Meet John Varkados

We were lucky to catch up with John Varkados recently and have shared our conversation below.

John, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I believe it was my upbringing, education, and the lessons I’ve learned while serving in the Marine Corps.

I was born in a mental institution in Seoul, South Korea.

My biological mother was in a catatonic state and she could very well be alive to this day. The biological father could have been one of the doctors or someone my biological mother encountered where they found her in the streets – homeless.

I know there are adoptive kids in the U.S. who ends up looking for their biological parents but I never had that desire mostly because the people who adopted me and whom I call my parents have definitely proven to be fantastic individuals.

With my biological mother being plugged up with who knows what in terms of drugs – I was born.

I was thrown in an orphanage with 2-3 kids that my adoptive parents noted that because we were poorly taken care of, some of those kids weren’t alive. Sorry for not really putting South Korea in a good light but it’s because of the societal norms of what was acceptable in terms of family and children in the early 90s that you can see photos of me with rashes and clear red flags that I had no chance in hell of reaching my second birthday if that small family in the Poconos didn’t adopt me.

I get the occasional “why don’t you speak Korean” or “be more in touch with my culture”, but a bad taste swells up in my gut cuz I know full well Korea wouldn’t touch me with a ten-foot pole in my first months of existence. Being an American is a big deal for me and that was one of the factors why I decided to enlist in the Marine Corps.

Going back to that small family in the Poconos, Kathy and Nick actually were looking to adopt another kid from the same orphanage. That kid had a cleft foot infection and I was basically runner up once the adoption agency told my family that “John the first” passed and that they “had another kid in the back”.

Talk about a life-changing callback. With a year of going back and forth processing my naturalization and paying the adoption fees and the wild card of not knowing what emotional damage I would bring, I arrived in the U.S. August 31, 1991 – Kathy’s Birthday.

Because they didn’t know my actual date of birth, Kathy and Nick thought it would only make sense to make my “official” DOB September 1.

“Doesn’t matter what you look like”, Kathy would tell me as a kid, “Just don’t grow up to be an a** or I’ll stand on this chair and beat the crap outta ya with a broom – I don’t care how much taller you get!”

My mom would make sure she didn’t hide any of this from me (but if you were the only Asian in the family, what could you really hide?) and we functioned like any functional, dysfunctional family on the verge of WW3 because of good ol’ sibling rivalry. We still have the home videos of my sisters running me over with their Mattel Barbie convertible power wheels cars.

My childhood was filled with speech therapists, psychologists, and the whole nine yards. I hated myself for a time because I wasn’t as “developed” and always being the token Asian in the predominantly Italian-Catholic elementary school didn’t help either.

Senior year of high school was approaching and knowing my options was either working at the Blockbuster the next town over or go to the closest community college, I had to do something drastic.

December 2009 I busted my a** for 3 months at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC and left with my Eagle, Globe, and Anchor.

The last thing I would find was a career in music and entertainment. I mean singing cadence during platoon runs and weekends at the on-base karaoke nights with the guys segueing into me singing the National Anthem for professional sports games and an audition in Los Angeles that led to my acceptance to Berklee College of Music.

Fast forward graduating Berklee in 2017 to now…what a journey.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m most proud of this screenplay, which I’ve polished with the intent to option or produce/direct independently.

“Dog Tags” is a drama feature. Following a sexual assault by a commanding officer, a young Marine returns home, hoping to quickly pass her mental exams and be deemed “fit.” However, she’s met with conflict at every turn, including interference from her abusive father, an uncooperative doctor, and a strong desire to flee and never look back.

It originally began as a short film I wrote for a class while enrolled at SCAD, but it truly took on a life of its own three years later.

“Dog Tags” currently ranks in the top 7% of discoverable projects on Coverfly (top 12% of 52,231 drama projects). My end goal is for it to place at the Austin Film Festival and the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

My second original screenplay, “Beckett!,” a one-hour television comedy, landed me on Coverfly’s Red List, ranking among the top television (one-hour) comedy projects that month. I wrote this project concurrently with my thesis at SCAD. “Beckett!” tells the story of an under-appreciated campaign manager who, while rectifying the actions of an impetuous political candidate, considers her own ambitions.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Based on my journey, the three most impactful qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge were:

1. Resilience and Adaptability: From my earliest days, surviving a challenging birth and the initial conditions in the orphanage, to adapting to a new country, family, and culture, and later thriving in the demanding environment of the Marine Corps, resilience has been a constant. The ability to bounce back from adversity – whether it was the initial neglect, the struggles with development as a child, or the rigorous training at Parris Island – and to adapt to vastly different circumstances has been fundamental to every step of my progress. My mother’s blunt but loving advice, “Just don’t grow up to be an a**,” instilled a core sense of personal responsibility that underpinned this resilience.

