Ryan Curtis is no stranger to We Are The Mighty, from hosting his entertaining series “Oscar Mike” to running a marathon for Team USO. The Army veteran has paid his dues as a filmmaker and is ready to celebrate with his debut feature film, “Hollywood Grit.”
“When his daughter vanishes from a scandalous Hollywood jazz club, a disgraced detective must battle mobsters, starlets, and his own demons to unearth the sinister truth lurking behind LA’s neon lights.” – Official Synopsis
“Hollywood Grit” follows Mitchel “Grit” Thorn (Max Martini, “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi”), a once-respected private investigator whose life and career have unraveled. When his estranged daughter — a jazz singer at a notorious Hollywood club — goes missing, Thorn dives deep into the grim annals of the city and his own dark past to get her back. It’s a story of redemption while also packing in atmospheric tension and a heaping of fun.
It’s a Ryan Curtis project, after all.
Curtis is the director and co-writer, along with long-time collaborator Kristina Denton. Together, the two bring dark humor and clever action sequences to the screen.
“Hollywood Grit invites you to experience Los Angeles as both dream and nightmare — where every promise comes with a price, and every shadow hides another secret,” lures the official website for the film.
You can bet there will be complex characters, some unexpected turns, and plenty of wry humor and heart.
What’s great about Curtis as a filmmaker and leader is not just his talent or eye for fun; he’s also a great advocate for the military community within the entertainment industry. In “Hollywood Grit,” Curtis hired over fifty veterans in front of and behind the camera, from the gaffer to the onscreen talent, including another favorite collaborator of his, U.S. Navy SEAL David B. Meadows.
“It’s important to me to help new folks come up, and also I like to find people who are really good at their jobs, and military veterans are able to take all the stress and craziness that is movie-making, and they’ll make the best of it,” Curtis told We Are The Mighty.
Additional cast members include Tyrese Gibson (“Furious 7”), Linda Purl (“Mighty Joe Young”), Patrick Duffy (“Step by Step”), Nikki Howard (“Cotton Candy Bubble Gum”), Linc Hand, (“42”) David B. Meadows (“Walker”), Caylee Cowan (“Frank and Penelope”), Benito Martinez (“9-1-1 Lone Star”), and Ysabela Espinosa.
In addition to employing military veterans within the cast and crew, a portion of the proceeds from “Hollywood Grit” will be donated directly to Veterans in Media & Entertainment (VME), a non-profit organization that provides essential resources and support for vets pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.
“Hollywood Grit” opens in select theaters nationwide starting Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.
