Greg Sestero
Encyclopedia
Greg Sestero is a French-American actor
and model. He is best known for his role as Mark in the 2003 cult film
The Room
.
and grew up in Danville, California
. He is of French and American descent with dual citizenships, and speaks both French and English. During his freshman year of high school, Sestero wrote a screenplay, a sequel to the 1990 film Home Alone
, with a leading role for himself opposite actor Macaulay Culkin
. Sestero submitted the screenplay to Hughes Productions and received a commendatory letter from the late 1980s icon John Hughes.
During his junior year of high school Sestero began modeling, working in locations such as Milan and Paris for designers such as Giorgio Armani
and Gian Franco Ferre, and many others. He then returned to America to focus on acting, enrolling in the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California. Sestero eventually signed on with Hollywood agent Iris Burton
, which prompted his eventual move to Los Angeles
, California
.
Sestero continues to make his residence in southern California.
, and the films Gattaca
(1997) and Patch Adams
(1998). In 1999, Sestero was cast as the lead in Retro Puppet Master
which was filmed in Romania
. He followed this with a recurring role on the television soap opera
Days of our Lives
.
's Johnny in the cult film The Room, released in 2003.
Sestero met Wiseau at an acting class in 1998. Wiseau told Sestero that if he was able to raise the funds to make the film, he would hire him as his co-star; Sestero arrived on set only agreeing to work behind the scenes and helped Wiseau with auditions and casting. However when the original actor who was cast as Mark was fired, Sestero stepped in. Sestero has said that he made the film assuming no one would see it and that it would go direct to video.
The film was immediately lambasted by critics and fared very poorly at the box office as well. Ross Morin, an assistant professor of film studies at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, called it "the Citizen Kane of bad movies" and Entertainment Weekly
referred to Wiseau as "the Orson Welles of crap."
Despite the poor showing Sestero remained humorous and typically deflected much of the criticism of the movie. For example, in one interview when asked about one of the movie's many plot holes, the sudden disappearance of the character "Peter" who is seemingly replaced by the character "Steven" without any explanation, Sestero responds, "We were going to add in that character Steven, but once Peter left, he kind of took over. Peter had other clients he had to tend to as a psychologist, so he couldn’t be at the party. [Laughs.]"
The movie quickly began to receive attention from audience members because of its poor production values rather than in spite of them; it soon became a "cult classic" with late-night showings at theaters around the country. Audience members typically arrive wearing wigs resembling their favorite characters, interact with the dialogue on screen, and throw plastic cutlery and footballs around the theater. This attention grew into what was dubbed The Room's 2010-2011 "Love is Blind" International Tour, with the movie being screened in not just the U.S. but also in the U.K, Germany, Denmark, Australia and India, among other locations. Sestero appears at many of these events, posing for photographs with fans and often addressing them before the screenings as well.
, opposite actress Bo Derek
, and an uncredited role in Accepted also in 2006. In 2009 Sestero appeared in an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe
's The Pit and the Pendulum
and in the movie Alien Presence.
In 2010, Sestero appeared in Miranda Lambert's
music video "White Liar
" which won the Country Music Television
and the Academy of Country Music
award for best video and song of the year; the video was also nominated for best video at the 2010 Country Music Association
awards.
In July 2010, Sestero was featured in a 5-second film End Zone directed by Michael Rousselet, one of The Rooms original fans who helped propel the movie to cult status. Sestero then starred with NYC comedians Jason Saenz, Nick Turner, and Travis Irvine for a sketch comedy video in which Sestero turned into the "new" Jason Saenz via jaw surgery.
The July 2010 edition of Diablo Magazine voted Sestero, along with others including Carlos Santana
and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as The Best of the East Bay Stars and Standouts.
In July 2011, Sestero teamed with award winning comedian Patton Oswalt
in "You Got Mail", a 5-second film that features Oswalt as a mailman and Sestero waiting for his suspicious delivery.
Sestero continues to model and has appeared in ads for Tommy Hilfiger
, Armani, and Ralph Lauren
, among others.
to write a book based on his experiences making the film, Tommy Wiseau and the numerous questions he's fielded from audience members over the years. The book is to be cowritten by journalist Tom Bissell
, who wrote about The Room for Harper's, with a publication date scheduled for January 2013.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and model. He is best known for his role as Mark in the 2003 cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
The Room
The Room (film)
The Room is a 2003 independent drama film starring Tommy Wiseau, who also wrote, directed, and produced the feature. In addition to Wiseau, the principal cast includes Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero, Philip Haldiman, Kyle Vogt, Carolyn Minnott, and Robyn Paris...
.
Personal life
Sestero was born in Walnut Creek, CaliforniaWalnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
and grew up in Danville, California
Danville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
. He is of French and American descent with dual citizenships, and speaks both French and English. During his freshman year of high school, Sestero wrote a screenplay, a sequel to the 1990 film Home Alone
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
, with a leading role for himself opposite actor Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Culkin
Macaulay Carson Culkin is an American actor. He became widely known for his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He is also known for his roles in Richie Rich, Uncle Buck, My Girl, The Pagemaster, and Party Monster...
. Sestero submitted the screenplay to Hughes Productions and received a commendatory letter from the late 1980s icon John Hughes.
