Dear Reader,

John C. Coffman embraces life with an “I wonder if I can do that?” approach. He is 66 years old, served in the military, worked on the pipeline, tackled law school and held the position of both a prosecutor and defense attorney.  He climbed numerous mountains including Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro. If you had to title a theme for your life, Reader, what might it be?

Image description: Headshot of John, with white hair, mustache and goatee, wearing a black shirt; he is looking off to the left.

Now, for marketing purposes, John describes himself as an actor, but he does so hesitantly. He has a difficult time putting that label on himself.  “My main weakness, I think, is self-promotion,” he said. “I am truly lousy at tooting my own horn.” However, with 60 to 80 film credits to his name, (he’s lost count because it’s been so many), I’m going to bet that this current title is secure for a few more decades.

John grew up a “pipeline brat” as he described his younger years. His family followed his father’s work on the pipeline, particularly in the Gulf Coast area of Louisiana and Texas. He said, looking back, that what he liked about that lifestyle was that it taught him to adapt to different communities, accents, a variety of people and diverse ways of thinking. Now, he calls Lake Charles home. The southwestern Louisiana town is about 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico on the banks of the Calcasieu River.

Image description: Black and white photo. On the left is John as a baby lying on a pillow drinking a baby bottle. His dog is sitting beside him. In the right photo frame, three children are standing in the grass in front of a house. The tallest boy is John wearing casual slacks and a long sleeve business shirt. To his left is Markus, his younger brother, who is wearing casual pants, a short sleeve business shirt and holding a dog. To John’s right is Rebecca, John’s sister wearing flowered short dress. Her hair is blond , straight and comes down to right below her ears.

After graduating from White Castle High School in the Iberville Parish of Louisiana, John enlisted in the army.  It was not the dream his parents wanted for him. “Mama wanted me to be an architect and Daddy wanted me to be an engineer,” he said. However, John had an independent and adventurous streak. “I wanted to see interesting places and follow my path,” he said. Did you follow the conventional path prescribed by your family, Reader?

Image Description: John as a young man in a military police uniform wearing his white police hat, army metals on his black jacket with the initials MP on his arm.

After his overseas tour of duty, John returned to his home in Lake Charles. There, he became an army recruiter to complete his term of enlistment. Then, he worked in the marsh-land region of Grand Chenier in Cameron Parish at Michigan Wisconsin Pipeline company as a pipeline dispatcher.  “The people of Cameron Parish have a different way of looking at life,” John said.

Similar to his experience in Italy, John learned to adapt to a divergent workplace. Each employment venue allowed John to hone a kaleidoscope of talent in understanding diverse populations.  His aptitude broadened in capturing regional dialects, syntax and accents. By now, John and his first wife divorced. Reader, how do you connect and show empathy for other cultures?

Image description: Younger john with dark hair in a kneeling position, 4-year-old son with blond hair practicing a karate kick with right leg; both are wearing Gi (karate outfit which is white, worn loosely and tied with a belt).

In 1982, John attended McNeese State University and graduated with a B.S. in Accounting. In 1984, he also remarried. Tina, to whom he is still married, shared his love of nature and adventures. John and Tina met at the Karate dojo which is a school for that discipline of martial arts. “My life would be totally different without her in it,” John said tenderly of their relationship.  Two years later, John entered Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. “I have a bad habit of seeing things and thinking, ‘I wonder if I could do that; so the challenge was law school,” John said.

Image Description: Headshot of John, blue eyes, wearing a blue suit, white shirt and blue tie.

In 2010, John retired from the district attorney’s office with a plan to open his own practice. He didn’t want to be aggressive about bringing in business. He imagined more the life of a “gentleman farmer,” he described. For the next six years he was sole practitioner of John C. Coffman, APLC. However, in the process, he learned that you have to “go big or go home,” he said. With needed expenses to cover the office and employee costs, he would not have been able to take a relaxed approach to bringing in business. So, John retired from law. Reader, have you followed a life-path that has been right for you?

Undeniably, John’s curious nature wouldn’t let him rest for long. It was October 2012; Hurricane Isaac was approaching the Louisiana shoreline.  John and Tina had prepared the house for the potential winds. He was checking the news on his computer when an email popped up from an old army buddy. His friend said that they were having a casting call for the film Olympus has Fallen. If interested, John was to send a picture. He wrote to John that they were looking for someone to play a Marine Corps General, and he said, “John, they are describing you.” After dickering in his mind with the internal dialogue of “yes” or “no”, John pulled up a picture, attached it and hit send.  He was 58-years-old. He really didn’t expect to hear anything more about it.  Forty-five minutes later, he received a response. “You are perfect. I have to show this to the director. Will let you know in the morning.”

