Biography

John Lyke is an American actor and filmmaker from Cheshire, Connecticut.

At the age of thirteen, John's life took an exciting turn when his neighbor, Emmy Award-winning Cinematographer Bruce Taylor, became his mentor.

Fast forward two decades, and John found himself as part of Todd Banhazl's Emmy-nominated cinematography team in 2022. The same HBO episode propelled John to a SOC Camera Operator of the Year nomination, sharing the honor with Sarah Levy, Dominic Bartolone, and Justin Cameron. But let's hit the rewind button to high school.

Despite his early industry exposure, seventeen-year-old John enrolled at Champlain College to earn a bachelor's degree in filmmaking. Reflecting on his college days, he shared, "I love learning, but college was for my Dad's happiness, and Champlain College was in Vermont where I could snowboard." John graduated as Valedictorian while simultaneously launching professional snowboarding and rollerblading careers.

He carried his professional athletic background into the film world where he stunt-doubled Adam Scott alongside Ben Stiller on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Since then he's stunt coordinated for Oscar-winning directors and Emmy-nominated shows.

John refers to himself as a filmmaker in every aspect of the meaning. He started video editing in 2003 on the first version of Adobe Premiere Pro, and since then has gone on to edit shows, commercials, and movies, for networks such as NBC, Hulu, and Netflix. He's written and created shows alongside Emmy-nominated writers and has won numerous awards for his directing of music videos, shorts, and commercials.

With acting credits that include Oscar-winning directors The Daniels and Emmy-nominated shows, John consistently praises Yale School of Drama's acting Professor Gregory Berger-Sobeck for refining his skills.

When asked about his preferred film career, John replied, "These days I tend to go with the flow and trust my gut. Recently I've really enjoyed the creative freedom that comes from rollerblade camera work because it feels like it draws from all my experience as a director, DP, stuntman, actor, and editor. But I can feel the pull towards directing, writing, and acting once more. I love exploring the relationship between money and happiness, and the everyday "hero" that each and every one of us are, the idea that kindness is all that matters in the end, and whether you're saving the world or watering houseplants, we are all equal, we're all one and I'm rambling because I get excited about those ideas. I'm really just going with the flow of life these days. I'm focusing less on my next job title and more on igniting my creativity while chasing fun and laughs. Laughs are my highest currency."
- IMDb mini biography by: Peter Bulkeley