my car and making the drive back to San Diego. I would get home, take care of what I needed to take care of, and then fall back asleep for another two or three hours before having to wake up and do the exact same thing all over again the next day.

That was my reality, and I embraced it because I knew exactly what I was doing. I was not waiting for my life to happen. I was building it. Every early morning, every twelve hour day, every long drive, every hour of lost sleep was another investment in the career I had chosen and the life I was creating.

Eventually, I realized that I had reached a point where I could no longer treat Los Angeles as somewhere I traveled to for my career. I am an actor. This is my industry, this is where I work, and this is where I need to be.

So in June 2026, I made the decision to move from San Diego to Los Angeles full time.

That move was not simply a change of address. It was another declaration of commitment to myself and to the life I am actively building. I had already proven to myself how badly I wanted this by making that drive over and over again. Now I was taking the next step and putting myself exactly where I needed to be.

I am not waiting for the future.

I am building it.

Every day I am creating the career, the relationships, the opportunities, and the life that I know I am capable of living. This is who I am, this is what I do, and I am just getting started.

But my journey has also included some of the most painful experiences of my life.

On June 1, 2025, I lost my father.

My father was not just my dad.

He was my best friend.

He died in my arms at 12:11 PM.

I was in San Diego at the time, packing and preparing to move. I was on my way to Warner Bros. Studios Ranch Lot to be on set for “Lanterns’ that actually just aired August 2026 when my phone rang.

It was my brother.

He told me I needed to come to Michigan within the next couple of days. My dad was in excruciating pain and was not doing well. Then my brother told me something my father had said.

My father said, “I am not going anywhere until my son Josh is here. I do not care how long I have to wait. I am not letting you take me off anything until my son is here.”

Those words will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I knew exactly what he meant.

My father was waiting for me.

My father had been dealing with congestive heart failure. He had a defibrillator implanted years earlier and had continued living his life, staying active and doing the things he loved. But over the previous couple of years, his health had become increasingly difficult.

The defibrillator had started shocking him repeatedly in ways that were completely out of the ordinary.

He went to the hospital to have it checked.

He ended up staying there for three weeks.

Deep down, I knew.

I knew my father was dying.

I went back to Michigan.

And I was there.

I was there with my dad when he passed.

Even now, writing those words brings tears to my eyes.

My parents had been married for fifty years. I was raised in a home where I watched my mother and father build a life together, and my dad played an enormous role in shaping the man I became.

Losing him was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced.

But I made a choice.

I could allow that loss to destroy me, or I could allow it to become fuel.

I chose fuel.

I decided I was going to go harder than I had ever gone before.

I was going to live.

I was going to pursue everything I had been afraid to pursue.

I was going to take the risks.

I was going to chase the dreams.

And I was going to make my father proud.

That loss did not erase my pain.

It gave my pain a purpose.

But I will be completely honest about something else.

The biggest thing that hurts my heart, and something I know I will carry with me for the rest of my life, is knowing that my father will never truly get to see everything I accomplish.

He will never get to see the things I have already accomplished.

He will never get to watch me step onto another set, see another credit, watch another opportunity unfold, or witness the life I am continuing to build.

And that hurts.

My father was my biggest supporter.

He believed in me.

He believed in the person I was and the person I could become.

So every accomplishment I have now carries a different feeling.

I celebrate it, but there is always a part of me that wishes I could pick up the phone and tell my dad.

I wish he could see this.

I wish he could watch this.

I wish he could be here for this moment.

People always say that time heals all wounds.

I am going to be very honest.

I do not believe that.

Time does not heal the wound of losing someone you truly loved.

Time teaches you how to live with it.

Time may put a Band Aid over the pain. It may make the day to day easier. You learn how to keep moving forward, how to smile again, how to work again, how to live again.

But when you lose someone who was deeply woven into your life, especially someone like my father, I do not believe that wound ever completely heals.

And I think that is okay.

Because the pain exists because the love existed.

I do not want to forget that love.

I do not want the pain to disappear if disappearing means forgetting how important he was to me.

So I carry it.

I carry my father with me.

I carry his voice.

I carry his support.

I carry the lessons he taught me.

And I carry the love he gave me into everything I do.

That is part of my fuel now.

And not long before that, another part of my life was beginning to reveal itself.

For years, I had felt like I was supposed to become something greater than myself. I just did not know what that meant.

Then I met my friend Anthony.

After moving to California, Anthony became one of my neighbors. We started talking, getting to know each other, and having those deeper conversations about life.

What do you want to accomplish?

