Biography

John Mese recently mounted a new one-man show: "The Story of me and my Dad," his follow up to: "Wild Son - The Testimony of Christian Brando" (by Champ Clark). Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright Beth Henley said, "John Mese is mesmerizing. A rare theatre experience where the magic shimmers." Mese holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Louisiana State University and has lived in Los Angeles or New York as a working actor for the past forty years. He has had recurring arcs opposite Mariska Harigitay, Ally Walker and Marlee Matlin. Mese has worked under the direction of Tom Hanks and Lili Zanuck on HBO's, "From the Earth to the Moon"... as well as with Steven Soderbergh in. "Winston," "Schizopolis" and on the Showtime TV series, "Fallen Angels." Mese has also been working as a writer, director, producer including all of the above on his new show about his own father that will be filmed live in Baton Rouge (November 2026). His screenplay, "Scrum" was picked as one of the TOP 50 out of over 4,000 entries in the very first Project Greenlight contest. He wrote/directed/acted in, "Perfect Day" which premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival in 2007. In 2013 John produced, was 1st A.D., and acted in, "King of Herrings" which premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival and won the coveted Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. John and his wife Dawn Kelsey launched their children's book company, "Flippy and Friends" with family friend and illustrator Chanler Holden nationwide in 2008. John received: "The Young Alumnus of the Year Award" from LSU in 2000. His favorite roles on stage include Brick in, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Hoss in, "The Tooth of Crime" by Sam Shepard, Kim in "Search and Destroy," Christian Brando in "Wild Son," and now himself and his father in "The Story..."
- IMDb mini biography by: Kelsey Rae

John was interviewed for the March, 2009 issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine about his and his wife's children's book company, "Flippy and Friends".

John Mese performed his one man show Wild Son: The Testimony of Christian Brando at Riddle's Court in the middle of the Royal Mile at the famed return of the 75th Anniversary Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland. August 15-20, 2022.