John Fortson, a multifaceted individual, is a renowned writer, director, and actor born on November 6th near Jacksonville, Florida, USA. He made his directorial debut with the film Rated, which he also wrote and starred in alongside Christie Lynn Smith and Abby Ryder Fortson, garnering an impressive 60 Official Selections Worldwide and winning 21 Awards, including 14 Prizes for Best Short Film at prestigious festivals such as The Savannah Film Festival, DC Shorts, Sonoma International Film Fest, and Big Island Film Festival.
John's film has been showcased at numerous prominent film festivals, including the Palm Springs International Shortfest, Rhode Island International Film Fest, Heartland Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival, and Short Shorts Japan, to name a few. He has also earned two nominations for Best Director.
Beyond his work in the film industry, John has explored his versatility by taking on roles in both dramas and comedies. He starred in the emotional series Urban Nightmares, playing a distraught man fighting to reunite with his wife and son after a tragic accident. In Agapé, he portrayed a man from another world fiercely fighting for the love of his life opposite Kathleen Rose Perkins.
John's other notable roles include his performances in Spacechild, where he grew a beard and lost weight to play an astronaut regretting his solo 20-year mission, and Motel Blues, in which he learned guitar to play a younger Springsteen on the verge of stardom. In Happy and You Know It, he played a patient husband to his overwhelmed pregnant wife.
John has received a Best Actor Nomination for his Cary Grant-esque role in Definite Maybe and has appeared in other notable films, including My Big Fat Independent Movie, Lather. Rinse. Repeat., ER, 7th Heaven, and Magnetic Poles, a Sundance Festival Selection. He has also written, produced, and starred in two acclaimed one-person shows, including Loveswell, which played to LA audiences for over three years.
John has been invited to write and perform for Transparent, SitNSpin, and the LA Comedy Festival, and has been married to actress Christie Lynn Smith since 2008. The couple welcomed their daughter, actress Abby Ryder Fortson, in 2008 and their son, Joshua Fortson, in 2012. In his free time, John enjoys surfing, traveling, and supporting various charitable causes.