What inspires you?

What are your goals?

What do you want your life to look like?

We talked about entrepreneurship. We talked about modeling. We talked about acting. We talked about all of the things we felt we were capable of becoming.

We have now been friends for about nine years.

At one point, Anthony moved about an hour away, so we did not see each other as often. Then one day, I saw him in a short film.

I remember thinking, “Wait a minute. Anthony is acting?”

I immediately reached out to him.

He told me about what he had been doing and invited me to the premiere.

I went.

And on the drive home from Los Angeles after that premiere, something happened that I will never forget.

For the first time in my entire life, I finally understood in a clear picture what my true purpose in life was.

Acting.

I was 43 years old.

There was no confusion.

There was no hesitation.

There was no second guessing.

I just knew.

It was one of those moments where everything suddenly became clear, and I understood that this was not simply something I wanted to try. This was something I was meant to do for the rest of my life.

By the time I got home, I had an agent, an Actors Access profile, a Casting Networks profile, and a Backstage profile.

That was the beginning.

I started self submitting for opportunities even though I had an agent because I was not going to sit around and wait for somebody else to make my dream happen.

I wanted to work.

I wanted to learn.

I wanted to prove to myself that this was real.

Then the opportunities started coming.

I got onto productions including Euphoria, The Comeback, Running Point, Lanterns, and Tracker.

I have played multiple lead roles in short films. I have done supporting roles. I have done commercials. I have done music videos.

And I am still going.

The momentum I have right now is something I am incredibly grateful for; I am being recognized amongst my peers.

But the more I get into acting, the more I realize that acting is not just about acting for me.

It is about connection.

It is about vulnerability.

It is about being willing to expose the parts of yourself that most people spend their entire lives trying to hide.

It is about emotion.

It is about storytelling.

It is about making somebody feel something.

And I believe my purpose goes beyond what happens when the camera turns on.

I want to open doors for other people.

I want to create pathways.

I want to help people connect.

I want people to realize that they do not have to have everything figured out before they start.

I did not.

I was 43 when I finally realized what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

That is why I believe it is never too late.

Then Bogdan Iusypchuk entered my life.

I first connected with Bogdan through one of the casting platforms when he reached out to me about playing a lead role in his first production as a producer for his production company, Golden Empire Pictures.

He then cast me for a lead role in the film, and this was our beginning.

When I walk onto a set, I pay attention.

I watch people.

I listen.

I observe how people treat one another.

I feel the energy.

And the first thing I noticed about Bogdan and the people around him was warmth.

There was something different about that set.

At that point, I did not know who Bogdan really was. I did not know about his international accomplishments. I did not know the extent of his background.

I simply knew him as the person I was working with.

Over the course of six or seven days, that changed.

I started getting to know Bogdan. I met his wife. I met the people around them, many of whom are Ukrainian.

I started hearing their stories.

I started understanding what they had experienced and what they had been forced to leave behind.

One night after getting home from set, I broke down crying.

I remember thinking about their families, their friends, their country, and everything they had gone through.

It hit me deeply.

That is who I am.

I feel people.

I care about people.

I am empathetic.

When somebody tells me their story, I do not just hear it.

I feel it.

My connection with Bogdan continued to grow because of the way I watched him operate. I watched how he treated people. I watched how people responded to him. I spoke with his wife. I learned more about who they were beyond the set.

There are certain connections in life that you cannot explain.

You just feel them.

I have experienced that kind of connection only a handful of times in my life.

One of those people is my longtime friend Aaron Aquino, who I consider a brother to this day.

And then there is Bogdan.

At one point, I remember telling Bogdan that our connection was starting to feel like something beyond two people who had simply worked together on a production.

After we finished filming, I brought the cast together to go watch Bogdan’s wife perform because she is a professional singer.

It happened to be Bogdan’s birthday, something none of us knew until that day.

From there, our friendship continued to grow.

We watched soccer together.

We went to the boardwalk.

We got coffee.

We talked about life.

We talked about business.

We talked about the entertainment industry.

We talked about our experiences and the things we wanted to build.

At some point, Bogdan told me about something he had done in Ukraine involving breakfast gatherings with like-minded people in the entertainment industry.

I remember telling him that I thought it was an amazing idea and that I would love to be part of something like that.

Eventually, Bogdan and his wife came over to my house.

Bogdan had an opportunity he wanted to present to me.

He asked me to become a copartner in a business called Film Breakfast.

That conversation became the beginning of something much bigger than I initially realized.

Film Breakfast is about people.

