John Thompson Gulager Bio (Wiki)

Who is John Thomson Gulager?

John Thompson Gulager is an award-winning cinematographer and movie director.

As Director of Photography, John Thompson Gulager is involved in all the technical aspects of soundtracking and music.

He is lovingly addressed by his nick, ‘Johnny Gluegun’ by his peers and colleagues

John is an actor, movie editor, singer, and voice-over too.

He is well known for his Gothic, or rather Gulager-Esque, gore and horror-filled cinematography that he experiments with his movies.

It is characteristic of John and his legendary family who are directors of horror movies, the Gulagers.

As an actor, one of his characterizations is that of a psychologist in the movie ‘He Was a Quiet Man’.

He is the office psychologist who watches Bob from the sidelines. The antagonist and lead actor is Christian Slater, who is in the part of Bob Mcconnell.

As of 2019, John has scored a feather in his technical cap as Best Director in ‘Piranha 3DD’, and ‘Feast’.

The most productive collaborators for the movie, ‘Feast’ are Danielle Panabaker, Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan, Matt Bush, and Chris Zylka.

John Thomson Gulager- Birth Age, Early Life

John Gulager was born John Thompson Gulager on December 9, 1957, in New York City in New York, USA.

He is the son of William Martin ‘Clu’ Gulager and Miriam Byrd-Nethery Gulager, and they belong to the Danish-Native Cherokee American ancestry.

John has the performing arts in his veins. His ancestors belonged to the arts and performing arts.

More about John Thompson Gulager’s family:

His great-grandfather Christian Gulager came from Denmark in the 18th Century.

Christian was commissioned to paint a portrait of one of the early presidents of America, George Washington.

Paternal Grandfather- John Delancy Gulager of Holdenville, Oklahoma was a vaudevillian who worked with George M. Cohan.

John Sr. later settled down to practice law in nearby Muskogee, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Paternal Grandmother- Martha Schrimsher Gulager was the sister of Mary Scrimshaw.

Mary is Will Roger’s mother. This makes John Sr. and Will Rogers’ first cousins once removed.

Will Rogers was a cowboy philosopher, actor, journalist, and political wit the Cherokee Nation had ever seen.

Will’s legacy is celebrated in his hometown annually with rodeo and vaudeville shows.

John’s father William Martin ‘Clu’ Gulager is too is an award-winning renowned director and television and movie actor.

Clu Gulager was born on November 16, 1928, in Holdenville, Oklahoma. Clu is a native Cherokee name.

Clu received credit for his performance as The Kid, in the 1960-62 television series about the American outlaw, ‘Billy The Kid’. Clu’s first major role in movies was in Don Siegel’s 1964 movie ‘The Killers’.

Other memorable movies include ‘McQ’ opposite John Wayne; as Sam in the 1984 movie ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’; in the 2005 zombie movie and its sequels ‘Feast’, and the critically acclaimed 2015 movie ‘Tangerine’.

In 1966, Clu Gulager received a Bronze Wrangler Award for the television series ‘The Virginian’.

He was nominated for the 1969 Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘A Day With the Boys’, and a Saturn Award in 1986 for ‘Hunter’s Blood’.

Fans lovingly call Clu Gulager the ‘Cowboy Entertainer’, just as they did his cousin Will Rogers.

Clu Gulager finished his education at Baylor University in Waco and received a one-year scholarship to study in France.

There Clu worked under Jean Louis Barrault. Jean-Louis Barrault is an internationally known French actor and director.

He introduced Clu to the ‘Theatre du Grand Guignol in Pigalle, France, and thus into the heart of dramatized and ghoulish French horror.

Clu also served the country from 1946-48 in the United States Marine Corps.

He was stationed at Camp Pendleton at the time.

John’s mother Miriam Byrd-Nethery Gulager was another acclaimed actor. Miriam was born on May 17, 1929, in Lewisville, Arkansas, USA, Miriam’s television roles include the 1981 ‘Charlie’s Angels’ as Flo Bartlett, and the 1979 episode ‘The Dukes of Hazzard: Double Sting’ as Rose Ellen.

