Meet Tanner Adams | Writer, Producer & Actor

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

Hi Tanner, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Pursuing a creative career was more about quality of life for me. I know it sounds macabre. I adore my family, always have, but when I was younger, my grandpa hit me with the classic, ‘If you do something you love for a living, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ I really took that and kept it with me. I also looked around to see how many people around me were actually living that advice. There weren’t many people who were doing something that they would still do if they weren’t being paid for it. So, the choice to pursue a creative career was born out of the desire to have more for myself than just surviving.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Storytelling is my art. Originally, acting was my conduit to telling stories, and my love for acting still runs to my core, but with acting, you’re one ensemble showing your character’s story in the context of the larger story. With writing, I get to create that larger story, weaving in character motivations and story-driven arcs. I get to create, explore, and get to know people and their approach to life. It’s the process that excites me the most, and hopefully, what sets me apart is that passion for the process translating into the art and the execution of the art. Nothing great is easy. That’s how I know what I’m doing is great or at least in the process of greatness because it’s difficult. How do you survive as a storyteller who is a Los Angeles transplant with zero prior connections to anyone in this city before making the big leap? That’s a question many artists have had to answer, albeit less nuanced. For me, I spent years balancing ‘survival jobs’ with as much creative work as I could get. Eventually, the hard work paid off, one project led to another. Speaking of projects, let me insert my shameless plug here; catch my latest feature film “Stupid Games,” a fun horror film, on the streamer Mometu (free to download in your app store).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh so hard to fit all the cool places into a week trip! Well I’d make sure we did some of the classic traps like the Santa Monica pier and Venice, mostly so they can cross that off their bucket-list. I’d make sure the itinerary had the old Batcave from the Adam West rendition (Bronson Cave in Griffith), on it. I’d be sure it also included surf lessons, studio tours, a different cuisine in a different neighborhood each evening. The itinerary would also include comedy shows, live music, a day-trip to Catalina Island, a hike to the Malibu waterfall. If there’s time, we could film an indie short film!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Behind every success is a story, but my real success was being born to a mother who personified encouragement and love, even when I wasn’t succeeding. It took a decade of ups and mostly downs before I hit my ‘stride,’ and throughout that time, this one person still believed in me. Clichés aside, when you’re going through your lowest moments, your vision can get clouded, and clouded vision can lead you off your path, sometimes permanently. So, if you have someone who gives you unconditional support, encouragement, and love (even if it’s tough love), then you have everything you need to be successful. My mom, Theresa York, is and has always been that for me. I probably don’t say how grateful I am to her as frequently as I should. So, if you read this, Mom, thanks, and I love you, many more great things to come.

Website: www.tanneradams.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/super_tanner/

Image Credits
John Photography