Meet John Lacy | Actor/Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Lacy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, what do you attribute your success to?
Tenacity is everything. Too many people come out to Hollywood and give themselves an unrealistic timeframe for success. The most reliable path to success in this crazy irrational business is a passionate never-ending belief that your story is worth telling. So then the challenge for the artist becomes developing rational and realistic daily, weekly, monthly pro-active habits that keep you in a collaborative, inspired frame of mind. Once you begin living in that creative flow the ideas and connections and relationships begin to reveal themselves – and then anything is possible.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I can safely say that my success as an actor, a teacher, and a filmmaker is due to the specificity with which I have approached each lane of my career. I’m a student of film. The visual language of film. I come from writers so I also have a deep reverence and admiration for the written word. My passion for this merger is never ending – I am constantly informed and inspired by the work of those who came before me. My daily focus is to consistently remind myself of why I love what I do, and continue refining my approach and craft. I’m a huge fan of films made in the early 1970s. Directors like Sam Peckinpah, Hal Ashby, John Cassavetes, Bob Rafelson, Francois Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese have taught me so much. Genuine artistic expressions that grew specifically from their world views and sensibilities. I don’t believe in coincidence, accidents, or random happenings. Call it the Law of Attraction if you want. I believe that thoughts become things and that which we manifest is before us (okay, I stole that from Garth Stein’s “The Art of Racing in the Rain”). To all actors, writers, filmmakes out there I say this: Be as specific as possible in your approach to defining your storytelling essence. Do your homework!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I like to make sure that friends visiting Los Angeles, especially if it’s for the first time, get a well-rounded historical perspective of Hollywood and it’s cultural significance. Certain things are an absolute must. The Chinese theater, the Griffith Observatory, Musso and Frank, Amoeba Records, The Whisky A Go-Go, Echo Park, the Hollywood Bowl if possible, of course Dodger Stadium…maybe even a day trip to Catalina or the Hearst Castle. Venice Beach is always an adventure. I also like to cruise my guests down Mulholland Drive.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mother has always been my number one cheerleader. From her I inherited a passion for creativity and collaboration. I dedicated my new film, Rosebud Lane, to my mother’s mother, Virginia Hammack. Both of these strong, intelligent, self-reliant, independent women shaped who I am. I have also benefited greatly from three decades of valuable relationships nurtured in the Hollywood “trenches.” Actors, writers, directors, teachers, musicians, bartenders, mail couriers, police officers, dental assistants, baristas, etc

Instagram: @laceman34

Facebook: Rosebud Lane

Image Credits
Ajay Jhaveri