2. A Strong Sense of Identity and Purpose (especially American Identity): Despite my Korean origins, my identity as an American, and the profound gratitude for the family who adopted me, became a cornerstone of my drive. This wasn’t just about nationality; it was about embracing the opportunities and forging my own path in a way that felt authentic to me, rather than being defined by a past I didn’t experience. This clear sense of who I am and what I value, particularly the deep appreciation for my adoptive family, motivated critical decisions like enlisting in the Marine Corps, which profoundly shaped my trajectory.

3. The Discipline and Grit Forged in the Marine Corps: My three months at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island were a transformative experience. This wasn’t just about physical training; it was about instilling unparalleled discipline, mental fortitude, and a relentless work ethic. The ability to push through perceived limits, to operate under pressure, and to maintain a high standard of performance directly translated into success in my academic and ultimately, my music career. The very act of “busting my a**” there became a blueprint for tackling future challenges.

For those early in their journey, my advice on developing these qualities is:

For Resilience and Adaptability: Embrace Discomfort and Seek New Experiences.

Don’t shy away from challenges. Instead of avoiding situations that make you uncomfortable, lean into them. Whether it’s taking on a difficult project, moving to a new city, or learning a completely new skill, these experiences build your capacity to adapt when things inevitably change.

Practice self-reflection and problem-solving. When faced with setbacks, don’t dwell on the negative. Instead, analyze what went wrong, what you can learn from it, and what steps you can take to move forward. This active approach strengthens your ability to recover and adjust.

Cultivate a supportive network. Having people in your corner who believe in you and can offer perspective during tough times is invaluable. My adoptive parents were that for me. Seek out mentors and friends who can provide guidance and encouragement.

For Developing a Strong Sense of Identity and Purpose: Understand Your “Why” and Define Your Own Story.

Reflect deeply on your values and what truly matters to you. What are the non-negotiables in your life? What legacy do you want to build? For me, it was honoring the immense opportunity my adoptive family gave me.

Don’t let external expectations define you. While it’s important to be open to feedback, ultimately, your identity is yours to craft. Recognize where others might try to put you in a box and consciously decide if that’s where you belong. My experience with questions about speaking Korean is a relevant example of this.

Connect with what inspires you. Whether it’s a cause, a creative pursuit, or a specific community, aligning yourself with things that ignite your passion will solidify your purpose and give direction to your actions.

For Cultivating Discipline and Grit: Start Small and Build Consistency.

Set clear, achievable goals and commit to them daily. Discipline isn’t about one grand act; it’s about the accumulation of small, consistent efforts. Whether it’s waking up at a certain time, exercising regularly, or dedicating a specific amount of time to learning, consistency builds habit.

Embrace the “suck” and understand the value of pushing through. There will be days when you don’t feel motivated, but true grit is showing up anyway. Recognize that some of the most profound growth happens when you push past your perceived limitations. The Marine Corps taught me this profoundly.

Find accountability. Share your goals with a trusted friend, mentor, or even a community. Knowing someone is aware of your commitments can be a powerful motivator to stay on track.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Writing my second full length feature.

I feel like I should’ve written my second feature by now (im on page 24 and into ACT II) but I have to remember:
– served 5 years in the military…Marines too
– went to a Jazz Conservatory – Berklee – and didn’t know how to read music for the life of me – left with a Music Degree
– film school with a MFA at Boston
– screenwriting MfA at SCAD
– 90+ page published thesis about TV + politics (i blame the talk radio my Dad always had on when he’d drive us to school)
– 60 min original comedy pilot that placed in writing competitions the same year i finished the final draft…it’s nice knowing you can make people laugh still because as a kid you passed some questionable notes in your Catholic elementary school
– an original feature that might have a shot of being produced or optioned
– 5 years worth of original concepts
– won 2 Tellys from 2 different projects and a Webby
– full time job as a Sales Analyst
– millennial living paycheck to paycheck

It sucks when the world wants to take as much as they can and look at you like you aren’t worth considering.

As long as I get to sit down and incite my life experiences through my characters, b-plots, and the like with my dog in my apartment complex hidden in the leaves of Georgia – I’m happy

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/johnvarkados
• Instagram: @johnvarkados
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnvarkados/
• Twitter: @johnvarkados
• Other: My portfolio – https://tr.ee/A1AjxPhM1y