Gary Lee Miller
Prior to Gary Lee Miller beginning his writing career, he was a successful businessman and entrepreneur. His writing is rooted in life experiences and people who have crossed his path in his life’s journey. He draws on his ability to translate his observations into very relatable stories by readers. His book Finding Grace has been recognized as the winner of 5 different national book awards, including the Literary Titan Silver Award, Southern California Book Festival Award, Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Firebird Book Award, and the Maincrest Media Book Award. Finding Grace has also been recognized internationally with the 2nd place award by the London Book Festival. Gary’s favorite hobby is occasionally acting in movies and TV and he has appeared in almost 3 dozen movie and TV shows, including “42”, Hunger Games-Catching Fire, Anchorman 2, Avengers-Endgame, MacGyver, and many others. He is listed in IMBD (Internet Movie Data Base).
Twitter: @garymillerbooks
Instagram: @findinggracebook
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
Yes, my favorite films are those that invoke strong emotions, whether it be laughter, sadness, inspiration, etc. There are a wide range of movies that fall into my “loved them” category, including Somewhere in Time, The Natural, Summer of ’42, Anchorman, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, and many others. For me, a successful film, or a book, is not only to entertain, but to also present the viewers/readers with substance that affects them on a personal level. In my book Finding Grace I created an enjoyable world for the reader in which they could join Judith for her cross-country journey home. My goal was to take the reader through that wide range of emotions, while presenting thought-provoking conversations between the characters that challenged the readers to evaluate their own life.
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
It’s funny. Growing up, my listening preferences were rock, but I do spend some time writing song lyrics (just lyrics, not the music) and when I do, they turn out to be best suited for country-music, which I heard a lot of with my parents and grandparents.
Yes, I do always listen to music when I write, as I’m doing right now. I have an almost 200 song Spotify playlist of the music my late wife and I loved that I play very low in the background when writing. I’ve tried writing in silence but when that playlist is on its remarkable how the words just flow. It’s like there’s an angel on my shoulder whispering in my ear, so I listen.
Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?
This may sound hokey, but I collect memories. In my life I’ve been blessed with “things” but they really mean nothing in the long run. Here’s a question I occasionally ask people. Think of your favorite memories. How many of those occurred when you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone? For most people, it’s the majority, so for those who are reading this, give it some thought, and allow yourself the luxury of pushing yourself outside the box. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing?
Since 2012, my favorite hobby is occasionally do some acting in movies and TV. I usually try to do 3 or 4 projects each year. It’s incredibly interesting to see the production process, then see the final product after the editing.
What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?
Yes, and what a fun story! When I was cast as a GNN newsroom reporter on Anchorman 2, I had to go to Atlanta for a wardrobe fitting. I mentioned to the casting director that I thought I might have something that could work, so she said to bring it with me. When I arrived I mentioned to the wardrobe supervisor that I had brought something might be appropriate for that era. She actually did an eye-roll, saying “Sure, go ahead and put it on.”. What she didn’t know was that I had a bright yellow sports jacket and matching yellow & green plaid golf slacks from that exact era that I had kept in the back of my closet, wearing them several times to costume parties for a laugh. When I walked out, she did a double-take. When she touched them, she said, “These are authentic aren’t they?”. I told her they were and their background. She said “They absolutely look brand new!”, to which I replied, “Hey, they’re all polyester, they’ll look like this 100 years from now!”. She laughed and stopped all the wardrobe fittings, calling the entire department over to see my wardrobe and hear the story. And yes, that was what I wore in my scene in Anchorman 2.
