A note from the Writer and Lead Actor

John T. O'Brien

I'm a writer, an actor and most importantly, a father to the coolest daughter you can imagine.  All of these things converged in the creation of DAD MAN WALKING. It's a story that was inspired by my personal experiences and the obstacles I've faced balancing the life of an artist and a damn good dad. This story challenges traditional gender roles and biases while exploring parenthood from every angle. As parents everyone wants to be the perfect role model with all the right answers. We also want to be individuals with our own hopes and desires. We're gonna have some fun with that because we're all fallible beings and we do the best we can to raise great kids. 

DAD MAN WALKING is about a great father who is very capable of messing things up. I am very proud of this story and I cannot wait to bring it to life for you to enjoy. 

A note from the Director

Clare Cooney

I’m thrilled to be directing DAD MAN WALKING. Being a director and casting director, it should come as no surprise that I adore working with actors. Creating a dream-team cast, shaping the world of the series, and getting to collaborate and play with stellar actors is something that I love doing, and I feel lucky to be able to do so on this project. 

I just finished directing my first short film, RUNNER, a tense drama that is currently in the festival circuit. I was so excited to dive into the challenge of directing someone else’s work, particularly because the tone and topic of this piece is a change of pace from my first film. I found John’s story—juggling being an artist, a single guy trying to maintain a sense of self, and, most importantly, a full-time dad with sole custody of his daughter—to be really unique, funny, and moving. I like stories that turn expectations on their heads, and the fact that John—this attractive, charismatic, artist type—secretly has a very full, complicated, unexpected family life, immediately interested me in his story. We can’t wait to share it with you!

The Music

The Quin Kirchner Group will generously provide the soundtrack with music from the critically acclaimed album, THE OTHER SIDE OF TIME.  Quin has become a ubiquitous drumming force throughout the city's diverse music scene.  Peter Margasak of the Chicago Reader calls THE OTHER SIDE OF TIME “The first great jazz album of 2018.” Quin and John have been friends since playing music together in high school garage bands.

Chicago

We couldn’t think of a better backdrop for this story, than our hometown, Chicago. With the city’s tumultuous history and vibrant arts community, Chicago is a character within itself.  It’s a city of extremes and multiple personalities, yet it’s the one place where the concrete grind converges with divine sky scrapers, where dingy tunnels serve as concert halls to brilliant musicians, and despite its fast pace and smog, you’ll find the most passionate, down-to-earth individuals.  We have major Chicago pride and we think audiences will fall in love with this city as much as its residents have.