Today we’d like to introduce you to Deward Lynn Lawrence.
Deward, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
There could be a combination of circumstances that has brought me to where I am today. I will bring some of them up. I think life is a transformation and transcendental journey and one can only speculate if there exists any real rhyme or reason behind it. People can always reflect upon a life half lived or a life lived fully. For me, I have lived a very full adventurous life (so far) and I think one’s life’s relationship is a matter of perspective and choices despite the circumstances.
Here is my timeline. My name is Deward Lynn Lawrence. Many people do not know that before entering the film/acting community again in the DFW area, I had been a Texas living historian and a WW2 reenactor since 2009. Belonging to THMS (Texas Historical Military society) and MVPA (Military vehicle preservation society) ‘Arrowhead chapter, together we would set up displays and give lectures and perform public reenactments yearly all over Texas. Those were some fun times with extended family for sure. Before that, I had a line of character drawings in pastel and oil and canvas and clay and ceramic art and was a Deep ellum artist from 1989 to 1994. My first studio was in the fair park area around exposition and Parry and my second studio was in North Dallas at the end of Ruth street in the old Chelsea square. Likewise, I was at the time the artist among artists on the scene and had a small following who came to my art exhibitions and bought my artwork. Before that, from 1978 to 1982, I was an actor and a musician/singer/songwriter. My one-hit-wonder “Lovely Lady, I love you” was on a 45 record by Bollman International records. A subsidiary of Capital records.
After a long hiatus in the acting world. In 2014, I was brought on board to help assist in Diaspora. A short film by the Blaze Brothers production. They were in a bind and heard that I had a reenactment group and specialized in WW2. Afterwards, I showed them some of my war stories and they agreed on making The Front. While making The Front, I met actors and producers and casting directors. I also ended up acting as a reoccurring character called a guilty remnant on the HBO TV series the second season of The Leftovers.
From there, I moved on and was on American crime, MMMF (Murder made me famous), Texas Flip and move and I went on to be in other films. The list continues to grow. In the meantime, I keep writing stories for scripts. Eventually, with the help from Dark Eye film productions was able to continue making and acting and producing my stories into film.
As it goes, one of the first very local DFW gigs I did where I met some of the people I know today was on a commercial shoot for Doritos. And soon after that, I learned of a couple of support groups that showcased local talent. This is when Cadillac Dreams in the old Valley View mall existed and the Brown Lane studios over off Regal row. When Spayse studio was formed, I jumped on board with the Rack Focus film competitions and I entered yearly or acted in other filmmakers projects. I’m still active with Rack Focus and my latest short film “No escape From War is due to be shown for Rack Focus 10. Hopefully, later this year.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been easy getting to where I’m now. In fact, I’ll probably end up repeating myself here. When I was a teenager, I wrote songs, played guitar, performed with a band, sang in the choir, studied drama and theater and acting. One summer I won a recording contest. This was in the late 1970s. I met a record executive named Larry McBride who thought I had talent and soon, I cut a 45 record with Bollman International, a subsidiary of Capital records. Soon after the release, it was brought to my attention (at that time )that the main song “Lovely Lady, I love you” was in the first month climbing the chart( in a manner of speaking). Can you imagine me being a teenager thinking that I was going to be a star back in the ’70s? Probably not.
For many, it was way before your time. Lol… Unfortunately, fate had another set of cards to play. A string of unfortunate events occurred. I became homeless, as my parents divorced. I had to temporarily drop out of high school. My best friend committed suicide and one of my songs was stolen after a recording deal by another production company. On top of that, I had to pawn off my stage equipment to survive and could not afford to have a band. I was left hanging in limbo. The thought of performing seemed impossible. Reflecting on things now. Maybe I was not hungry enough.
Or, I simply did not know how to proceed. But I was hungry. Being broke, homeless, working odd jobs and dreaming of making music and art as a lifestyle seemed further and further away. By the early 1980’s I enlisted in the united states army. I did not have much ambition and just wanted a means/skill to make a living. The army provided unique opportunities and gave me a needed moral boost. I even thought I wanted to become an officer and ended up in the R.O.T.C program at the University of Arlington. So, it was during this transition phase between a military career and returning to school/college as a student that I connected with other artists and musicians and soon found myself rejuvenated into music, playing gigs, and learning about film and art.