It is about bringing people together.

It is about creating a table where everybody has a seat.

Background actors.

Writers.

Producers.

Directors.

Grips.

Assistant directors.

Gaffers.

Actors.

Industry professionals.

People who have been working in entertainment for decades.

People who are just getting started.

And people who have never worked in the industry before but have always dreamed about being part of it.

We bring everyone together at a nice establishment, have breakfast, listen to an experienced guest speaker, and create an environment where people can learn from one another. The tickets are $30 but that literally pays for your breakfast and beverage.

Our guest speakers come from different areas of the industry. They can be casting directors, producers, seasoned actors, or respected professionals who have spent years working in entertainment.

We give them important main topics to discuss, but we also allow them to bring their own topics, experiences and knowledge into the room.

Because we do not want Film Breakfast to feel like a lecture.

We want it to feel like a community.

We want someone sitting across the table from you to become your next reading partner.

Your next collaborator.

Your next friend.

Maybe even someone who changes the direction of your career.

You never know.

That is what happens when people connect.

Bogdan and I also take part in the conversations. We share our own experiences, add to what our guest speakers are discussing, and give people an opportunity to hear the raw and real side of the entertainment industry. Bogdan has amazing experience in which you will learn from his story submitted.

Because there is a side of this business that people do not always talk about.

Sometimes people are treated differently based on their credits.

Sometimes somebody with one line can feel like they are less important than the person with twenty years of experience.

Sometimes someone who is working background can feel invisible.

We want Film Breakfast to be the opposite of that.

Nobody should walk into our room feeling like they are less than anybody else.

If you have been acting for ten years, you belong.

If you have been acting for one year, you belong.

If you have never acted before in your life, you belong.

Everyone starts somewhere.

We want people to be able to walk into that room, sit down, eat breakfast, talk to people, ask questions, laugh, learn, and leave feeling like they are part of something.

That is what matters to us.

Community.

Connection.

Opportunity.

Support.

And people.

Ultimately, we want Film Breakfast to grow into something much bigger.

We want it to become an entertainment household name.

We want people to hear the words Film Breakfast and immediately think about community, opportunity, education, connection, and belonging.

We want it to become a place where people feel safe enough to be vulnerable, ask questions, share their experiences, and build relationships.

Because I know what it feels like to search for your purpose.

I know what it feels like to wonder whether you are capable of something more.

I know what it feels like to take a massive risk and have people question your decision.

I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.

I know what it feels like to start something completely new later in life.

And I know what it feels like when everything suddenly clicks.

That is why I believe so strongly in following your instincts.

Sometimes you have to trust the voice inside of you even when nobody else understands it.

Sometimes you have to make a decision that looks crazy to everyone else.

Sometimes you have to leave behind the version of yourself that other people are comfortable with so you can become the person you were actually meant to be.

Moving from Michigan to California changed my life.

Losing my father changed my life.

Discovering acting at 43 changed my life.

Meeting Anthony changed my life.

Meeting Bogdan changed my life.

And creating Film Breakfast is becoming another chapter in that journey.

When I look back at everything that has happened, I do not believe these things happened randomly.

I believe the people I have met, the opportunities that have appeared, the challenges I have faced, the losses I have experienced, and the doors that have opened have all played a part in bringing me to where I am today.

My father’s death was devastating.

But I refuse to let his story end with his death.

I carry him with me.

I carry what he taught me.

I carry the love he gave me.

And every time I push myself further, every time I take a risk, every time I step onto a set, every time I pursue another opportunity, I know a part of him is coming with me.

That is my fuel.

I do not know exactly where this road is going to take me.

But I know I am supposed to be on it.

I know there is more.

More acting.

More stories.

More people to meet.

More doors to open.

More opportunities to create.

More lives to touch.

And hopefully, something meaningful to leave behind.

I am not trying to become somebody else.

I am trying to become the fullest version of myself.

That is what California gave me the freedom to do.

That is what acting has given me the opportunity to explore.

That is what the people I have met have taught me.

And that is what I hope Film Breakfast can give to somebody else.

If there is one thing I would want someone reading my story to take away, it is this:

Do not let your age stop you.

Do not let somebody else’s opinion define you.

Do not let a setback convince you that your story is over.

Do not let loss make you forget that you are still here.

And do not ignore that feeling inside of you that tells you there is something more.

Listen to it.

Trust it.

Take the risk.

Make the move.

Because sometimes the life you have been looking for is waiting on the other side of the decision you are most afraid to make.

I made that decision when I left Michigan.

