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Q and A with San Joaquin native and Hollywoodscreenwriter/producer Adam Giaudrone

by Melissa Hutsell

he  is current

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The Stockton native drawsmillions of fans each week

as a writer/producer of BET’shit show Being Mary Jane. TheCurrent spoke with Adam recentlyabout his hometown, some of hisprojects, and what it’s like to be aStocktonian in Hollywood.

Adam Giaudrone (Gee-uh-drone-knee) graduated from SaintMary’s High School in Stockton,and attended UC Davis, where

he studied communications andEnglish. After pursuing a careerin modeling, he worked in the BayArea, where he eventually startedhis own PR and marketing firm.The firm thrived, but Giaudronefelt unfulfilled, and decided tofollow his dream of acting. In 1999,shortly after marrying his wife,Nicole, who is also from Stockton,the Giaudrones moved to Los

Angeles.Giaudrone has sold several

pilots over the years, created ashow for the CW – the The BeautifulLife - and worked on projects thatinclude CBS’s Swingtown  andcurrently, Being Mary Jane.

Q. When did you first thinkthat you’d “finally made it” inHollywood?

A. (Laughs) I’ve thought thatmany times. But this business is aroller coaster. So… I guess, I’ll letyou know when I get there.

Q. You are a model turned actorturned writer – that’s quite ajourney.

A. Yes, but spanning more than25 years. I modeled from the endof high school until a little beyond

college. The peak of my “career”was a brief stint living in Milan,Italy working with Elite’s men’sdivision. Even with that, I alwaysfelt like I was barely hanging ontothe bottom rung of that industry…As for acting, it was really just abridge to discover screenwriting.

Q. How did you find your passionfor storytelling?

A. I had always written shortstories, and loved creative writing.I had been writing my whole life;I just didn’t believe, or really even

When you get down to the coreof who we are as people: remove

socioeconomic differences, the colorof our skin, a person’s religion, we allhave fairly similar motivations.

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 photos courtesy Adam Giaudrone

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consider that a career as a screenwriter was possible.

When I was studying to be an actor, I realized very quickly thatI was more interested in the creation of the character, and theirmotivations, than in the performance. Which is good for a writer– not so much for an actor. I just felt a connection with writing andfiguring out what makes characters do what they do.

Q. The topics you write about are so diverse, from a femalebroadcaster in Being Mary Jane  to a group of models living inNew York in The Beautiful Life. What are some common themesthat inspire you or that you enjoy writing about?

A. All characters want to be happy, want to be loved, and wantto be successful. It’s that same quest that we have as people –to be the best version of ourselves – that inspires us to face thehurdles that get in our way.

Mary Jane is a single, black female, and I’m a married, whitemale. Demographically speaking, that’s as far as you can possiblygo. But there’s something about the honesty, the desperation, andthe need to be good, that we can all relate to.

When you get down to the core of who we are as people: removesocioeconomic differences, the color of our skin, a person’sreligion, we all have fairly similar motivations. So, I try to putmyself into the shoes of my characters, and ask myself “what

experiences do they have that are similar to mine?” Then I buildoff of that.

Q. What is it like to see stars like Gabrielle Union play out your

storylines on TV?

A. It’s surreal. It’s like watching your own thoughts and dreamsplay out on screen.

Gabrielle Union is as good of an actor as any writer couldever ask for – she really understands the nuances of what we’retrying to do.

Q. You told me before that you’re the only white writer on anall-black staff. Can you tell me about that experience?

A. It’s been life-changing. As someone who grew up inStockton, I’ve always been surrounded by – and friends with– all types of ethnicities. But a writers’ room is a very bold, raw,and brutally honest place. It has to be. As the only white personin the room, especially in this political climate, I’ve been ableto listen to, and be a part of, conversations that I think very fewnon-black people are invited in to. I feel that if anyone – white,black, or otherwise – were able to hear the level of honesty thatI hear in the writers’ room, it would make society a better place.

Q. How do your Central Valley roots influence your work?

A. I write from my experiences, and so many of my experiencescome from growing up in Stockton. We all have differentchallenges, but where we come from is a big part of who we areas people. »

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Q. Would you ever shoot in Stockton or inSan Joaquin County?

A. In a heartbeat.

Q. Do you have any words of encouragement forfellow San Joaquinians who might aspire to workin show business?

A. Have a good sense of who you are and whereyou come from before going into a fame-drivenbusiness. It can change you very quickly. Being

from Stockton kept me grounded. As for advice,it would be to dream big: There is more to theworld, and to what’s possible, than the smallcircle of friends that we have in junior high andhigh school.

It doesn’t matter where you are from; it matterswhat you do. Your actions matter more than anygeographical location. Stockton gets a bad rapin the national media, but there are so manywonderful people that live here. Ultimately youractions determine your worth, and that’s moreimportant than listening to hype about yourhometown.

And strive for the life that you want. As artists,we are so frequently asked, “when are you goingto get a real job?” I got so tired of hearing thatquestion, that once I started finding some success,I named my production company, This is My RealJob Productions. Because it is. Don’t let anyoneever determine the value of your dreams.

Q. When you aren’t creating TV, what shows do

you like to watch?

A. When it comes to dramas, I watch them all.As my wife likes to joke, “as research.” Shows likeBreaking Bad, Mad Men  […] and The Sopranos opened up a new level of quality and creativefreedom in TV, giving shows like Mr. Robot  onUSA, UnREAL on Lifetime, and Being Mary Jane onBET, a chance to thrive. Most people have heard ofHBO’s epic drama, Game of Thrones (which I love),but then there are also shows like Black Sails on

Starz, which continually blows my mind.To stay updated with Adam Giaudrone and his

 future projects, follow him on Twitter @Nicada