During his junior year of high school Sestero began modeling, working in locations such as Milan and Paris for designers such as Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
and Gian Franco Ferre, and many others. He then returned to America to focus on acting, enrolling in the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California. Sestero eventually signed on with Hollywood agent Iris Burton
Iris Burton
Iris Burton was an American talent agent and dancer, who discovered and represented many famous child actors during her career.-Personal life and early career:...
, which prompted his eventual move to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Sestero continues to make his residence in southern California.
Career
Sestero's early acting work included minor roles in the television show Nash BridgesNash Bridges
Nash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
, and the films Gattaca
Gattaca
Gattaca is a 1997 science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law with supporting roles played by Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal and Alan Arkin....
(1997) and Patch Adams
Patch Adams (film)
Patch Adams is a 1998 comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it is based on the life story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film is generally considered a box-office success,...
(1998). In 1999, Sestero was cast as the lead in Retro Puppet Master
Retro Puppet Master
Retro Puppet Master is a 1999 horror film written by Charles Band, Benjamin Carr and David Schmoeller, and directed by David DeCoteau...
which was filmed in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. He followed this with a recurring role on the television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
.
The Room
Sestero's best known role to date is as Mark, the best friend to Tommy WiseauTommy Wiseau
Tommy Wiseau is a screenwriter, director, producer, executive producer, and actor. He is the founder of the film production company Wiseau Films. Wiseau is best known for his film The Room which has been described as "one of the worst movies ever made" and has gained cult film status...
's Johnny in the cult film The Room, released in 2003.
Sestero met Wiseau at an acting class in 1998. Wiseau told Sestero that if he was able to raise the funds to make the film, he would hire him as his co-star; Sestero arrived on set only agreeing to work behind the scenes and helped Wiseau with auditions and casting. However when the original actor who was cast as Mark was fired, Sestero stepped in. Sestero has said that he made the film assuming no one would see it and that it would go direct to video.
The film was immediately lambasted by critics and fared very poorly at the box office as well. Ross Morin, an assistant professor of film studies at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, called it "the Citizen Kane of bad movies" and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
referred to Wiseau as "the Orson Welles of crap."
Despite the poor showing Sestero remained humorous and typically deflected much of the criticism of the movie. For example, in one interview when asked about one of the movie's many plot holes, the sudden disappearance of the character "Peter" who is seemingly replaced by the character "Steven" without any explanation, Sestero responds, "We were going to add in that character Steven, but once Peter left, he kind of took over. Peter had other clients he had to tend to as a psychologist, so he couldn’t be at the party. [Laughs.]"
The movie quickly began to receive attention from audience members because of its poor production values rather than in spite of them; it soon became a "cult classic" with late-night showings at theaters around the country. Audience members typically arrive wearing wigs resembling their favorite characters, interact with the dialogue on screen, and throw plastic cutlery and footballs around the theater. This attention grew into what was dubbed The Room's 2010-2011 "Love is Blind" International Tour, with the movie being screened in not just the U.S. but also in the U.K, Germany, Denmark, Australia and India, among other locations. Sestero appears at many of these events, posing for photographs with fans and often addressing them before the screenings as well.
Later work and appearances
In 2004, Sestero produced and appeared in Homeless in America, a documentary short about homelessness that was written and produced by The Rooms Tommy Wiseau. He had a part in the short-lived 2006 television series Fashion HouseFashion House
Fashion House is an American telenovela that aired at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday on MyNetworkTV stations. The series premiered on September 5, 2006 and concluded on December 5, 2006...
, opposite actress Bo Derek
Bo Derek
Mary Cathleen Collins , better known as Bo Derek, is an American film and television actress, model, and sex symbol, known for her role as Jenny Hanley in the 1979 comedy film 10. However, Derek's film career soon faltered; her later films, including, Bolero and Ghosts Can't Do It , were poorly...
, and an uncredited role in Accepted also in 2006. In 2009 Sestero appeared in an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum
"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The...
and in the movie Alien Presence.
In 2010, Sestero appeared in Miranda Lambert's
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut...
music video "White Liar
White Liar
"White Liar" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert. It was released as the second single to her third studio album, Revolution. Lambert performed "White Liar" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on October 6, 2009, and on the 2009 CMA Awards on...
" which won the Country Music Television
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
and the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
award for best video and song of the year; the video was also nominated for best video at the 2010 Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
awards.
In July 2010, Sestero was featured in a 5-second film End Zone directed by Michael Rousselet, one of The Rooms original fans who helped propel the movie to cult status. Sestero then starred with NYC comedians Jason Saenz, Nick Turner, and Travis Irvine for a sketch comedy video in which Sestero turned into the "new" Jason Saenz via jaw surgery.
The July 2010 edition of Diablo Magazine voted Sestero, along with others including Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as The Best of the East Bay Stars and Standouts.
In July 2011, Sestero teamed with award winning comedian Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
in "You Got Mail", a 5-second film that features Oswalt as a mailman and Sestero waiting for his suspicious delivery.
Sestero continues to model and has appeared in ads for Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
, Armani, and Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, among others.
Book
In May 2011, it was announced that he had signed a deal with Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
to write a book based on his experiences making the film, Tommy Wiseau and the numerous questions he's fielded from audience members over the years. The book is to be cowritten by journalist Tom Bissell
Tom Bissell
Tom Bissell is a journalist, critic, and fiction writer, originally from Escanaba, Michigan and currently based in Portland, Oregon.-Life:...
, who wrote about The Room for Harper's, with a publication date scheduled for January 2013.