The 4MIDABLE Writer

What this episode covers

Don Young has been a storyteller for decades - but that was never the plan.As a teenager, his dream was to be a professional hockey player. When that dream ended, a chance meeting with an actor led to a visit to a film set, which sparked an interest in taking acting classes from Eli Rill, a former associate of Lee Strasberg at his renowned Actors' Studio. Don believed the training would improve his sales presentations in his day job - but after just three months, Eli told him, “You should get an agent.”That led to small roles in television and film and eventually sparked an interest in writing television scripts. Despite having no formal training, Don taught himself to write screenplays using his mother's typewriter. A year later, Eli was so impressed with Don's dual talent that he encouraged him to move to Los Angeles, where Eli was relocating to work with Mr. Strasberg at The Actors Studio.Don quit his job and moved to Los Angeles, where, with Eli's support, he was cast in a play produced by Mr. Strasberg. The experience led to meeting legendary actresses Anne Bancroft and Shelley Winters and opened the door to life inside the entertainment industry.Don was signed by a literary agent, and his first writing job was for the iconic cartoon series Inspector Gadget. This was before email and computers were part of the writing process - production offices dispatched a taxi with a three-page episode outline to his apartment, and returned five days later to pick up the completed script.Determined to learn how films were made, Don worked as a featured extra on numerous Hollywood productions, observing performers such as Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett and Burt Reynolds from only a few feet away. That led to a memorable evening playing pool with Sammy Davis Jr. after "crashing" the entertainer's film wrap party at his Beverly Hills home.When Hollywood's changing landscape forced Don to reinvent himself, he chose an unexpected path. Despite never having written a novel, he developed “THE 4MIDABLES” as an action-adventure YA trilogy that has earned enthusiastic reviews from readers around the world.Don shares a unique perspective on storytelling, resilience, and reinvention. Whether discussing the Hollywood of the 1980s, the evolution of television writing, the creative process, independent publishing, or the lessons learned over a lifetime in entertainment, he brings humor, behind-the-scenes insights, and memorable real-life stories that leave audiences entertained and inspired.David is excited to share that this very podcast series he has created, The Human Journey – Your Story with David Hackett, has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Life Journey Podcasts on the web by the Million Podcasts panel.This list is the most comprehensive ranking of Life Journey Podcasts online, and they're honored to feature this journey among the best!Visit https://www.millionpodcasts.com/life-journey-podcasts/ to see this exciting news.

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