Kent Moran
Encyclopedia
Kent Moran is an American
film
actor
and writer
/director best known for his role in the film Listen to Your Heart.
, New York
. His parents are Fred and Joan. His younger brother Luke Moran is also an actor. Kent was raised in New York, Connecticut
, and New Jersey
. He is an alumnus of Rye County Day School and Lehigh University
, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California
.
and music
professionally. For the year that Moran was in New York, he was one of the lead singers of an R&B group as well as a singer/songwriter. Moran's first movie role came in playing a football player in Julie Taymor
's Across the Universe
. He then was cast as James Dean
in Guy Guido's documentary
Icons. After doing several commercials, short films, and a small role on As the World Turns
, Moran decided to move to Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, Moran studied under numerous acting coaches, including Suzanne Kent, founder of the Groundlings. Moran was cast as James Dean
twice more: once in an Armstrong Flooring advertising campaign, which is featured on The Ads of the World website, and again in a European Mercedes GLK commercial cast by Vickie Thomas. Moran also landed another small role on The Bold and the Beautiful
.
In 2008, after the writer's strike
, Moran started Wishing Well Pictures, an independent film production company
. Soon after, he wrote Listen to Your Heart, which became Wishing Well Pictures' debut film. It was also Moran's debut starring role in a movie and his first time as a producer
and second unit director. Moran also wrote the original music and score
for the movie which can be found on the soundtrack
. Listen to Your Heart became one of the first movies ever to screen outside in the middle of Times Square
as part of the New York City International Film Festival, where Moran was nominated for Best Actor. Listen to Your Heart went on to win fifteen awards at film festival
s across the country and was distributed through Warner Brothers, Gravitas Ventures, and Osiris Entertainment.
Moran wrote and directed several short films in between his features. In 2011, Moran was cast in one of the lead roles in Regret, a psychological thriller
shot in Portugal
. Kent is developing Wishing Well Pictures' next features while continuing to work as a film actor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
/director best known for his role in the film Listen to Your Heart.
Personal life
Moran was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His parents are Fred and Joan. His younger brother Luke Moran is also an actor. Kent was raised in New York, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He is an alumnus of Rye County Day School and Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Career
In 2006, Moran moved to New York City to pursue actingActing
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
professionally. For the year that Moran was in New York, he was one of the lead singers of an R&B group as well as a singer/songwriter. Moran's first movie role came in playing a football player in Julie Taymor
Julie Taymor
Julie Taymor is an American director of theater, opera and film. Taymor's work has received many accolades from critics, and she has earned two Tony Awards out of four nominations, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, an Emmy Award and an Academy Award nomination for Original Song...
's Across the Universe
Across the Universe (film)
Across the Universe is a musical romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor, produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film's plot is centered around songs by The Beatles. It was released in the United States on October 12, 2007. The script is based on an original...
. He then was cast as James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
in Guy Guido's documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
Icons. After doing several commercials, short films, and a small role on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, Moran decided to move to Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, Moran studied under numerous acting coaches, including Suzanne Kent, founder of the Groundlings. Moran was cast as James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
twice more: once in an Armstrong Flooring advertising campaign, which is featured on The Ads of the World website, and again in a European Mercedes GLK commercial cast by Vickie Thomas. Moran also landed another small role on The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
.
In 2008, after the writer's strike
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
, Moran started Wishing Well Pictures, an independent film production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
. Soon after, he wrote Listen to Your Heart, which became Wishing Well Pictures' debut film. It was also Moran's debut starring role in a movie and his first time as a producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and second unit director. Moran also wrote the original music and score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for the movie which can be found on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. Listen to Your Heart became one of the first movies ever to screen outside in the middle of Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
as part of the New York City International Film Festival, where Moran was nominated for Best Actor. Listen to Your Heart went on to win fifteen awards at film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s across the country and was distributed through Warner Brothers, Gravitas Ventures, and Osiris Entertainment.
Moran wrote and directed several short films in between his features. In 2011, Moran was cast in one of the lead roles in Regret, a psychological thriller
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
shot in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Kent is developing Wishing Well Pictures' next features while continuing to work as a film actor.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Across the Universe Across the Universe (film) Across the Universe is a musical romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor, produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film's plot is centered around songs by The Beatles. It was released in the United States on October 12, 2007. The script is based on an original... |
Football Player American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
|
| 2010 | Without Jill (short) | Writer, producer, and director] | |
| 2010 | Down on the Ground (short) | Adam | Producer, director, writer, actor |
| 2010 | Catch (short) | Executive Producer | |
| 2010 | Listen to Your Heart | Danny | Actor, writer, producer, composer, Second Unit Director Nominated - Best Actor, New York City International Film Festival |
| 2012 | Regret | Patrick |
| Year | Title | Role | | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Sopranos The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads... |
Party Goer | Episode: Johnny Cakes |
| 2007 | As the World Turns As the World Turns As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light... |
Dorm Guy | Episode #1.12948 |
| 2007 | The Bold and the Beautiful The Bold and the Beautiful The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987.... |
Room Service Waiter | Episode 1.5185 |
Awards
| Year | Group | Award | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Action On Film International Film Festival Action On Film International Film Festival The Action On Film International Film Festival, aka The AOF Fest, aka Action On Film Festival is a film festival that was started in Long Beach, California in 2005 by writer, producer, director Del Weston. The film festival was originally part of the Long Beach International Martial Arts... |
Screenwriting Screenwriting Screenwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is a freelance profession.... (Alan J. Bailey Award) |
Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Action On Film International Film Festival | Best Picture | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Action On Film International Film Festival | Best Produced Screenplay Screenplay A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated... |
Nominated | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Daytona Beach Film Festival | Audience Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Fort Lauderdale Film Festival | Audience Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... International Film Festival of Hollywood |
Best Narrative Feature (Merit Award) | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... International Film Festival |
People's Choice | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | North Country North Country -Locations:North America*The extreme northern regions of the continental United States, bordering Canada **North Country Trail, a long-distance foot trail... Film Festival |
Audience Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Offshoot Film Festival | Best Overall Film | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Rhode Island International Film Festival Rhode Island International Film Festival Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a 501 non-profit... |
Audience Award - Best Feature | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Salem Salem, Massachusetts Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County... Film Festival |
Best Drama | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Temecula Valley International Film Festival Temecula Valley International Film Festival Temecula Valley International Film Festival is a film festival held in Temecula Valley, California.Begun September 1995 and held every September since, it is a celebration Film and Music. It drew 600 attendees in 1995 and more than 20,000 in 2008... |
Audience Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2010 | Withoutabox Withoutabox Withoutabox was a website founded in January of 2000 by David Straus, Joe Neulight and Charles Neulight which created technology to allow independent filmmakers to self-distribute their films. The first product launched was the International Film Festival Submission system. Withoutabox works with... Written Word Award |
Best New Writer | Nominated | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2011 | Amelia Island Amelia Island Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,... Film Festival |
Audience Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2011 | Fallbrook Fallbrook, California Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census.... Film Festival |
Audience Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |
| 2011 | Lake Arrowhead Lake Arrowhead, California Lake Arrowhead is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, within the San Bernardino National Forest, adjacent to Lake Arrowhead Reservoir... Film Festival |
Music and Magic of Movies Award | Winner | Listen to Your Heart |