Conversations with Garrett Pollack

Today we’d like to introduce you to Garrett Pollack.

Garrett, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Since I was a child, I’ve always dreamt big. If someone told me I wasn’t capable of achieving something, I made it my mission to prove them wrong. This sparked my love for acting when I was 12. I was told it was an impossible dream – so I went to an arts school in 7th and 8th grade where I studied theatre acting. Ultimately… I had too much stage fright and social anxiety that I stopped acting after 8th grade. I didn’t think it was for me. I didn’t do anything in the realm of creativity for the next 5 years. I was too scared. Fast forward to the start of COVID lockdown – I wanted my spark back. I started streaming on Twitch, gained about 1,000 followers then moved to TikTok and Instagram reels where I gained a small following and started picking up brand deals. At this time, I needed to choose what my major was going to be in college. I was really into anime and manga at the time, so I decided to try to get creative and start writing. I studied film relentlessly, making it my mission to understand why people perceive any given piece of media to be ‘good’ or ‘bad’. I created my own critique system and implemented it into my short form content (TikToks, etc). After I graduated college, I had no idea what to do – despite having studied film for the past 3 years. I was stuck in Michigan (Muskegon, my hometown) with seemingly nowhere to go. On a whim, I decided to drop everyone and everything and move out to LA in January of 2025. I didn’t know anyone. It was difficult, it was lonely – so I started reaching out. To everyone. Instagram, TikTok, wherever. I met up with smaller influencers like myself, connected with filmmakers, and eventually, after assembling a cool team of people… Made my first short film in February of 2026. With a lot of luck, I found even more great people (who also knew many more people) and I made my second short film at the beginning of September 2026. I’m still ironing out the kinks of living in LA and being a financially struggling artist, but the key I’ve found is to just keep making art.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve shared some troubles in the last prompt, but no. It has been anything but smooth. Financial difficulties, lay off from a long term, high paying job, struggling to find real connections in a city built on being fake in order to gain approval. People flake, people lie, and there is no guarantee that you’ll make it or that you’ll get work. But there’s no point in not believing in yourself. The only way to make it is to try. I am of the belief that every failure or piece of misfortune happens for a reason. My first short film – I had the lead actor sorted out. He dropped and sent me to another guy. He was on board for a week (but he wasn’t the nicest guy in the world, to put it gently), then he dropped out 3 days before the shoot, but he ultimately pointed me to a man who is now a very good friend of mine and happens to be an incredibly talented actor. He’s been in both of my short films as the lead, and we’ll continue to work together on my feature and anything else I do. (If you want a name for him it’s Samuel Eric Peter Barron, great guy). A different set of struggles that you need to hurdle is rejection. I’ve been rejected 100’s of times now, whether it’s for a meeting with a film exec, a job interview, or an audition. But every failure is a lesson learned – means you’re one step closer to being on the right path. At least that’s how I see it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a writer/director/actor. I’m a writer/director first. I am most known for making dark, gritty, mysterious, and intense films. I’ve only made 2 short films so far, but I’m writing and pitching a feature film by the end of the year. My first short film is called “Curtain Call”, it’s a psychological thriller about a man who is confined to a desolate room with no connection to the outside world – he must solve a string of riddles that are given to him by his psychotic captor in order to survive. My second short is in post-production at the moment, it’s called “A Friendly Massacre” and it’s about a spiraling group of pals and a friendly newcomer joining together to play a ‘Mafia’ for their weekly game night – but if you die in the game, you die in real life… Who is the killer?

I wouldn’t say there is one thing that I’m most proud of. But the group of people I’ve gathered for these projects, with the help of my friend Josh VanBatenburg, who is a phenomenal producer, is astounding. I couldn’t ask for better cast and crew, especially on this last project. In terms of my work, I’m always most proud of whatever I’m doing next. I put my all into everything I do and I think each of my projects show that effort. I’m a perfectionist, as many artists are – and I think to showcase one of the other would be a disservice to other work. I hope that my next project will always be better than my last, but that doesn’t mitigate the time and effort put into the previous endeavor.

I think what sets me apart from other people is my mindset. I’m not afraid to say I want to be the biggest and best at what I do. I’m someone who does whatever he says he’s going to do. I came down to LA a year and 8 months ago and said I was going to make movies. And now I’ve made 2 and I’ve featured in about 5 shorts as an actor as well. My next step is to make a feature film this next year and to make many more after that. I’m a man of my word. I’m not afraid to be myself, and I’m not one to conform to any other societal norms. If that means I have a smaller, but tighter circle around me, good. I don’t need the extra noise. I thrive when I have freedom to do as I please. I’m very blunt and honest with everyone. I have some Garrett-only quirks that you may need a more in depth interview for, but I believe everybody should embrace their quirks. What sets you apart from others will ultimately be a part of your success story.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
The best thing about LA is the drive, passion, and motivation people have to succeed. I feel the energy in the air and it’s infectious. That’s ultimately why I moved down here. I wanted to be around like-minded people, and I’m starting to find them more and more every day. The weather is also phenomenal… Except in the summer. Too hot. Also, despite the decline in recent years, LA is still the largest hub for film in the US. I love that and I need it to push my career forward.

The worst things about this city – OBVIOUSLY, the parking. Absolute nightmare. I scout on apple maps/google earth the surrounding area before I go literally anywhere because I want to know if I have parking options. I will park like 3 blocks away before paying for parking, I do not care lol. I am also someone who really cares about safety, and depending on which part of the city you live in, it’s very easy to not feel safe, especially at night, so crime is another concern.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yo_grrtt
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yo_grrtt

Image Credits
Ashosha Haque! All film set BTS.