John Schneider of Dukes of Hazzard & Smallville on Filmmaking, Family, & Fighting Floods

The TV show Dukes of Hazzard turned John Schneider into a household name, and many still think of him as Bo Duke, the iconic character he played on it. To a younger generation, John Schneider is probably better known as Jonathan Kent, Superman’s dad, on Smallville.

John has also played recurring roles on shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Diagnosis Murder, Nip/Tuck, Dirty Sexy Money, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Currently he can be seen on the Oprah Winfrey Network in Tyler Perry’s show The Haves and the Have Nots, where he plays the menacing anti-hero Jim Cryer.

In addition to his work as an actor, John is also an accomplished musician. In the 80s, John had four hit singles that topped the country-music charts. After stepping away from the music industry for a few years John is back with a new album called Ruffled Skirts. Recorded in a flooded home, the album is a tribute to the resilient people of Southeast Louisiana who are fighting to rebuild their lives after the historic flooding in 2016.

John can relate in more ways than one. His John Schneider Studios flooded twice in the past year, but even before the flooding John learned a thing or two about resilience. In an often brutal industry known for one-hit wonders and crash-and-burn lifestyles, John has built a career that has lasted decades.

Not content to rest on his laurels, John is also hard at work as a filmmaker. Last year he released four films that he directed and is getting ready for year two of CineFlix Film Festival, which he puts on with his partner Alicia Allain. The two of them have a big dream  for how CineFlix can turn the film festival experience into a profitable one for filmmakers.

That’s dreamers helping dreamers dream. Not bean counters blessing your dream, and there’s a difference. For me, there’s a difference.” – John Schneider on the potential of the CineFlix Film Festival

John invited me to the John Schneider Studios to do an interview. There we discussed

• The inspiration he draws from Tyler Perry
• The impact that our fathers can have on our lives
• Why Johnny Cash was a different kind of Christian
• Techniques that anyone can use to improve his or her voice
• What his years of experience have taught him about filmmaking
• His new film-festival model and how he hopes it will transform the industry

The room where we did the interview was used for a church in one of John’s films, so is it any surprise that our conversation took a spiritual turn?!

Listen to the Episode

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I first met John when attending a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at John Schneider Studios.

• John Schneider Studios
• John Schneider on Twitter & IMDb
• The photos of John when he lost his dad
• I once did a monologue contest for actors with Laura Cayouette. John agreed to consider  our winner, Kelsey White, for future projects.

Films and TV Shows Discussed

• 91 Percent
• Anderson Bench 
• Dukes of Hazzard
• Hate Crime
• Inadmissible 
• Liberty Waning
• Like Son
• Road to Perdition
• A Salute To Honor, my favorite film from CineFlix 2016
• Smothered 
• Smallville
• The Haves and the Have Nots
• Vanilla Sky

Music Albums Discussed

• The Golden Hum – Remy Zero
• Ruffled Skirts – John Schneider and the Cajun Navy

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