John Harrington: Waiting With Much Anticipation
for the launch of his new film Dead Awake
 JOHN HARRINGTON
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By CATHOLINE BUTLER
John Harrington is the son of Irish-born parents, John and Mary Harrington, who are both well-known in the Vancouver Irish community. John Junior may not be as well-known since he has lived most of his life in the U.S., playing soccer at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, and in his spare time, writing screenplays.
John has three great loves soccer, creative writing, and acting. As a boy, he dreamed of playing soccer in England’s Premier Division and dedicated his free time to honing his skills under the watchful eye of his coach and father, John Sr.
His dedication paid off when he got a call from the coach of the University of Louisville soccer team in Kentucky, offering him a scholarship to play in the Bluegrass state.
John’s love of creative writing and screenplays finally won out and he moved to Hollywood, to pursue his writing and acting dream.
After 11 years working with his partner Jason Price (another Canadian), they are both eagerly awaiting the release of their new film Dead Awake which debuts across America in limited release on 200 screens on December 3.
The road to this point has been anything but easy. It was rather fraught with rejections and disappointments but a proud Irishman, John was inspired by the magnificent film Braveheart and William Wallace’s blood curdling cry of freedom. That was what inspired him to move to Hollywood and pursue a career in acting.
With bit parts in independent films, it didn’t take long before he landed a role in the 1998 summer hit I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Excited, he attended the premier but much to his chagrin found that his scene was edited from the film –- a victim of the cutting room floor. Sitting in the dark theatre, John took solace in the fact that his name remained in credits in the role of Todd and, to this day, he receives residuals that average nine dollars per quarter.
Realizing that actors are at the mercy of producers and directors, John decided that the only way to break into Hollywood was to create a product that everybody wants.
He became a substitute teacher to keep the cash flow going and continued writing his own screenplays with his friends as the leading actors.
But in a town full of con artists and wannabes who want everything for free at the expense of the creative mind, John contemplated his next move. He remembered the advice a producer once shared with him – “It’s called show business for a reason...not show show.”
You can have the greatest story in the world, but if you can’t pitch it, market it or sell it...it will never see the light of day.
It was that chance meeting with his old buddy, Jason Price, that finally started to turn John Harrington’s fortunes around and we wish these two Canadians, much success with Dead Awake, and look forward in anticipation to seeing their movies north of the border soon.
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