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IMDbPro

John Fortson

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
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Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson wins Best Short Film at the Savannah Film Festival for his directorial debut, RATED.
Watch John Fortson Theatrical Reel
Play demo reel2:16
John Fortson Theatrical Reel
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John Fortson is an award winning writer, director and actor born on November 6th near Jacksonville, Florida, USA. John's film directorial debut Rated (2016) which he wrote and stars in alongside Christie Lynn Smith and Abby Ryder Fortson garnered a remarkable 60 Official Selections Worldwide, won 21 Awards, with 14 Prizes for Best Short Film including; The Savannah Film Festival, DC Shorts, Sonoma International Film Fest and Big Island Film Festival. He also earned 2 nominations for Best Director. His film festival plays included the likes of; Palm Springs International Shortfest, Rhode Island International Film Fest, Heartland Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival, and Short Shorts Japan to name a few. He has finished writing the script for the feature film version. John Fortson's versatile film work includes roles in both dramas and comedies. He starred in the emotional new series, Urban Nightmares (2017) as a distraught man taking action to get his wife and son back from the dead after a tragic accident. He starred opposite Kathleen Rose Perkins in Agapé (2014) as a man not of this world intensely fighting for the love of his life. In Spacechild (2011) , John grew a beard & lost weight portraying an astronaut regretting his solo 20 year mission. For Motel Blues (2015), John learned guitar playing a younger Springsteen on edge as his career becomes legendary. In Happy and You Know It (2013) , he plays the patient husband to his overwhelmed pregnant wife. John earned a Best Actor Nomination for his Cary Grant-esque role in the film, Definite Maybe (2002). He played James Spader in My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005) , the good brother in Lather. Rinse. Repeat. (2002) opposite film steady Marshall Bell and Golden Globe Nominee Troy Garity, was seen as a meth addict on death's door saved by Maura Tierney in ER (1994) , and opposite Jessica Biel in 7th Heaven (1996) and in the relationship drama Magnetic Poles (2006), a Sundance Festival Selection. John wrote, produced and starred in 2 acclaimed one person shows including Loveswell which played to LA audiences for more than 3 years. He has been invited to write and perform for Transparent (2014) Creator Joey Soloway show, SitNSpin, for LA's MOCA Museum and for the LA Comedy Festival. Married to Actress Christie Lynn Smith, they welcomed their daughter, Actress Abby Ryder Fortson , into the world in 2008. In 2012, he and Christie welcomed their son, Joshua Fortson . John loves to surf and travel as well support many charitable causes.
BornNovember 6, 19??
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BornNovember 6, 19??
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  • Awards

Photos102

Director/Writer/Actor John Fortson at the 2016 Montclair Film Festival with his film RATED.
Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson with his award winning film RATED at Savannah Film Festival with the stars of his film, his wife Christie Lynn Smith, daughter, Abby Ryder Fortson, son Joshua Fortson. RATED took top honors winning Best Short Film. 2016
Poster for writer/director/actor John Fortson's award winning film RATED. Starring Christie Lynn Smith, RATED has won 19 Awards, 12x Best Short Film, selected by 50+ festivals worldwide. 2016-2017
Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson co-starring in his award winning film RATED with his daughter, Abby Ryder Fortson, and the star of the film, his wife, Christie Lynn Smith.
Writer/director/actor John Fortson celebrates his film RATED winning top honors at the Savannah Film Festival 2016 with his stars, wife, Christie Lynn Smith and daughter, Abby Ryder Fortson.
Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson with his award winning film RATED at the Savannah Film Festival accompanied by the stars of his film, his wife Christie Lynn Smith, and daughter, Abby Ryder Fortson. RATED took top honors winning Best Short Film. 2016
John Fortson
Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson at the world premier of Marvel's Ant-Man.
Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson with his award winning film RATED at Savannah Film Festival with the stars of his film, his wife Christie Lynn Smith, daughter, Abby Ryder Fortson, son Joshua Fortson. RATED took top honors winning Best Short Film. 2016
Writer/Director/Actor John Fortson at the 2017 Boulder Int Film Festival with his film RATED
SAVANNAH, GA - OCTOBER 29: Director/Writer John Fortson with his film RATED attends the 19th Annual Savannah Film Festival presented by SCAD - Day 8 on October 29, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SCAD)
SAVANNAH, GA - OCTOBER 29: John Fortson Director RATED wins Jury Award Best Short Film at the 19th Annual Savannah Film Festival presented by SCAD - Day 8 on October 29, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SCAD)

Known for

Christie Lynn Smith and John Fortson in Rated (2016)
Rated
8.7
Short
  • Brian Mitchell
  • 2016
Urban Nightmares (2017)
Urban Nightmares
7.2
TV Mini Series
  • John Kyle
A poster spoof of "Amelie" from "My Big Fat Independent Movie."
My Big Fat Independent Movie
3.2
  • Spader
  • 2005
Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, and Michael Ealy in The Perfect Guy (2015)
The Perfect Guy
5.6
  • Bartender #2(as John Forston)
  • 2015

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Griffith Park
  • Urban Nightmares (2017)
    Urban Nightmares
  • Christie Lynn Smith and John Fortson in Rated (2016)
    Rated
  • Aghápe (2015)
    Aghápe
  • Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, and Michael Ealy in The Perfect Guy (2015)
    The Perfect Guy
    • (as John Forston)
  • Days of Our Lives (1965)
    Days of Our Lives
  • Happy and You Know It
  • Jesus Is Back (and He Is Not Happy)
  • The Mansfield Memoirs (2011)
    The Mansfield Memoirs
  • Spacechild (2011)
    Spacechild
  • The Appointment
  • Derby Day (2007)
    Derby Day
  • Marjie Gum in Magnetic Poles (2006)
    Magnetic Poles
  • Something Old, Something British
  • A poster spoof of "Amelie" from "My Big Fat Independent Movie."
    My Big Fat Independent Movie

Writer

  • Christie Lynn Smith and John Fortson in Rated (2016)
    Rated
    • ...

Director

  • Christie Lynn Smith and John Fortson in Rated (2016)
    Rated
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos2

John Fortson Theatrical Reel
Demo Reel 2:16
John Fortson Theatrical Reel
Magnetic Poles
Full Movie 28:55
Magnetic Poles

Personal details

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    • Official Site
    • November 6,
    • Palatka, Florida, USA
    • Christie Lynn SmithJune 27, 1998 - present (1 child)
    • Abby Ryder Fortson
  • Other works
    Music video with Jenna Elfman for Anthrax's "Black Lodge" Directed by Mark Pellington

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Graduated from Allen D. Nease High School in St. Augustine, Florida.

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