Short Biography

      If asked, I would tell you that I was born during a blood moon, an ancient Samarian symbol of great strength. If asked, I would tell you that it was I who crawled out of the womb of my own accord, dropped to the floor, and howled at the heavens while the doctors huddled, frightened in the corner. Since no one asked, the truth will suffice for now. I was named Zachary James Turney. Technically, wasn’t supposed to be born. I was a tiny, five pound, underdeveloped child who enjoyed hanging out in incubators and spending my time thinking about getting out of the incubator. No one thought I would live, but I managed to beat the odds, and it started a lifelong love affair of gambling, taking long-shots, and going against the odds.

      I was raised in the small town of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. It was a nice little suburb of Philadelphia, but far enough removed that it has a small-town feel. I attended Mary D. Lang elementary school, and Kennett Middle. My mother was my Cub Scout den mother and my father was my soccer coach. I’m extremely thankful to have had parents who invested so much into their children and family. As result, I’ve grown up with a strong affinity for the family atmosphere and can’t wait to raise one of my own some day.

      My father took a job as a dentist at the Orlando Navy base, so the family moved to Casselberry while I was in 7th grade. I attended South Seminole Middle School for two years before being accepted into the Seminole High honors health academy. It was in Casselberry where my father took both my brother and I to auditions for Legends of the Hidden Temple, which we eventually ended up on. I never cared for the town too much as it was a bit ghetto and thug culture among the youth.

      When the Navy base closed, my father took a job for Coast Dental in Daytona before opening a practice of his own in New Smyrna Beach. From the minute we moved there, NSB became my official “hometown”. It’s a great little town with a laid back, beach culture. I attended the NSBHS, where I was elected class clown and prom king in my senior year. It was here I started making my student movies.

      In my first year of college, I wound up at the University of South FL in Tampa, but unfortunately wound up with strep throat, mono, the flu, and pneumonia in my first month. Understandably, I withdrew to recover my health and instead decided to attend the University of North FL in Jacksonville. Tired of the crime and lifestyle of UNF, I sought a smaller school and found myself at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg after a brief summer at Bryan in Tennessee. While I started majoring in biology, I found myself being drawn to English and creative writing.

      Due to situations beyond my control, I was forced to drop out and take a job as a towel boy at the Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach. It was while working here that I got my big chance and landed the role of Gilligan. After the show, I continued to work until I had enough to return to college. I took a break over the summer to film USA Adventures. In the fall, my mother’s health took a turn, so I moved back home to spend as much time as I could with her. She passed away and I decided to stay home to be there for my father and brother, while working from home and ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing.

      Now, I am currently working on becoming a screenwriter and doing small acting jobs in my spare time. I hope to have my first one sold by the end of this year.