Meet John Tatone

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Tatone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have John with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

It comes from simply knowing that the job needs to get done. There’s nothing short about it. No one will do the work for you or move your life forward for you. You only got yourself and God. Family, friends, colleagues, or even mentors can be there to motivate you, push you, and believe in you, but only you, Lord willing, can you pull and motivate yourself to get the job done and move your life forward.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m an Actor, Creative Producer, and self-made Entrepreneur. Growing up in the city of Los Angeles, it’s hard not to be captivated by the world of film and storytelling. For me, however, it wasn’t the city that made me fall in love with film and storytelling; rather, it was my childhood obsession with the historical ship R.M.S. Titanic out of all things. Watching James Cameron’s movie Titanic for the first time, I became captivated by how real it felt, watching the great ship slice through the waves, and from there, I knew that no matter what I did with my life, I had to be involved in storytelling in one way or another. Fast forward eight years to 2014, I visited the Universal Studios Tram tour for the first time. It was then I knew where I wanted to channel my passion for storytelling: entertainment. Fast forward to today, I’m an actor and creative producer, having been involved in various different film and creative projects, a few of which I wrote myself. I’m also an entrepreneur. I get that from both my parent’s grandparents, having been successful entrepreneurs themselves. By channeling my knack for creative storytelling, acting, and producing, I created four companies, my most recent being a film production company called WLD Productions. As of 2025, I took a step away from my production company, and I have since been refocusing my energy on honing my skills as an actor (primarily for historical and romcom pieces), as a creative producer for themed entertainment, and most recently, on my new software venture. I can’t say anything about it yet or what it is about, but I can promise it’ll make an impact. So keep your eye out!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, keeping to your word, being disciplined, and being willing to take criticism and feedback have genuinely had the most impact on my life thus far. The point is, it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. If you don’t keep to your word, no one will want to work with you. That’s self-explanatory, not just for others but for yourself as well. This leads to my second point. Passion, creativity, nor drive will get you to where you want to be. They are essential, yes, but without discipline to keep you going, come rain or shine, you’ll never move. You must be disciplined, not for anyone else but for yourself, if you want to achieve the life you want. Discipline will be your greatest drive, but don’t act like a know-it-all. This leads to my third point. Be willing to take criticism and feedback. It’s better to listen than to explain yourself. Every single person on this planet has something valuable to teach; you must be willing to listen to what others have to say. I’m not saying you have to take every person’s feedback as law; obviously, take it with a grain of salt. Rather, listen and observe knowledge, and you’ll become a much wiser individual personally and professionally. Above all, have a backbone and always be a good person.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

Believing in me. I’m blessed; not many people have good relationships with their parents; they already lost them or may never even met them. I know I am one of those few fortunate individuals who not only still have their parents, but have parents who encourage and believe in me. Even when times are tough, no monetary items can replace their words of affirmation that as long as I keep my head on straight and eyes on the ball, I’ll be alright, and I know they’ll be there every step of the way. So, when you ask, “What was the most impactful thing my parents did for me,” it’s simply being there.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: john.tatone

Image Credits

Personal Photo – Brianne Dudra photo credit

Hey, Can I Get To Know You Poster – Presley Aronson poster credit

St. Louis Train Museum – Jake Land left, Adam Bezark center

Set Photo – Carson Polish left, Nemil Mudvari center

Directing Photo – Carson Polish center left, Christopher McCormick center right, Brianne Dudra far right – Ryan Gomez photo credit