John was so surprised. “That was not even on my radar,” he said. He printed the email to take downstairs to show his wife. “I was laughing about it,” he said. “I expected, the next day, to get the sorry letter.” Instead, the next day’s email told John to get to Shreveport, Louisiana. He had the role and needed to arrive on set immediately.

John spent a week with the film crew and he said, “I had a blast.” He worked with Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Robert Forster. As well, there was group of about twenty background actors on the set who coached John. “They knew I was green, and everyone gave me tips,” he said. The process of making a film intrigued him. He was amazed at the attention and time given to details such as the light and shadows in a shot. “You realize why it costs so much,” he said. He also enjoyed the opportunity to watch “great actors firsthand.”  Afterwards, he received a kind note from Robert Forster.

That first week whetted John’s appetite to pursue more acting roles. “Let me follow this path and see where it takes me,” he said. The instinct to move in that direction flourished. He said his acting career typically falls into these categories: grandpa, military, ex-military, and courtroom scenes such as the judge or lawyer. John said about one of his characters, “I really liked playing the bad-ass grandpa.” Another time, he played a philandering church deacon. He enjoys the “I will mess you up roles,” he said.

John explained that throughout his legal career he had prosecuted and defended many people who engaged in heinous behaviors and felt they had justification. “Warped stupid reasons to ‘normal’ people but reasons all the same,” he said. So, it is with some of his characters where he has the freedom to actualize an evil person. “Normal rules don’t apply to them,” John said. “They make their own rules.” He gives the example of Mr. Big in Hawkshaw’s Malisone. The character was, as John describes, “a totally sadistic killer, but in Mr. Big’s mind, it was all for his family and especially his granddaughter.”  Similarly, in the indie film, The Space Between, John played a ruthless man who would torture or murder to get back his wife. “It’s easy to play the villains over the top – just evil – one dimensional.   They have their reasons – their humanity. It’s especially difficult in short films.   But that is the challenge and fun of being an actor,” John said. Reader, would you be able to see the multifaceted sides of an ‘evil’ character to portray more of their humanity?

John mentioned another example of this with the character of Ben, “The Butcher” Diamond, in the series “Magic City.” John didn’t play this role, but talks about Ben as an unlikeable character. John describes him as a “brutally sadistic killer” who, in the first season, “seemed untouchable and totally bad.  My impression was ‘this guy needs to die badly’. However, in season two the writers developed more of the character’s humanity. We see weaknesses in Ben. John said, “He became more interesting to me, the viewer.  The writers fleshed him out as a person. Granted, he’s still an evil bastard that needs to die, but now he’s more interesting to the viewers.” That insight into the “dark” side of all of us allows John to maintain a “there, but for the grace of God, go I” attitude when depicting people in his films. It helps him find the multidimensional nature of his characters. Reader, are you able to define the dimensions of your personality?

John enjoys the film industry. He said it changed him. “I didn’t realize how stressed I was when I would come out of a courtroom,” he said of his days when he practiced law. Now, he said, every day is slightly different and he looks forward to the new challenges. “I also have a very understanding wife who puts up with me and, what she calls, my weird hobby,” he said about Tina.

A memorable film for John was in 2013, when he was cast for the role of the Centers for Disease Control executive in Dallas Buyers Club. “I was cussed out for six hours by Matthew McConaughey,” he said. Then, he added with a laugh, “twenty-six times,” talking about the many retakes needed to get the right footage.

In 2015 he played beside Helen Mirren and Bryan Cranston in Trumbo. John played a banquet attendee. He said of his seasoned coworkers, he enjoyed meeting and learning from experienced actors. He also liked working with the director, Jay Roach. John said that after his time on Trumbo, he would beg to be in anything Roach directs. John appreciated the work involved in filming line by line and scene by scene. All of that is then compiled into the film we viewers watch. 

John said that Bryan Cranston can turn his character on and off in a second.  “He laughed and joked the whole time between takes.” He said of Cranston’s real-life persona, “He’s a good guy.” At one point, there was a break while the crew set up the next scene. John and Helen Mirren stood in the ballroom and talked. Just two actors getting to know each other during a pause in filming. “She was a joy to chat with,” John said. He later described Helen to his wife “as a really sweet lady”.  Later that day, he teasingly told Tina, “I’m in love with an older woman.” Tina responded with, “Pffft. She’s probably already forgotten your name.”  John thinks Tina was probably right.

John described his acting career as feast or famine. There are times he has a lot of projects. During one of my interview sessions, he had been on four sets in a ten-day period. Then there are dry spells in the casting calls. “When there is a lull. I start to get antsy,” he said. To continue to hone his craft, John enrolled in acting classes in Lafayette, Louisiana. He described it as an active film community that has been very helpful to him.  There, John met Rachel Whittle, a fellow actor, who John credits as one of his mentors and teachers.  Those connections also generated recommendations for other films.

