Artist Spotlight
In this month’s artist spotlight we bring to you Daniel John Kearney...
For the Love of the Horror Craft
An Interview with Daniel John Kearney
By Edward Crossman
Actor and producer Daniel John Kearney has worked with some of the biggest names in independent horror, including legends like Sean Whalen and Felissa Rose. With a plethora of films already under his belt, and even more to come, including a premier screening of his newest flick, 'Grind', Kearney was a brilliant addition to the celebrity line up at the 2025 Hudson Valley Horror Fest. Catching him coming off a panel with fellow guests, including Genoveva Rossi and Hannah Fierman, I was given a chance to sit down with Kearney and shoot the shit about his work, his art, and what the hell a producer actually does.
Eddie Crossman: Okay, so I am sitting here with Daniel John Kearney, actor and producer, and we are here, today, at the 2025 Hudson Valley Horror Fest. What brought you to this event this year?
Daniel John Kearney: Well, I was a guest last year, and I was honored enough to be brought back this year. And what brought me here is that I just love, absolutely love meeting horror fans and people that are fans of my work, mutual friends work. And I just love talking with people and getting to know people.
EC: Awesome. You had a film premiere here, correct? What was it, and can you talk a bit about it?
DJK: 'Grind' premiered here. It's a film by director Mark Cantu, that was shot in Pittsburgh. It's getting very great responses. So, we're very excited about it. The screening yesterday went awesome. Has a little bit of something for everybody. And I really hope you check it out. It should be streaming by the middle to quarter three of next year, and please check it out. 'Grind'
EC: Is that on all platforms?
DJK: I'm sure it will be on all streaming platforms. Yes. He's also looking at a limited theatrical run as well.
EC: Great! So, you wear many hats as an actor and producer. When people hear producer, they think of some fat cat in a suit with a cigar shouting in an old timey 1940's voice, "Mehhh! Get it done, see!". What exactly does a producer actually do?
DJK: Okay, yeah, that's not me, hahaha. But, yeah, a producer has to wear many hats, and that goes from everything from locations to finances to casting to wardrobe. When you're on such an independent level, you have to have your hands in everything. So that's pretty much what I do. The producers work with the directors. It's a little bit different than mainstream. So, a lot of the producers work very hands on with directors and the line producers, and then we just make sure everything's in order as it gets up to principal photography. So, it's really anything you think about in the indie level, when you are a producer, you have to have your hands on everything to make sure that the process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible. But in later years, I've been more of just an actor, which is really my true passion, but I do have the business acumen to help out on the business side, too. So, that's kind of how I fall into the producer spot. Often.
EC: What got you into acting to begin with? Is this something that you've always done, always wanted to do?
DJK: I have always loved horror films. I've always wanted to be a part of horror films. Felissa Rose is a dear friend of mine. She's a Scream Queen legend. I'm sure you know her, and I've known her for about 11 years, and I went to so many horror cons growing up, I just started becoming friends with a lot of the legends in the horror genre. And I looked at Felissa eight years ago, and I said, you know, I really would love a chance, and can you get me some auditions and some business? And she got me in, and I got some auditions, and it just grew dramatically from there over the past eight or nine years. So, she's kind of been a mentor, and I owe so much to her, and I love her dearly. Always, no matter what.
EC: That's amazing and sweet to hear. So, nowadays, with technology, especially with camera phones and social media, everybody is an actor and a producer and director. How, as an independent actor and producer, a filmmaker, how does that effect you?
DJK: Well, I feel, and I've been asked that question before, and I feel that whatever I bring creatively to the table or any work that I've done... and now we have such an influx of technology for everybody to be able to do it.... I'm happy for it. You know, anybody's art, whether it's 30 seconds or 30 hours, whatever they're creating, it means something to them. And if it allows someone to connect with... again, if it's 30 seconds or 30 hours, it doesn't matter. If it brings joy and happiness to them and to the medium, then I'm all for it. I think it's a great thing, because something I might not find appealing, others may, or something I've done that people would not find appealing or creatively or didn't enjoy a film, others may. Yeah, others may love it. So, that's a great question. But I feel that whatever anybody does to get their creative juices flowing and make them happy and feel alive is a wonderful thing.
