
ABOUT

Johnny is a multi-hyphenate (actor, writer, producer) with decades of experience.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. to undocumented Latino parents, as a kid Johnny felt walls dividing everyone. At 5-years-old (fluent in Spanish, still learning English) his mom found him staring into the mirror, yelling: "Bad God, why didn't You make me with yellow hair and blue eyes like the other kids – talking that messy language [aka English] the way they do!?!” Johnny wanted to bring down walls and unite people, but didn't have the tools or language yet.
He eventually found his voice when he was cast in his elementary school’s Christmas show. Not only was his portrayal of Rabbit #3 critically hailed (wink, wink), that occasion was the start of his storytelling career. As the curtains rose, Johnny realized everyone was in that theater for the same reason... to experience the play. All the differences of race, class, gender, age, nationality, language, etc. dissipated the moment the show started, and that changed his life.
Johnny studied acting at La Guardia HighSchool, and later with acclaimed acting teacher Bill Esper. After working on many notable films & TV shows, and wanting to represent a wider range of stories, Johnny started writing and producing. As a writer, he wrote the features AMERICAN BUBBLE and PREDATOR, and the short films SPIC and A Through M.
He co-produced FIND ME GUILTY directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Vin Diesel & Peter Dinklage, and EVEN MONEY, starring Academy Award Winners Kim Basinger & Forest Whitaker. Johnny was lead producer on the short films NOISE, MUSCLE and SPIC.
Stories that bring different people together is what makes Johnny tick. Whether sitting next to strangers in a theater or talking about a movie we liked, stories can bridge gaps. They have the power to connect us all in ways we didn't think possible. Whatever the genre, Johnny endeavors to use storytelling as a tool to entertain & bring us together.