We caught up with the brilliant and insightful GLORIA JOHN a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi GLORIA, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

I was a former dentist so I am really not doing this for the money. I know a lot of my actor friends struggle with money and I am lucky to not have to really be doing this for money. Only 2% of actors in the union can make a living as an actor. Which is a whole thing to be discussed. With that being said, it was really nice to have made the bigger check on the Amazon Prime show “The Consultant”. Not because of money but because my mom and my family legitimately considered me as an actor only after seeing that I got a check and that I was on T.V. Your family usually don’t take you seriously when you say you are an actor. But when they see you on T.V. they all of a sudden start taking you a little more serious. I don’t think most people know how much work you put in and how much heart aches you go thru to live as an actor.
It was a dream come true for me to act next to the two time academy award winner Christoph Waltz, and to work with the director Daniel Attias (Beverly Hills 90210,Entourage, House, Home land,Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, Grey’s Anatomy, you name it he directed it) to play this emotional role of a mother who lost her son. Anthony Basgallop, couldn’t have made me feel more comfortable like I was just hanging out with friends and gave me plenty of space and comfort to work thru such an emotional scene. There was a man on set who kept asking me if I needed more diet coke and I thought he was one of the crew and was so grateful and it turns out it was one of the producers. Andrew Mittman(Wednesday). Can you believe a producer on the show brought me diet coke? I didn’t know who he was and realized later that he is a producer and I felt so bad. His humility is beyond what I imagined. Steve Stark(Hand maid’s Tale, Wednesday , He’s produced so many good shows) and how kind he was on set and on the red carpet too. Christoph Waltz just serving the character and striking up conversations with us to make us laugh. The man is a genius. It was truly a humbling and a reminder what I need to be as an artist. It was an honor to work with these people.

GLORIA, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in a family with an abusive father and finally decided to leave home to come to America to make something of my self at age 14. As you can imagine, I went thru a lot, became a dentist, ultamately got my mom out of that situation and realized in my 8 years of practicing, that I wanted to go back to what I always dreamed of. Acting. I went to Second City Chicago as a hobby but I got cast in a show and the mentor whom I still keep in close touch with encouraged me to continue to study acting. I realized that acting was my calling. It was a world that I belong.It was like an ugly duckling realizing that I was just a different color than other ducks and there are other ugly ducking like me for a reason and purpose. I also wanted to see more faces like me on T.V. and films which I never did growing up.I knew if I wanted to be good at something I must train so I studied with all teachers in acting. I loved studying acting. I am still studying. My friends make fun of me that I’m always in class. But this is what I love to do and I realized that this was the purpose and meaning I was searching for. So, I decided to sell my practice and condo in Chicago and move to Los Angeles and it wasn’t easy and it still isn’t easy but I’m so grateful that I am an actor.
I do have the discipline of studying dentistry for 10 years which was fierce competition and also have two black belts in Japanese swordsmanship when that kind of thing was not given out to women. I was the only woman in my dojo. That kind of training has given me the discipline to and tenacity to keep going I think.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think resilience always comes from love. I can tell you that even though my father was always the biggest monster in my life, in his later years, his alzheimer took over his entire being. He needed care and even though I had so many demons to face with him, I had love for him from human to human. He was like a little boy who was lost all the time. That kind of love that lives in you is often forgotten when you forget yourself. We are all capable of great love and great resilience. When I saw my father’s body and saw that his soul has finally left, it was the most saddest thing in the world to me even though I had so much pain from him. It’s the love that connects us all as humans. That’s when I realized that my resilience is in love.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I am blown away when people think that artist are still not essential to our survival. What did everyone do during Covid? What do everyone watch or listen to in their most difficult times or when they are hospitalized. What makes us laugh, cry remind us that we are more than just this flesh. It is art. This is why artist are artist because they know the immeasurable value it has on society. We need to support artist first and foremost in Schools early one. In Korea, we have to learn about all the best musicians and painters and poets. It is mandatory to learn about history of art and also mandatory to paint, sing, learn and instrument. I don’t think art should be an elective study. This kind of intelligence is needed to be taught early on. Not because they want to be an artist but because it develops a full human being. When we start there, we will get a generation of people who understands the value of art and what it means. I’m not religious but I know the bible says Man does not live by bread alone.Rather, he lives on every word that comes from the mouth of the Eternal One. Mathew 4:4. Think about what that means.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gloriajohn.com
• Instagram: @actorgloriajohn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gloria.john
• Other: Thank you for interviewing me.

Image Credits

When I was training in my dojo with all men and sparring with them.
My samurai two black belt photo
My last Christmas with my dad and mom.
My Amazon Prime show Consultant Blue carpet.