When John started this acting journey, it was more out of curiosity. He just wanted to see where this new path would lead. He recognizes that the film industry is a fickle business and “there is no telling what I will be doing tomorrow,” he said. When he was working in law, John said that he would go fishing to “get away from people”. Now he has found more fulfillment in his life. “I don’t need to do that anymore,” he said. Where do you find your fulfillment in life, Reader?

Image description: John and Tina sitting on a huge rock with mountains in the background, Tina’s arms around John and both are holding each other’s hand and smiling; both wearing casual hiking pants and shirts, both wearing baseball-type hats, a backpack is propped near the rock.

One day, John observed a gentleman playing a guitar made out of a cigar box. John asked himself, “I wonder if I could do that.” He wanted to be able to play at least one song. He bought a kit and built the cigar box guitar. He started practicing two or three times a week. Within a month, he was able to play the old gospel song, “In Heaven Sitting Down” or as John describes, “I could get through the whole thing without too many flubs.” He also figured out the chords to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “Happy Birthday”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and one of my absolute favorites, “I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry.” John said he practices in his shop so he doesn’t subject his wife, Tina, to what he describes as “my bad picking.”  So, once again, John received his answer to the question, “I wonder if I could do that?”  He said, “I guess I can. Just not well.”

Image description: Instrument has square-shaped body and long neck with frets; John is holding the strings in a chord position; wearing a cream-colored shirt.

 In the past year, John and his wife Tina had to renovate a large portion of their home that was destroyed by August 2020’s Hurricane Laura. He also worked on repairs to his mother-in-law’s house. It has been a long grueling process. There aren’t enough contractors to go around because the need is so great. As well, when you find a good company to work with you, there is a long waiting list before they can start on your home. For those of you that follow John online, you’ve watched him do a lot of work on his own, and you hear about the months he waits for others to do the required construction.

Image description: Ceiling pieces, chunks of mud and debris strewn on the floor of their home; kitchen view in the background.

Yet, John’s social media also gives you a glimpse into the world of movies, television and make believe. In spite of the hurricane and pandemic setbacks, John’s acting career continues. Recently, he was on the set for the television show, – NCIS:Nola. He said, “They asked if I wanted to be part of the last three shoot days for the show’s final episode.” In his horizon, he wants to do more writing; he has been working on some film scripts. He also would like to learn photography. Albert Einstein once wrote, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” John C. Coffman’s curiosity feeds his approach to life. He questions, “I wonder if I can do that.” He says, “Sometimes I can’t. Sometimes I can. Sometimes I can, but not very well.  And that’s fine. Now I know.” We reach the end of this part of the blog, Reader, asking that question again – What is a theme, drive or approach that has been intertwined throughout your life?

Image description: Distance view looking down on a lot of people, cameras, small screen and street scene with cars and a gray truck; tall white cathedral in the background.

Last Month 

Last month you were introduced to Alex Herold, Alicia Searcy and Natalie Trevonne – three leaders in the fashion industry with a focus on inclusive fashion for everyone. Readers were moved by their stories.

Image description: Overlapping pictures of three women–Alex, (left wearing white jacket with dark shirt) Alicia, (middle, wearing colorful jacket with black, blues and purples and black dress with sparkly top) and Natalie (on right wearing white two-piece outfit, top is see-through with white mesh, pencil skirt) — in their professional surroundings.

Longtime Reader, Marie wrote: “I did not realize until I read one of your social media posts about people with disabilities, such as those in a wheelchair, needing adaptive clothing. You don’t realize what people need until you walk in their shoes.” Maria also talked about her own experience in fashion and ended with more comments about these three ladies: “All the ladies pressed beyond physical problems and knocked out barriers to their dreams. You wrote very well so that I could sense Alex’s frustration with Facebook concerning wheelchair and fashion ads being categorized incorrectly! I hope the media giants wake up to this problem!”

Faithful Reader, Susana said: Your story about Alicia, Alex and Natalie filled my heart with a sense of marvel and warm feelings. How inspiring… and again your questions… I never can finish your stories, because even when I shut down the computer, your insightful questions and striking phrases keep wandering in my mind and heart. For example: “My disability is not me”  How powerful this assessment is. How many times we ignore people, and do not address them directly, because of our own insecurities of not knowing how to relate and connect to them. ” I was the handicapped person who was ignored” Waoooo, this hit into the middle of my heart. I fully admire these three persons for their determination, courage and desire to live their lives at their best and with the purpose of serving others. Spashionista – How smart of Alicia to coin this name.

Bonita said – Debbie, I can’t wait to ask you all my fashion questions. I want to understand what it is like for you.

Special Announcement

 

Until next month, may peace be at your side,

Debbie Noel

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Debbie Noel
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Here is John’s social media contact information so you can follow him on Facebook or Instagram.

• On Facebook: www.facebook.com/john.c.coffman/ 
• On Instagram:  @john_c._coffman_actor