John Gloria of Glendate on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to John Gloria. Check out our conversation below.

Hi John, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What battle are you avoiding?
Fundraising! In the past, I’ve always used my own money on any of my creations. Short films. Band records. You name it. But now, I’m getting ready to make my first feature and produce my first play, so it’s time…

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an actor primarily but I also write scripts and play music. The music is a labor of love and I do it whenever I can but the screenwriting is an endeavor I hope to expand on. I’ve also dreamt of making a feature for a long time and I have a idea that won’t go away, so I have to do it!

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
This is a perfect question for where I am currently because for years I was creatively blocked from writing. I had this strange fear of exposing my lack of talent and intellect, which I found out through ten years of therapy came from – no surprise – childhood conditioning! My biological parents were musicians but I didn’t grow up with both of them. I grew up with a mom who married an electrical engineer who didn’t understand or care for the arts and didn’t really know what to make of me. I had two older step siblings I mostly got along with but they affected this dynamic in complex ways. The long and the short of it is that it eventually made its way into my writing as all of my major male protagonists are guys in search of a father figure. The best news is that my therapist cut me loose earlier this year when she listened to me prattle on about the adaptation I made of my feature into a 50 page one act for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. I must have been so excited that by the end of it she decided I no longer needed her help or the scaffolding of therapy to process the stuff I needed to make art! So, the old wounded part of me which served the purpose of protecting me has been released.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh yes. Recently in fact. Or at least, I thought about it a lot as acting opportunities dwindled due to the proliferation of non union commercials, the pandemic, the WGA and SAG strikes and production leaving Los Angeles. It’s been hard enough to just survive as an actor, much less to ponder the crazy notion of making an independent film. I’ve been dreaming and thinking about it for more than a decade and so sometimes, just the passing of time when something isn’t happening can make it seem as though it never will. But I’m still here and so is the idea and at times, the internal excitement I felt when creating this world was the only thing that kept me going. We’re about to get started. My sense is it’ll be well worth the wait.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’ve already been talking about this one quite a bit. It’s a feature film called Station Zero, which I wrote and will star it. We made a short film version in 2012 that won best narrative short awards at two film festivals and when screened again last year at a local LA shorts festival (Night of Shorts Night) on top of the Formosa, it seemed to stand up over time, which told me a lot. I believe in the idea enough for multiple reasons to keep it going and my two producing partners feel the same.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing? 
Making this feature film.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://johngloria.net
• Instagram: thejohngloria
• Linkedin: John Gloria
• Facebook: John Gloria
• Other: https://stationzero.net

Image Credits
Headshots by Tandem photography. Production stills by Jules Bruff.