I made it again when I decided to pursue acting at 43.

I made it when I decided to turn the pain of losing my father into fuel.

And I am making it again by building Film Breakfast and creating something that I hope will be bigger than me.

I have spent a lot of my life wondering what I was supposed to become.

Now I know.

I am supposed to create.

I am supposed to act.

I am supposed to connect.

I am supposed to help people.

I am supposed to open doors.

I am supposed to leave people better than I found them.

And I am supposed to keep following that feeling inside of me that has been there all along.

For the first time in my life, I am not wondering whether I am on the right path.

I know I am.

And when you know, you know.

I am incredibly grateful to Voyage LA for giving us the opportunity to share not only my story, but our story.

Behind Film Breakfast are two amazing caring people with very different journeys, different experiences, and different paths that somehow brought us together at exactly the right time. Our personal stories are a huge part of why this means so much to us, because Film Breakfast was built from the experiences, challenges, relationships, losses, lessons, and dreams that shaped both Bogdan and me.

Thank you for taking the time to look beyond what we are building and allowing people to understand the people behind it.

Thank you for shedding light on inspiration, creativity, entrepreneurship, and community. By sharing our story, you are helping shine a light on the bigger reason we created Film Breakfast in the first place: to bring people together, create connections, open doors, and remind people that their story matters.

Voyage LA, you are now a part of our journey.

You are part of my circle, part of our circle, and part of a story that means a tremendous amount to both of us.

We are deeply grateful for your time, your platform, and the opportunity to share where we came from, what brought us together, what we are building, and where we hope to go from here.

I hope our story inspires someone who reads it to believe in themselves a little more.

Maybe they are starting over.

Maybe they are grieving.

Maybe they are 43 years old and just discovering their purpose.

Maybe they have a dream that everyone around them tells them is unrealistic.

Maybe they simply need someone to remind them that they are capable of more.

If our story can give even one person the courage to take that next step, then sharing it was worth it.

Our journey is still being written.

There are more stories to tell, more people to meet, more doors to open, more connections to make, and more lives we hope to impact through Film Breakfast and everything else that lies ahead.

Thank you, Voyage LA, for becoming part of our story and for giving our story a place to be heard.

We are truly grateful.

Always stay creative.

Always stay inspired.

And never stop believing in what is possible.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not. There have been a lot of obstacles and challenges along the way, both personally and professionally. I think the biggest challenge has been that I made the decision to completely change the direction of my life and pursue acting full time. I did not come into this industry with a financial safety net or a guarantee that everything would work out. I came into it knowing that I would have to sacrifice, take risks, and prove to myself that I was willing to do whatever it took.

Financially, that has been one of the hardest parts. I have been living off my savings for almost two years, and acting is currently my only source of income. There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty that comes with that. You can work hard, audition, self-submit, build relationships, get on sets, and continue creating opportunities for yourself, but there is still no guarantee of when the next job will come. Although I have an agent that doesn’t change the difficulties. Choosing to stay committed to acting despite that uncertainty has required an incredible amount of discipline and faith in myself.

Another major challenge was the physical sacrifice of pursuing this career while living in San Diego. For roughly a year, I was driving back and forth between San Diego and Los Angeles for productions. If I had an early call time, I would leave in the middle of the night, drive through the traffic, work a twelve-hour day, drive back to San Diego, sleep for a few hours, and do it again. Eventually, I realized that I could not continue living that way and give my career everything I had. I had to make another major sacrifice and move to Los Angeles full time.

Moving to Los Angeles created another challenge because I moved away from people I love. I do not see some of my closest friends nearly as much anymore. I left behind people who had been part of my everyday life, and that distance can be difficult. There are times when you can feel alone, even when you are surrounded by people. You can miss the people who know you best. You can miss having that familiar support system around you.

There have also been moments where I have felt like I was not receiving the same support I once had from people who genuinely care about me. When you make major changes in your life and pursue something unconventional, not everyone understands it. Sometimes people question your decisions. Sometimes people tell you what they think you should be doing. Sometimes you have to accept that certain people cannot come with you into the next chapter of your life.

That has been difficult, especially when some of those people are family.

I have had to make hard decisions about who I allow into my circle because I have learned that negativity can become an obstacle of its own. I cannot allow somebody else’s doubt to become my doubt. I cannot allow someone else’s limitations to become the limits I put on myself.

Another challenge has been entering the entertainment industry later in life. Started acting at 43 meant walking into an industry where many people have already spent years building their careers. There were moments where I could have looked at my age and convinced myself that I was behind.

