Today we’d like to introduce you to Juston Graber.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began acting when I separated from the military in 2012. I had served in the Army since 2003 and was just finishing up my fourth combat deployment overseas. I was at a point in my life where I needed to do some soul-searching; I could either stay the course, re-enlist and continue to serve my country, or leave service and find something new. I had always wanted to be an actor and was told by fellow soldiers that they could always see me on the big screen, so I chose the latter.
Great, 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?
Transitioning from a military career to the civilian world was tough; it still is. Originally in 2012, I was against going to school despite some of the advantageous benefits available to Veterans such as the Post 911 GI Bill. I did eventually use it thanks to my lifetime buddy, David Tirko, who secretly enrolled me into school. Over the course of a couple weeks he’d randomly hit me up with questions. He asked me for my social security number, which, being in the military for so long, I didn’t think it was too weird. He asked me to prepare my first ever self-tape, but he lied and said it was for a project shooting in Atlanta. Then, he called me and told me, “Pack your bags, you’re moving to Savannah GA.” He told me I had a start date in January to attend Savannah College of Art and Design’s performing arts Bachelor’s of Fine Arts program. I was a bit upset with him to begin with, but in hindsight, he was definitely looking out for my best interest.
I eventually transferred schools to the University of Southern California and earned my BA in Theater from their School of Dramatic Arts. I’m grateful for my training, as it’s helped me to grow not only as an actor but within my character as a person too.
The toughest part of that transition was being almost ten years older than my fellow students, who were starting college fresh out of high school. It’s difficult to foster friendships with some of the young-minded people whose life experience only consisted of heartache from breakups, or who only understood war from a media-influenced perspective and would ask infamously probing, and let’s be honest – inconsiderate questions like, “have you ever killed someone?” Please, this should not be one of the first questions you ask someone after finding out they’ve served. Situations like these did teach me to be more patient with people though. Despite the challenges of someone whose entire world encompassed military life, I was able to make a few college friends who I remain in contact with today.
Another challenge was the transition graduating from school in 2017 back into the workforce, especially pursuing acting as a primary source of income. I took the spring semester off in 2017 to be available for more auditions during what’s commonly known as the “Pilot Season.” As a non-union actor at the time, I was doing pretty well. Averaging 5-6 auditions a week. I’m not sure that experience was good for me because it resulted in an “expectations versus reality” lesson for 2018. I’d just graduated USC, wrapped Wild Honey directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos where I played Colonel Triletsky, felt on top of the world, and expected to hit the ground running with 5-6, if not more, auditions per week. “Bring it on!” I thought. Little did I know that reality was quietly waiting to ambush me with the life-lesson of what it means to be a slow season for actors. People like me though, we adapt. So, this slow season pushed me into writing. I thought, “If there are no opportunities for me currently in this field I’m passionate about pursuing, I might as well make my own.”
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
We all know the sayings, “Work is work,” and “Work begets work.”
Anthony Roy Productions was started not too long ago; officially December of 2019. It’s a partnership production company that concentrates in the storytelling of fictitious circumstances that mirror a potential reality.
I bumped into fellow Veteran Drew Hernandez on Hollywood Boulevard in October of 2019. I recognized him as he’s well known within the military and veteran community. We ended up talking about film making and ended up exchanging numbers. He needed someone for a sketch he was producing and I happened to be available due to being temporarily released from a background gig I was booked on. Working on his sketch is where the click probably happened. We had a similar work ethic and attention-to-detail that gelled well together, so, eventually we gelled our middle names together and started our own little production company.
I got him involved on the background gig (Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “Tenet” film) where we filmed on location in Palm Desert for a little over three weeks. We were on weekend hold there, meaning they encouraged us to stay in the area in case we were needed, so, during our down-time, Drew approached me saying, “I want to write a horror film.” He already had a premise in mind surrounding the Yoruba faith, so we sat down and got to work. This is how our first short film, “Orisha” was born. From pre-production to a finished product took us only four months, which is impressive for a first short film. Orisha is currently submitted into numerous film festivals and we’re confident it will win some more awards and get us some well-deserved recognition. We recently took home the “Best Horror” category in the Florence Film Festival!
We’re working on the script for the feature-length version of Orisha at this time in addition to another short film. We’re already in pre-production for our next short film, “Spread,” where we’ll be exploring the thriller genre. Unfortunately, due to the current condition surrounding the coronavirus, we’ve halted production until things settle down and get back to normal. We’re limiting our contact with others, but still producing sketch comedy content in the meantime.
I’m proud of Drew. Although he’s more known for his comedy, he’s willing to branch out and explore himself in dramatic roles, and he’s got a natural talent to him. We’re getting things done and learning along the way. I think what separates us from other production companies is that we’re a diamond in the rough. Our military backgrounds, and maybe because of we both hail from the east coast, speak to our drive and determination when it comes to figuring out how best to accomplish the task at hand.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Resilience, perseverance, and integrity. Three qualities that I developed young in age but definitely honed during my service in the Army, especially while assigned to, and deployed with, the “Rakkasans,” 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.imdb.me/
justonroygraber - Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/justonrg/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/justongraber/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/
justonroygraber - Other: http://www.
justonroygraber.com
Image Credit:
Alona Kalinyuk
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