Jun 17thHollywood Screen Legends

There’s no business like show business.

Tell me about it.

My name is Grenade Curran and I’ve been in the movie, film, and television business since I was a child. In fact, that’s how I got my start and that’s how I got the chance to work with some of the greatest Hollywood screen legends of all time. When most people hear names like Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, and Walt Disney, they think of glitz, glamour, and hot spotlights. When I think of those names, I can remember having my hair tousled by Clark Gable when I was a child, working hard to impress Fred Astaire as a background dancer on Singin’ in the Rain, and giving Walt Disney my opinion on decor options for what would become Disneyland.

To me, all of those Hollywood screen legends and industry powerhouses are more than the characters they played on screen or the movies they produced – they’re people who I knew, worked with, and grew to care about. That’s why I decided to write “In Character: My Life On and Off the Movie Set in Hollywood”. I wanted to write this book so I could share stories about some of the greatest Hollywood screen legends to ever live, as told from my perspective working on set or just visiting as old family friends.

While my mother and father both worked for major Hollywood studios growing up, it was my mother who was largely responsible for helping me get my break in the movie business. My father worked as a cameraman and gained notoriety in his own right as a master with the hand-held camera and at shooting promotional pieces. He was the personal camera man for Clark Gable and Roy Rogers. He and Clark also had a photo promotion business together.

My mother, worked for a couple of years as a dancer before launching a successful career in the scenic art department of MGM. My mother’s dancing carried over into my life, and when I was very young my mother taught me dancing before enrolling me in formal dance classes where I excelled. I worked as a child actor in a few movies and as a young adult auditioned as a dancer for several movie scenes. One of those movies opportunities that I was ready for when it came knocking was when Gene Kelly cast me in a dancing part for “Singin’ in the Rain”, and I was also able to work alongside Hollywood screen legends like Fred Astaire. As I got older I transitioned into behind-camera work in production assisting and management and furthered my career.

In addition to sharing stories from my years working with and knowing the biggest Hollywood screen legends of their day, my book is also full of advice for life and living. One of the greatest things about having a career as long and successful as mine – aside from all the wonderful people I met and got to work with – is finally having a chance reflect on my experiences and to share some of my lessons learned with those who are willing to listen. When you work in any industry as long as I worked in movies, film, and television, you learn a thing or two about people and about the type of person you want to become. As a man who has and always will hold his morals near and dear to his heart, I can tell you that the movie business isn’t an easy place to keep your morals intact – but it’s possible. Want proof? Well you’ve got to read the book.

To read all about my personal experiences with Hollywood screen legends and industry titans, purchase my book, “In Character: My Life On and Off the Movie Set” at GrenadeInHollywood.com.