She appeared in the 1990 movie ‘Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III’ as Mama Sawyer.

One of Miriam’s final appearances was in the 2006 short movie, ‘Vic’ where she was Mary Kay.

John recalls that his father Clu and mother Miriam were terrified of the idea of their two sons, John and Tom having anything to do with movies.

Clu, in fact, says that ‘actors (and actresses) chew you up’!

Miriam Byrd-Nethery died in Los Angeles on January 6, 2003, at age 73 of cancer.

Up until the day Miriam died, Clu and Miriam trained aspiring newcomers in the art of ghoulish drama in their movie studio ranch.

Clu stays fully occupied in his studio ranch with trainees.

John’s younger brother Tom Christian Gulager is another acclaimed actor and movie director in the family.

Tom Christian Gulager was born on July 21, 1965, in Los Angeles County in California.

Tom features regularly in all of his brother’s cinematographic endeavors in ghoul-ism. He acted prominently in most of John’s movies under the ‘Feast’ banner.

His first movie was the 1998 ‘Gunfighter’ as Jimmy, the Rider-Hustler at Bar 20.

In the 2008 and 2009 movies Feast II’ and ‘Feast III’, he is Greg Swank.

Then he appears as the Prison Guard in the 2011 movie ‘White Knight’, and in the 2009 movie ‘The Collector’.

These movies are some of Tom’s note-worthy performances.

John Thomson Gulager- Professional Career in Cinematography

Since 1969, John is professionally active in the movie industry as a cinematographer.

As a cinematographer and/or the DP, the director of photography, John oversees the camera and light crews who work on the shoot and any other live-action.

He is responsible for all the artistic and technical decisions related to the image or the scene.

The reason behind his nick ‘Johnny Gluegun’ is something to guffaw.

Sage Stallone nicked him ‘Johnny Gluegun’ because each time one of his equipment like the camera, lens and such nicked and broke down the way they do, John whips up some hot glue and puts his equipment together.

In addition, it works every single time.

John sums up his job as a cinematographer in the words of another well-known cinematographer.

He says that a cinematographer is a visual psychiatrist. He moves the audience with the cinematography that he paints.

He paints pictures in the dark and makes the viewer react to the whim of the all-knowing director.

His skill as a Cinematographer is seen in the following movies and series.
2002, The Poet Writes His Wife
2005, Vic
2005, video La Lucha: The Struggle
John the Movie Director
2005, Feast
2008, Feast II: Sloppy Seconds
2009, Feast III: The Happy Finish
2012, Piranha 3DD
2013, Zombie Night
2018, Children of the Corn: Runaway

Category Voice-over-‘He Was a Quiet Man’- The Movie. John is the Voice-over for the not-so-fish-like pet fish, Goldie.

John Thomson Gulager – The Actor, 17 Credits

In the 2007 movie ‘He Was a Quiet Man’, John is the protagonist Maurice Gregory.

He is cast against the lead antagonist, Christian Slater. As an actor, John’s credits include-
2019, Post Production, The Exterminator in Utero,
2018, The Assessor, Hellraiser: Judgment (Video)
2017, Driver #1, Dances with Werewolves
2015, Mr. Johnson III, Whispers
2015, Shower Head, Tangerine
2013, Territorial (Short)
2012, Agent Gulager, The Collection
2010, Man in Elevator, The Candidate (Short)
2010, X ray, Ashes
2010, unaccredited, Nico Vega: Gravity (Video short)
2008, Man on Bridge, Pulse 2: Afterlife (Video)
2007, Television Evangelist, Broke Sky
2007, Goldie / Maurice Gregory, He Was a Quiet Man
2005, Man on television and crew members, Feast
2005, Himself, TV series Project Greenlight 3
2002, Dylan Thomas, The Poet Writes His Wife (Short)
1999, Rustler, Gunfighter
1999, Santa Claus, Palmer’s Pick-Up
1998, Rustler, Ballad of a Gunfighter the TV title
1969, Boy, A Day with the Boys (Short)

The Makings of a Winner- The Challenge

Bravo chronicled John Thompson Gulager as the Winner of ‘Project Greenlight’.

