Joey Lanai is a residing California native born in Compton, CA. His father, is from the island of American Samoa. His mother is from Charleston, West Virginia.

As an actor, Joey has enjoyed work in network television and film and has worked steadily for the past 2 years in Independent film booking lead roles in The Valley Murder Tapes directed by Nian Aster, Target Practice directed by Rich Riedel and The Final Song directed by Stuart Paul and produced by Jon Voight.

6 years ago, he wrote the 1st draft of CALLOUS. He then collaborated with friend and screen writer, Chris Billett (Unrest, Isolation) who co-wrote the shooting script. The story of CALLOUS is based on a true story of eye witness accounts recalled by Joey himself.

Joey met actor/producer Thom Mulligan a few years ago, and together they developed DROP DEAD PICTURES, L.L.C. and are working with one another to bring this story to the screen and pursue new projects under DROP DEAD PICTURES as well.

"I hope the film might set a few people free, people who have been hurt and betrayed by their very own flesh and blood. I hope it can help some realize that we can choose to try and make love out of all the hate we've been witness to. Or, we can let it grow inside and control our lives which I spent a portion of my life allowing it to do.

"The matriarch character in the film is based solidly on what I witnessed myself. Still, through all the hurts, she was a character that you could not take your eyes off of. She gave me that. We can't choose what family we'll be born into, but we can choose to do something better with the family we'll have someday.

"It amazes me that the single greatest responsibility we can have and the single greatest gift you could ever hope for is free of cost and unfortunately, free of requisite qualifications. Children. Stopping certain curses from being passed from generation to generation is a very individual responsibility."

- Joey Lanai