Growing up, Ryan Curtis loved to make “terrible movies” (his words, not mine) with his friends. He didn’t know it then, but he was already directing. A few decades and deployments later and he’s finally releasing his first feature film in theaters nationwide.
“Hollywood Grit” is Curtis’ debut feature film and he attributes his growing success as a filmmaker to his time serving in the Army.
“People always come up to me and say, ‘you’re so calm,’” Curtis observed, “and I’m like, ‘yeah, because we’re not getting shot at.’”
From the discipline and organization it takes to logistically make a movie happen to the leadership skills required to manage a well-run and, ideally, enjoyable set, Curtis is a natural.
After joining the military in August 2001, Curtis served eight years as a combat engineer with two deployments between active duty and the reserves.
“During that time, you kind of lose touch with your creativity,” he reflected. “I’m proud of my service and the things that I did, but I lost the part of myself that had curiosity. When I transitioned out, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I found an ad in a newspaper for an acting class. That was my first introduction to the real filmmaking world.”
Immediately after leaving the Army, Curtis moved to Las Vegas and began working as a background actor, and while the jobs may have been random, any actor will tell you that those kinds of opportunities expose performers to a professional film set. For Curtis, it made him want more.
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He decided to try his hand at writing. “The only place to do that is Los Angeles,” he affirmed. He moved to the city, not knowing anyone, and started grinding.
Curtis shifted back into directing, making original content and spots for clients such as NIKE, Evan Williams, Audi, Under Armour, Stephen Curry, ABC, and long-time client Oprah. He also began to work on narrative projects, linking veteran storytelling with his newfound career. “Oscar Mike” was a docu-series where Curtis explored exciting careers post-military service, while “No Sh*t There I Was” was an animated series depicting real vets’ stories of the shenanigans they experienced on active duty.
But he never let his sights stray from the ultimate goal: feature-length work. Deals came and went, the 2023 strikes interrupted others, but finally the stars aligned with “Hollywood Grit,” a neo-noir tale of redemption set in LA. And when he landed his first feature-length film, he wanted to give other veterans the same shot he had.
In “Hollywood Grit,” more than 50 veterans were hired to work in front of and behind the camera, from the gaffer to the onscreen talent (looking at you, prior Navy SEAL David Meadows).
“It’s important to me to help new folks come up and also I like to find people who are really good at their jobs and military veterans are able to take all the stress and craziness that is movie-making and they’ll make the best of it,” shared Curtis.
The film stars Max Martini as Grit Thorn, a father on a mission to find his missing daughter in the dark annals of Hollywood. Co-written with Kristina Denton, the film’s signature tone is one of biting wit, gritty humor, and redemption for anti-heroes. Additional cast includes Tyrese Gibson, Linda Purl, Patrick Duffy, Nikki Howard, Linc Hand, David B. Meadows, Caylee Cowan, Benito Martinez, and Ysabela Espinosa.
In addition to employing military veterans within the cast and crew, a portion of the proceeds from “Hollywood Grit” will be donated directly to Veterans in Media & Entertainment (VME), a non-profit organization that provides essential resources and support for vets pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.
“Quite literally, one of the best things I was able to pull from the military is that your basic leadership tactics and approach correlates perfectly with movie sets,” stated Curtis. “The way I equate it is that the director is the battalion commander. Your department heads are your company commanders and so on.”
The organization, attention to detail, and discipline of a film set is very similar to that of military duty. Set life means long hours — and while the stakes aren’t life and death like a deployment, the financing equates to people’s livelihoods, at least. This, Curtis says, is why veterans are so well-suited to filmmaking.
“If you have good people and good leaders in place beneath you, you can make anything happen,” said Curtis. “One of the things I pride myself on is hiring good people. And I do my best to hire other veterans in key roles.”
“Hollywood Grit” plays in select theaters nationwide starting Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.
