Justin Wheelon, Four Time Emmy Nominated Actor, Talks Atlanta Braves Baseball

Athletes dream of being actors and actors dream of being athletes, yet few of either profession actually get to perform the other profession, respectively.  However, four time Emmy Award-Nominee Actor and huge Atlanta Braves fan Justin Wheelon actually has lived out his dream (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4328139/).

In between Justin’s busy schedule of acting, directing and producing, he took time to sit down with Tomahawk Take and talk about what he is working on, how he is bringing Southern City to life and his experience with Kevin Costner.

You can catch Justin in “Southern Comfort”, “The Maddening Descent”, “Love, Pride and Other Nonsense”, along with an episode of “Homeland” and an upcoming project directed by James Franco.  He has received eight International Telly Awards, has produced two Super Bowl commercials and will be producing two more for the 2015 game.  However, Justin also brings his passion of acting, directing and producing in his company Southern City.

A few years ago, Justin was at Sundance, in Park City, Utah, and began talking to a man in a coffee shop.  This man explained to Justin how he lived in the small town, yet there was no way he could actually have a project submitted to Sundance because he did not have the budget, or clout, to compete with the ‘big boys’.  From this tiny conversation, Southern City, was born to accommodate the ‘rest of the people’ who have dreams of creating a project and being recognized in their own sense.

What started as a dream and passion for Justin has grown to the development of an Institute for the average Joe to learn different roles in film, a full scale Production House for those needing a project to be completed, as well as a putting on a Film Festival in October of 2015 for anyone to submit their project and be recognized.

Seems as if Justin has the acting down pat, so you ask – “How has he completed the dual role of also playing sports?”

Born in 1987 in Augusta, GA, Justin grew up with a love of the home state team, the Atlanta Braves.  He played t-ball and was a pretty good player when comparing to the other children his age.  During the same time Justin was growing up, the Braves were in their prime – the 1990’s.

Justin admired several players on those teams – John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Fred McGriff – but leaned to the one guy we all know as ‘Chipper’.  Larry “Chipper” Jones quickly became Justin’s favorite player as a child.  He would go to Turner Field and cheer Chipper on, as well as always making sure that when the school book fair was going on, he purchased a Chipper Jones poster.

With Justin’s career in acting, directing and producing taking off, he has little time to fully engage in his alter career of baseball, however, he this past summer he pulled the ultimate prize for any baseball lover by being invited to play baseball with actor Kevin Costner at the “Field of Dreams” 25th Anniversary reunion.

Although Justin had not picked up a baseball glove in a few years, he stayed close with former MLB Players Glendon Rusch and Bret Saberhagen, so when the invite came to play with them and Costner at the reunion, Justin jumped on the chance.

When Justin saw the line-up for the game, he was slotted in the clean up spot.  Thinking, “Oh boy, I am hitting behind Costner”, he had some pretty big shoes that would have to come through.  Keeping calm demeanor in place, Justin came through each time up to bat, getting on base and producing RBI’s for his team.  Personally, I have to think he produced in a big way for his team since Chipper was his favorite player and always produced big for the Braves as well, including key times and in the clutch.

It would be nice to be able to have both careers of being a top actor and top athlete, but after the game on the “Field of Dreams” field, Justin realized how much fun he had, but that his full time job was concentrating on his acting, Southern City and the Film Festival that will be here in just under a year.  Check out Southern City’s site, (http://www.southerncity.org/), and become apart of a dream and passion of Justin’s.

Once the 2015 Braves season starts, you can guarantee Justin will work in a few games of his busy schedule and cheer on his team, remembering being at Turner Field as a young child, cheering on Chipper Jones.