Instead, I had to overcome that mindset completely.

I had to remind myself that everything I experienced before acting was not wasted time. Twenty years in the roofing industry, working for different companies, running roofing departments, becoming an entrepreneur, and eventually owning my own business taught me things that cannot be learned in a classroom. It taught me how to work, how to deal with people, how to solve problems, how to handle pressure, and most importantly, how to keep going when things get difficult.

But even with that experience, starting over in a completely different industry is challenging.

There is rejection.

There is uncertainty.

There are auditions that do not turn into jobs.

There are opportunities that look promising that do not work out.

There are times when you give everything you have and still hear no.

That can test you mentally and emotionally. But I have had to learn that rejection does not mean I am not good enough. It means that particular opportunity was not mine. My responsibility is to keep improving, keep submitting, keep showing up, and keep putting myself in the position to be seen.

Then there is the challenge that has affected me more deeply than anything else, losing my father.

My father was my best friend and my biggest supporter. Losing him was devastating. The hardest part is knowing that he will never get to see everything I accomplish. He will never get to see the opportunities that have come into my life, the sets I have worked on, the roles I have played, or the future I am building.

The challenge for me has been figuring out how to carry that loss without allowing it to consume me.

I chose to use it as fuel.

That does not mean it does not hurt. It means I decided that the pain was not going to be the reason I stopped. If anything, it became another reason to work harder and live more intentionally.

There have also been emotional challenges that come with knowing that I am building a life that not everyone will understand. I have always felt that there was something greater I was supposed to accomplish and following that feeling has required me to make decisions that other people might not understand.

Sometimes you have to trust yourself when nobody else can see what you see.

That can be incredibly isolating.

There are also challenges that come with building Film Breakfast with Bogdan. We are building something together that is intended to bring people from different areas of the entertainment industry into one room and create a genuine community. Whenever you build something with another person there are naturally going to be different ideas, personalities, perspectives, and approaches. Learning how to communicate, work through differences, and stay focused on the bigger purpose is part of the challenge of building anything meaningful.

And then there is simply the challenge of maintaining yourself through all of it.

You can become exhausted.

You can become frustrated.

You can question yourself.

You can wonder whether the sacrifices are worth it.

You can miss the people you left behind.

You can worry about money.

You can experience rejection.

You can experience grief.

You can feel like you are doing everything you possibly can and still wonder if it is enough.

I have experienced those things.

But I have also learned something about myself through every one of them.

I am a hard person to break, ohhhhhhhhh my, so hard!

I have been through enough throughout my life to know that difficult circumstances do not automatically mean I am on the wrong path. Sometimes they are simply part of the path.

The obstacles have forced me to become more disciplined. The financial pressure has forced me to become more resourceful. The distance from people I love has taught me independence. Rejection has taught me persistence. Loss has taught me perspective. Starting over has taught me courage.

None of those lessons came easily.

But they are mine.

So when I look at the challenges I have faced, I do not pretend that they have been easy. They have not. Some have hurt deeply. Some have cost me financially. Some have required me to leave people behind. Some have completely changed me.

But I am still here.

I am still working.

I am still creating.

I am still pursuing acting.

I am still building.

And most importantly, I am still moving forward.

I know where I am supposed to be, and no matter how difficult the road becomes, I am not going to let the obstacles decide how far I go.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What do I do?

I am a full-time actor and entrepreneur, and I am the co-founder of Film Breakfast with my business partner, Bogdan Iusypchuk. At the heart of everything I do is the art of storytelling, creating meaningful connections, and building opportunities for people.

As an actor, I bring characters and stories to life through authenticity, emotion, vulnerability, and intensity. I love taking a character, understanding their experiences and emotions, and bringing that person to life in a way that allows an audience to genuinely connect with the story.

As an entrepreneur through Film Breakfast, I am focused on building a community within the entertainment industry where actors, writers, producers, directors, crew members, and other like-minded creative professionals can come together, learn from experienced industry professionals, network, build relationships, and support one another.

For me, acting and entrepreneurship are connected because both are about people, creativity, connection, and creating something that can have a lasting impact.

What do you specialize in?

I specialize primarily in dramatic roles and emotionally driven storytelling. One of my greatest strengths as an actor is my ability to access emotional vulnerability while maintaining authenticity and intensity. I can mentally place myself inside a character’s circumstances and connect with emotions on a very deep level.

For example, I can mentally place myself inside a hospital room, with my arms around my father, rubbing his head and telling him everything is going to be okay as he is passing away. Being able to access something that emotionally profound and use that understanding to inform a character requires a certain level of emotional maturity, vulnerability, and life experience.

