When Gregory Earls isn’t eating at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, he pays the bills by taking up space at 20th Century Fox in the Feature Post Production Department. He’s a proud graduate of Norfolk State University and the American Film Institute, where he studied cinematography. He’s an award-winning director who has amassed a reel of short films, music videos, and (yes) a wedding video or two. Steadfastly butchering the Italian language since 2002, he hopes to someday master the language just enough to inform his in-laws how much he loves their daughter, Stefania, who was born and raised in Milan, Italy. Gregory currently resides in Venice, California where he goes giddy every time he spots that dude who roller skates and plays the electric guitar at the same time. During football season, he can be found at the Stovepiper Lounge, a Cleveland Browns bar in the Valley where he roots for the greatest football team in the history of Cleveland.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I like that I’ve avoided prison, thus far in my life. Although, if I ever have to go, I have no doubt that I’ll get along with most everybody just fine. From Skinheads to the Brothas, I’d be the social butterfly of the yard. People tend to relax and feel at home around me, almost instantly. After the initial “hazing,” I’d be a-okay.
What is your least favorite quality about yourself?
I often give in to temptation. So, my life tends to hit the highs of immediate satisfaction and then the lows of regret. Let’s take the bag of Reese’s Miniatures I have sitting at my desk at the moment.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
I’d have to say my favorite quote is by Vince Lombardi, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” I get knocked down a lot, literally, so this quote works for me.
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
I am glad that I was accepted into such a celebrated school as the American Film Institute. It shocks me that I’m working at such a historic studio as 20th Century Fox and have a hand in creating some amazing films. However, I feel like my biggest accomplishments are ahead of me. At least I hope so. …Oh, and I’m proud that I ain’t never been to jail.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
My parents did incredibly well for themselves, especially having come from such humble beginnings. My father is a NASA physicist, my mom a Reading Specialist and my older brother a Neurologist. They didn’t just bust barriers, they beat the holy hell out of ’em. Not only was my childhood environment incredibly inspiring, but within the comfort of this upper middle class neighborhood, my family blessed me with an atmosphere where I could dream. My writing tends to skew towards the fantastic, and I owe that ability to dream to the comfort and the love within my childhood. That and my prescription Xanax.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Sex. In high school this classmate volunteered to edit my first screenplays. Not only was she incredibly smart, but she also had legs that went on for days. I honestly can’t say for sure that if one of my boys were helping me, that I would’ve kept up with the writing. Thank God for teenage hormones and gals with good grammar.
When and why did you begin writing?
When I was a kid, I met this guy named Bill who was attending the Cleveland Institute of Art. He was this great fine artist who was then branching out into film production. He enlisted me to crew for him, and I became hooked into his world. One day he asked me, “When are we gonna shoot something of yours?” I wrote my first short script, and that’s when I became hooked.