EC: So you're an artist doing art for art's sake?
DJK: Kind of, yeah, I love it. I'm all about it. Like I said, I am in love with acting. That is my true passion. I have a lot of films and posts, that I hope a lot of people resonate with, with my characters. But at the end of the day, I always use this inference, it's like when I used to walk into the VHS stores when I was a kid. ...I'm only, you know, I'm not that old, I'm only in my 30s, but I was lucky enough to grow up and have that experience of walking into a VHS store, and to walk in there and have that feeling. My main goal in my career is, I truly want to create, I guess you would say, create that feeling of wonder that you get walking into that VHS store. So if you come across a film I did, and it gives you that same feeling of happiness and joy and wonderment then I've done my job, and that's what I'm doing. I always say it's kind of like 'Moby Dick', hunting the white whale. I'm always looking to find that project that's going to resonate with everybody, and I just want to bring them happiness and escapism from the real world.
EC: Thank you. I appreciate the work and the art that you help create. It means a lot to a lot of people out there, and everybody here. It means a lot. You just premiered your latest movie, 'Grind'. Do you have any that you working on now? Do you have anything in the pipeline?
DJK: Working on tons of stuff in the pipeline.
EC: Anything you can talk about?
DJK: Some secret stuff. But I do have a project I'm doing called 'Shiver' in New England that I'm an actor on. I'm producing a film called 'The Slab', that I'm also an actor in. That shoots in October. I'm doing a movie called 'Reunion from Hell 3' with Hayden Newman. And then, I am directing my first feature in June of 2026. That's a secret project that's going to be announced soon, with an amazing cast coming on board.
EC: Awesome! Can't wait to see those. What's your social medias?
DJK: Social media, yes! Please, please, please, if you'd like to follow me on Instagram, I'm @DJKhorror_historian, or you can just type in Daniel John Kearney. I love to connect with fans of the genre, or people that just like the medium, or are starting out in film. You have any questions or need any help or love or support, or if you are looking for an actor, I love to work with everybody, and I love to hear from you all, so just reach out.
EC: Were you a theater kid growing up?
DJK: No, no. I'm terribly shy. I could never do theater, ever. I have such respect for theater actors, I could never.
EC: Let me ask you this: I've been to some shoots and acting, it's really awkward. You're doing some really weird stuff in front the crew. How do you get through that awkwardness of all those people staring at you?
DJK: That's the thing. I could never do it in theater, and I have so much respect for theater actors, because what you just said, I could never do. But in regards to film, I get myself in a head space. I kind of become that character. Kind of method, in a way. And the way I get in my head space is I'll read a script all the way through to make sure I really like the content, but then I'll really just focus on my character so all the peripheral stuff doesn't skew the stuff I'm not supposed to know about. So I can just become my character. And once I know people are around, people are watching me, I know I'm there to do a job, I'm there to become this person. So once I'm on set, I am that character from the moment I walk through the door. So that's how I get into the head-space. So, even though I'm kind of shy in life and stuff like that, when I'm there, I'm there to do something and I'm going to deliver it as best as possible.
EC: Just ignore the cameraman, ignore the light guy, ignore everyone staring?
DJK: That's not even a thing. That's not even happening. I'm in this. This is real life, and at that moment it's happening. I'm not shooting a movie. I'm someone that's there, and I'm in the moment. And I just want to bring it.
EC: That's awesome. Well, I really appreciate you sitting down with us here at Black Noise Magazine. I appreciate you showing up to the 2025 Hudson Valley Horror Fest. This was an awesome event. I had a great time talking to you.. You had a great panel, and dude, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
DJK: Thank you, so much. God bless you. Thank you, so much.
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