Thereafter Miramax and Dimension through Neo Art and Logic financed John’s first studio movie ‘Feast’.

It was John’s debut direction and he had seventeen producers to live up to. Moreover, they wrangled with everything that happened on the sets.

Some of the producers included Wes Craven, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck.

The Maloof family helped finance some of the production, and Joel Soisson and Mile Leahy supported John in more ways than one.

Added to the wrangling of these 17 producers were daily challenges. First, John faced an assortment of purse-strings related budgetary woes.

Then there was the stubborn movie crew that would have put the mutineers of the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ to shame.

Additionally, John’s casting agent was insidiously planning to bring her friend and supplant him.

Moreover, production slip-ups gave him nightmares during the day.

Additionally, there was a bomb scare, along with, now get this- a drunk actress to boot.

Thanks to his wife Diane Ayala’s emotional support and his father, Clu Gulager’s presence, John stayed focused.

In this way, John kept his head above water. He stoically completed the direction of the horror and gore fest ‘Feast’ on time.

John the director had arrived! It was his time.

John’s beloved wife Diane Ayala recalls in an interview, that all the 17 producers were supportive of John in their own way.

However, Matt Damon was more affectionate towards John than the other producers.

Matt Damon’s empathy was all that John needed. It strengthened his resolution to be the best director possible.

Director John T. Gulager 8 Credits

Besides working as a cinematographer, John is now a fully established a movie director.

The release of ‘Children of the Corn: Runaway’ makes this abundantly clear.

As a director, some of John’s movies of note are-
2019, Pre-production, Dead Friends Forever
2018, Children of the Corn: Runaway (Video)
2013, Zombie Night (TV Movie)
2012, Piranha 3DD
2009, Feast III: The Happy Finish (Video)
2008, Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (Video)
2005, Feast
2005, Project Greenlight TV Series
2005, Bridging the Gap

The Movie Editor John T. Gulager 3 Credits

As part of his professional experience, John debuted with the 2006 short movie ‘Vic’ as a movie editor.

The other movies he edited are the 2018, ‘Children of the Corn: Runaway’, and the 2012 movie ‘Moments’.

John T. On Soundtrack 2 Credits

John’s ever-expanding portfolio includes his work in soundtracks.

Some of them are as the writer and performer of the soundtrack ‘Bartender Dad’ and ‘Forgive Me Tuffy, for the 2005 horror movie ‘Feast’.

John is the writer of the soundtrack ‘Love Hunter’ and ‘Fish Hunter’ for the 2012 movie about nature’s predator ‘Piranha 3DD’.

Director of Photography, Camera, Electrical Department 2 Credits

Another skill that John is now experienced in is that of the Camera and Electrical Department.

These too are a part of cinematography.

The movies given here are proof of his additional knowledge and skill:
2018, Children of the Corn: Runaway, Video, Super 8 cinematography.
2009, The Collector, as an additional director of photography.

In the Sound Department 1 Credit

John’s additional technical responsibility is in the sound department.

He is an accredited sound-recorder for the 2007 recording of ‘Willoughby’.

The Persona John Lent ‘He Was a Quiet Man’

John expresses himself through the persona of his character- human or otherwise.

For example in the movie, ‘He Was a Quiet Man’, he is in a dual role.

In one role, John is Goldie, the pet goldfish that the lead actor and antagonist, Bob Maconel keeps at his suburban home.

Bob Maconel, played by Christian Slater is a neurotic office worker, who is inwardly angry at the whole wide world, and plans to destroy anyone and anything that interferes with his self-pity.

On the outside, he is a cowering worm, the kind of person better left alone.

Moreover, to make matters worse, in the quiet of his own home, he hears his pet Goldfish taunt him as it goes round and round in its fishbowl.

Here, John as the pet Goldfish brings out the worst in Bob McConnell.

John the actor is the voice of the pet goldfish. Goldie goads its owner to do things that only a fish can, from-the-inside-looking-out kinda’ sorta’ thing.

To summarize it up, the character Bob Maconel is in fact, the persona of John Gulager, a real person, a living, breathing individual.