That is what I love about acting. I get to take emotions, experiences, and pieces of myself and transform them into a character and a story that an audience can connect with and actually feel.

What am I known for?

I am becoming known for my work across film, television, and especially the emerging vertical drama space, where I have taken on multiple lead and supporting roles.

I have also had the opportunity to work on some incredible television productions. I was featured in a scene with Lisa Kudrow in the new season of HBO’s The Comeback. I played myself as a bartender on HBO’s Euphoria, and I have also had the opportunity to work on major productions including Lanterns, Running Point, and Tracker.

Those experiences have been incredibly meaningful to me because they represent how quickly my acting journey has developed and the opportunities that have continued to come my way since I committed myself to this career.

What am I most proud of?

Honestly, I am most proud of myself, and I say that with the greatest humility.

When I look at where I was twenty years ago compared to where I am today, the transformation is incredible. I disciplined myself, stayed the course, continued pursuing what I wanted, and refused to stop when things became difficult. I am proud that I have continued to evolve and that I am actually accomplishing things I once only imagined.

Making it this far has not been easy. Building a life in California has not been easy. Pursuing acting has certainly not been easy. I came from a three-bedroom home in the suburbs of Michigan with a basement, backyard, driveway, and an $850 monthly mortgage. My life looks completely different today.

Those things are easy for people to overlook because we tend to focus on the destination rather than everything it took to get there. I am proud of the journey itself.

I am also proud of the smaller things that may never show up on a résumé.

I am proud when I make someone smile on set.

I am proud when I tell another actor, “You just did an amazing job,” regardless of how that person may feel about me.

I am proud when I can share something I have learned with someone who is working background and trying to find their way in this industry.

I am proud when I can help somebody.

Those moments mean just as much to me as the credits.

What sets me apart from others?

I think what sets me apart is who I am as a person and how I treat people.

I wear my heart on my sleeve. I am not afraid to be vulnerable, express my opinions, or be completely myself. I try to stay in my lane, treat people with respect, and never lose sight of the fact that everyone around me is a human being with their own story.

If someone genuinely needs me, I will be there.

I will not treat someone differently because they are a background actor, because they have one line, because they are new to the industry, or because they do not have the same level of credits that someone else has. I believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

I have always wanted to make things easier for people whenever I can. If I can share an experience, offer advice, encourage somebody, make someone smile, or simply make another person’s day a little better, then I consider that meaningful.

Unfortunately, I think that kind of mentality can sometimes get lost in this industry. There can be a hierarchy where people are treated differently based on their position or credits. I do not believe in that.

I believe we are all people first.

That is how I move through life, and that is how I approach every set I walk onto.

I want my work to tell stories that people feel, but I also want the person I am behind the work to mean something. I want people to remember not only the performances I gave, but how I made them feel when they were around me.

For me, success is not simply about how many credits I can put on a résumé. It is about the stories I get to tell, the people I get to connect with, the lives I can positively impact, and the example I can set by remaining authentic to who I am.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Support & Collaboration

There are several ways people can connect with me directly, whether it is for acting opportunities, creative collaborations, or opportunities to support what I or we are building.

For acting opportunities and general professional inquiries, I can be reached directly at:

Email: jdwilliamson82@gmail.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/free_soul35

I am also represented by Maritime Artists:

Melany Puglisi | Talent Agent
Phone: (424) 298 5996
Email: mp@maritimeartists.com

For opportunities specifically related to Film Breakfast, people can reach us at:

Email: filmbreakfastla@gmail.com
joshfilmbreakfast@gmail.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/film_breakfast_la

I am always open to connecting with filmmakers, producers, directors, casting professionals, actors, writers, crew members, entrepreneurs, and other creative professionals who are interested in collaborating, creating meaningful work, or building genuine connections within the entertainment industry.

Whether it is an acting opportunity, a creative project, a partnership, a Film Breakfast collaboration, or simply connecting with someone who wants to contribute something positive to the community, I am always open to having the conversation.

Pricing:

• Film Breakfast Tickets
• $30.00

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/film_breakfest_la www.instagram.com/free_soul35
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josh.williamson.9887?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-williamson-399754397?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@actorjoshwilliamson?si=dbM3yFvFvTs0LJrw

Image Credits
Top right photo: Anna Lumley

The photo with all four of us from back left to right : Anna Lumley, Juanes Fonseca and Liz Catchings
then of course myself.