John Drew (American actor)
John Drew (December 3, 1950 – ) is an American motion picture actor, voice talent, writer, producer and photographer.
Filmography
- From the Earth to the Moon Episode 5 Spider (1997) as Mylar Engineer
- Jekyll Island (1997) as Werner Mueller
Television
- All In Good Taste HGTV (1995-1998) as co-host
Stage Roles
- Dial M for [...] (1979?) as Tony Wendice
- Pack of Lies (1980?) as Bob Jackson
- Christmas Carol (1988?) as Scrooge
- Mr. Scrooge (1989?) as Scrooge
- Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1991) as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd
- The Yellow Boat (2004) as The Father
- Cabaret (2004) as Max, owner of Kit-Kat Club
Early Life
Born John Raiferd Drew II in Columbus, Georgia, U.S.A. to Raiferd L. Drew (an international sales executive) and Gertrude Mooney (a former radio drama performer with WSB in Atlanta), he is the third of three children. As a child he spent most of his life in Columbus, Georgia where he was first introduced to stage acting at the Springer Opera House, the State Theatre of Georgia.
When he was fourteen years old, Drew accompanied his parents to Wilmslow, Cheshire, England where, for two years, his father was managing director of a joint venture between U.S. and British textile manufacturing firms. During this time, Drew attended school at Wilmslow High School (then Wilmslow County Grammar School for Boys) where he developed a keen interest in storytelling, history, European travel and British accents.
Career
While in high school in Columbus, Georgia, Drew began working as a disk jockey and announcer at WRBL Radio. After high school, he briefly attended Southern Polytechnic State University, then Columbus State University before joining the U.S. Navy in 1970, when his Selective Service number was called in the draft during the Vietnam Conflict. After leaving the Navy in 1974, he lived in Athens, Greece and then Paris, France where he worked as the English language dialogue replacement (ADR) for French and German speakers in an automobile racing documentary for Renault directed by Eric Lipmann. While in Paris, Drew became close friends with the late French film actress Valérie Quennessen, Lipmann's niece. Quennessen was an early influence on Drew's career.
Upon returning to his hometown of Columbus, Georgia, Drew briefly went to work with a multimedia production company for which he had performed voice talent while in the Navy. Then he returned to radio and eventually migrated to television as a morning news anchor, staff announcer and later as a talk show co-host for WTVM Television. While at WTVM, Drew was approached by a board member of the Springer Opera House theatre company to audition for a stage production of Dial M for [...] being directed by Hilary Wyler. Drew's audition earned him the lead role of Tony Wendice.
Over the years, other Springer Theatre roles followed, most notably Scrooge in two productions and Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Years later, after returning to Columbus from Jacksonville, Florida, Drew performed in two productions at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, as Max the Kit-Kat Club owner in Cabaret and as the Father in The Yellow Boat.
In the 1980's, after working in radio and television and as a writer, producer and director of commercials and corporate video presentations, Drew went to work for an advertising agency in Columbus. It was during this seven-year period that he began performing voice and on-camera talent for numerous clients, including a number of Fortune 500® companies. After performing with his wife Nancy Ezell Drew (b. 1958, d. 1993) as extras in an episode of the television series In the Heat of the Night (TV Series), he sought additional training as a film and television actor from casting director Shay Griffin. In 1991, after studying with Griffin, he moved with Nancy and their children to Jacksonville, Florida.
Unable to find work with a advertising agencies in Jacksonville, Drew sought representation from talent agents in Winter Park, Tampa and Miami, Florida. Shortly after being signed by Winter Park agency Hurt-Garver Talent, he won his first role in a documentary about Jack Eckerd of the Eckerd Corporation, a national pharmacy chain. Additional corporate and commercial roles quickly followed. Meanwhile, Drew began working as a script writer and director for PRC Digital, a video production company in Jacksonville, as well as other production companies and ad agencies.
When his wife Nancy died in 1993, Drew continued his career in acting, writing and producing while raising their two children. In 1995, he married Gail Mellencamp (b.1960).
While living in Jacksonville, Drew became the co-host of the Home & Garden Television Network (HGTV) cooking show All In Good Taste for three years. In 1997, he played the role of an aeronautical engineer in Episode 5, Spider, of the multiple Emmy Award-winning, Tom Hanks/Imagine Entertainment/HBO Films production of From the Earth to the Moon (TV miniseries). Also in 1997, he appeared in the motion picture Jekyll Island which was filmed near his family's vacation home.
Current Status
John Drew works as a writer, producer, director, on-camera actor, voice talent and photographer. He is the voice of several Outdoor Channel programs, including the number one rated Michael Waddell's Bone Collector as well as serving as voice-over talent and on-camera spokesman for numerous corporate video presentations and commercials.
Lesser known is Drew's photography. While in the Navy, Drew studied with Master Photographer Virgin Deane in Jacksonville, Florida, selling some of his first work to Kodak. Over 50 of his photographs have been selected for use by Google Earth and his work, particularly in Alaska, has been published along with his writing.