John lent Bob his persona and watches him unravel slowly.

Such is the power that John wields over his actors when they are on the sets. Christian Slater has indeed done justice to John’s persona.

The cast includes Christian Slater as Bob Maconel, Elisha Cuthbert as Vanessa Parks, William H. Macy as Gene Shelby, Sasha Knopf as Paula, John Gulager in two roles, one of which is in the role of the pet goldfish Goldie, and Jamison Jones as Scott Harper.

Frank A. Cappello is the director of ‘He Was a Quiet Man’.

In addition, yes spoiler alert- it has two endings- take your pick.

John Thompson Gulager- The Person

There are times when John expresses his appreciation through documentaries.

Here are some Special Thanks Documentaries that received 5 Credits.
2016, American Conjuring, Special thanks
2010, The Psycho Legacy, Video documentary, Special thanks
2008, One for the Fire: The Legacy of ‘Night of the Living Dead’, Special thanks
2006, Sundance 2006, TV, Special thanks
2005, Jacqueline Hyde, Video, Special thanks

Self-Expression by John T. Gulager- Self Accredited

These short series are documentaries containing John’s self-expression.

In the performing arts, not everything is about to show and tell. Sometimes the artist resorts to self-expression.

Here Gulager appears as himself or with a guest.
-Into the Dark: Exploring the Horror Film, post-production
– The 50 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen, TV Movie, 2014
-Up Close with Carrie Keagan, TV Series, 2012
-Episode dated 1 June 2012
-Ain’t It Cool with Harry Knowles, TV Series, 2012
– PIRANHAS & GORE, 2012
-Inside Horror, V Series, 2012
– Animal Attacks, 2012
-Made in Hollywood, TV Series, 2012
– Episode #7.28, 2012
-This Week in Horror, TV Series, 2011
– Franchise Destination, 2011
-Attack of the Show! TV Series, 2006
-Episode dated 22 September 2006
-Project Greenlight, TV Series, 2005
-It’s a Wrap, 2005
-Vegas, Baby, 2005
-Finale, 2005
-Redemption, 2005
-One Week to Wrap, 2005
-Halloween…The Happy Haunting of America! 1977

John Thompson Gulager & Diane Ayala Goldner- Partners in Reel Life and Real Life

John and Diane are teamed up for life since the day they got married in 1986.

This is a rarity given the I-want-it-and-I-want-it now kinda-sorta environment we live in.

John’s father and Diane Ayala’s father-in-law, Clu Gulager is a very much in-demand patriarch and movie directors.

After his wife died, Clu provides the glue to John’s and Diane’s relationship and everything else that matters to the family.

Diane features in her husband’s numerous artistic endeavors.

Some of them are in the 1998 movies Honeymoon’ as Laura; in the 2003 movie ‘Adam’s Apocalypse’ as the Boss; in the ‘Feast’ series as Harley Mom and Biker Queen; in the 2012 ‘Stay at Home Dad’ as Dr. Kravitz, and as Mrs. Dawkins in ‘Children of the Corn: Runaway’.

Diane sees John’s artistic cinematography as ‘Gulageresque’, instead of horror-esque and gore-esque, or maybe even Gothic-esque! She even jokes about their movie estate and movie academy as ‘Gulagerville’.

John Thompson Gulager –Awards

In 2005, Gulager was honored with the Best Director Award at the Fantastic Fest for ‘Feast’.

He is the Winner of the 2011 series Project Greenlight.

What is John Thompson Gulager’s net worth?

John has a net worth of $1.5 Million in the US as of 2023.

His earnings as a cinematographer are $80 K US and more.

John T. Gulager is the acclaimed Best Director, and these numbers are based on credits from 5 movies.

It has a worldwide aggregate at $7,221,668, and his box office rank is at #2,797.

The breakdown is as follows-

Top Grossing Director, Domestic Box Office- $427,035
Top Grossing Director, International Box Office- $6,794,633
Top Grossing Director, Worldwide Box Office- $7,221,668

John’s Highest Rated movies are the 2015 movie Tangerine at 96%. His Lowest Rated movie is Piranha 3DD at 14%.