In fact , since my major was communications, I ended up working in theater practicum and started making extra money working commercial sets and stage productions. Shortly after that, things came to a head. I knew I did not want to be in the military or become an officer. I resigned. Dropped out of college and joined the local 127 theatrical/ stage union and began an apprenticeship to become a licensed journeyman. Things were great. I was working in the studios in Los Colinas on set learning to build sets and doing commercial work all over the DFW metroplex. I met actors and other creative individuals.
Plus, I appeared in Texas Walker ranger a couple of times and was a background in the show Dallas. Things were looking up. I felt like my acting was on track again. I even started doing rode y work on rock n roll tours like the North American steel wheels tour with the Rolling Stones. Yet, I was not entirely satisfied with myself and felt like I was abandoning my talents by doing other things. Once again, I was left thinking about how to accomplish being an artist/actor/creative person and working full time at one’s craft. It so happened when I moved back to Dallas. I met an inspiring young artist named Terrell Moore. We became friends and he showed me how to look inside myself and describe what I saw. Thus, I began my artists career channeling my energy into pastel drawings and abstract oil and canvas paintings and ceramic and clay sculptures and hanging out in Deep Ellum. I had a small following and was making leaps and bounds in the art world. At least I thought so. For about three years, I was riding high, being a bohemian artist living out of a warehouse studio in Dallas and pitching my artwork and concepts all over Big D. I regretted nothing. For me, this was acting. That was the time of my life. What a roller-coaster ride. More about the artist days in another story. I will fast forward.
In 1995 I moved out to Vince beach California and started pitching my artwork and myself in acting. I had been there a year when tragedy struck. My mother became seriously ill. Being the oldest, I had to make a choice to return and care for her and put my artist/acting career on hold. So, I came back to Texas. At this point, I got a real job. I was engaged, went back to school to get certified in technology and earned my RMT (registered massage therapist certification). Plus, I was still making artwork with my ceramic cups, plates, and bowls. Fitz and Floyd interviewed me for possibilities with my artwork and I continued attending art fairs to sell my work. All this. Trying to keep my foot in a creative circle of some type. Of course, fate was still dealing with cards. The communication company I worked at lost the contract that had kept me, and others employed.
So, eventually, I was let go. My fiancé had a tubal pregnancy and we lost the baby and after that, we split up and went our separate ways. Once again, I was left discouraged, feeling hopeless and disconnected. Also, my mother’s condition kept deterring and I had to sell everything she owned so she could to be placed in a care facility. Things looked dire. Things like acting, playing music, being involved in productions seemed off-limits once more. Seems I could not find or stay in any real worthwhile relationship either. Well, I am a survivor. I have always had and still do hold onto a dream. I thought perhaps I could share my experience with younger people. This put me on the path of being a public educator. For the last twenty years, I have attempted being a mentor and friend to thousands of students and still work for DISD.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I suppose people know me more for being an indie filmmaker now more than an actor or artist these days. However, I take pride and get extreme satisfaction working on other people’s projects too. Remember, it takes more than one person to make this work. It takes a team to make a film. People who know me will tell you I specialize in making WW2 and other war-related films. The Front. Live to die another day. Live to fight another day. Animism-Orange smoke, No escape From War. These are but a few. The thing that makes me proud about the production studio/company is our unique abilities to collaborate and to make things happen. We don’t just talk about doing things. We do and get it done. I’m sure if there is anyone thing that sets me apart from others. I do know I have a passion for telling a story.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Wow! As the story often goes. If I only new ten or even 20 years ago how to do what I’m doing now. No telling where I’d be. I would have focused my energy and time and money differently. Maybe I would have done more research and explored the options in making movies, writing and acting. However, there is no going backward and everything happens for a reason so I have been told.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2526 Manana Drive, Ste 505 Dallas, Texas 75220
- Website: http://www.Spaysestudios.com
- Phone: 469-709-8114
- Email: lynn_law@yahoo.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bullhorn_741
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lynn.lawrence.5249
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Springback
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7708411
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