For Ryan Curtis, filmmaking started with “terrible movies” made as a kid with his friends — his words, not ours. Decades later, after years of Army service and countless lessons learned on and off the battlefield, Curtis is debuting his first feature film, Hollywood Grit, now hitting theaters nationwide.
The film marks a full-circle moment for Curtis, who says his time in uniform shaped everything about his directing style.
“People always say, ‘You’re so calm,’” he laughed. “And I tell them, ‘Yeah — because we’re not getting shot at.’”
From Combat Engineer to Director’s Chair
Curtis joined the Army in August 2001 and spent eight years as a combat engineer, serving two deployments between active duty and the reserves. The experience instilled discipline and leadership, but it also muted his creative spark — something he didn’t rediscover until after his service.
“When I got out, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” he recalled. “Then I saw an ad for an acting class in the paper. That was my first real step into filmmaking.”
He began as a background actor in Las Vegas before moving to Los Angeles, chasing bigger opportunities without knowing a single person in the city. Bit by bit, he carved his path — writing, directing, and producing original projects and branded content for clients such as Nike, Audi, Under Armour, Stephen Curry, ABC, and Oprah Winfrey.
Telling Veterans’ Stories, One Frame at a Time
Curtis soon started combining his two worlds — the military and Hollywood — through storytelling. He created Oscar Mike, a docu-series spotlighting veterans building new careers, and No Sht, There I Was*, an animated show retelling the wild, real-life adventures of service members.
Still, his ultimate goal never changed: a feature film. After years of near-misses and production delays — including the 2023 Hollywood strikes — everything finally aligned for Hollywood Grit, a neo-noir tale of redemption set in Los Angeles.
Building a Set with Soldiers
More than 50 veterans worked on Hollywood Grit, both in front of and behind the camera — including former Navy SEAL David Meadows. For Curtis, it was never just about making a movie; it was about creating opportunity.
“I like finding people who are great at what they do,” he said. “Veterans can handle the stress and chaos of filmmaking — they know how to adapt, lead, and stay calm under pressure.”
The film stars Max Martini as Grit Thorn, a father searching for his missing daughter in the underbelly of Hollywood. Co-written with Kristina Denton, the movie blends sharp wit, dark humor, and themes of redemption for flawed heroes. The cast also includes Tyrese Gibson, Linda Purl, Patrick Duffy, Nikki Howard, Linc Hand, David B. Meadows, Caylee Cowan, Benito Martinez, and Ysabela Espinosa.
Giving Back to the Veteran Community
A portion of the film’s proceeds will go to Veterans in Media & Entertainment (VME), a nonprofit that helps service members transition into film, television, and digital careers.
Curtis sees clear parallels between military leadership and filmmaking:
“On set, the director is like the battalion commander. Your department heads are the company commanders. Everyone has their role, and success depends on teamwork.”
The Grit Behind the Camera
For Curtis, the connection is simple — discipline, planning, and leadership make both the military and movie sets function smoothly.
“If you have good people and good leaders, you can make anything happen,” he said. “That’s something the Army taught me — and something I live by on every set.”
With Hollywood Grit, Ryan Curtis isn’t just telling a story about resilience and redemption. He’s living it — and making sure other veterans get their chance to do the same.
