“Come with me everyone let’s have fun behind the scenes on Disney/Hulu/Freeform’s ”Single Drunk Female” airing in a few days. Yay! #JTPSTRONG#JTTSTRONG#hulu#ActorsLAagency huge shout to the amazing Sharon Elaine Morris and The Truth Jessica L. Lawson.”

Bennie Taylor, Jon Tomus Talent, LLC

Everyone knows Bennie Taylor. Or you should.  Of all the people involved in Michigan’s film industry/entertainment business that you should get to know,  Bennie should be at top of your list.

Bennie Taylor is the CEO and Talent manager of Jon Tomus Talent LLC    Although the Jon Tomus Talent, LLC may not be the industry’s biggest, Taylor has to be the hardest working talent manager in the business–at least as far as the Michigan film industry is concerned.

Born in Detroit,  Taylor has turned his experience behind the camera into success with managing those who appear in front of it. Starting out as a male model/singer, he has developed the Jon Tomus Agency, LLC in which he guides film actors, as well as other individuals involved as a manager in pursuing their careers.

Located in the Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan area, Jon Tomus has developed a stable of some 35 something actors,  whether in front of the camera, in the studio, on the stage– for film, television, radio, or stage — whether union/non-union network from the Detroit and outlying areas to the west coast, California area.

As well as in front of the camera, the Jon Tomus Talent, LLC, can provide a network of models, news anchors, extras, stand-ins, and stunt pros.  Behind the camera,  Jon Tomus Talent, LLC handles directors, editors, camera pros, fight choreographers, dance choreographers,  lighting technicians, sound engineers, as well as other technicians, as well as hair and makeup pros, wardrobe, and craft services.  In the studio musicians, composers, singers, and voiceover talent are all represented.

Having spent the years he has building his business,  Taylor has made many friends from Michigan to California and elsewhere.  These friends have provided him with opportunities.  Although he has appeared in different roles in Michigan-made productions,  he has been offered the opportunity to broaden his range and travel as an actor.  Before the first of the year, he appeared as super-celebrity and mega-producer Clive Bruneau,  the father of one of the contestants and one of the judges on a panel  in the Nickelodeon production of “California Dreaming.” Watch what he does as he visits Sparks Academy only to find out his daughter snuck into the school without his permission

“California Dreaming” is a scripted musical event from the legendary, multi-hyphenate creator, producer, and manager Simon Fuller and three-time Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer, Ryan Tedder. Originally written to be a series,  the series was not picked up. The pilot was. The hour-long event follows a group of mega-talented freshmen at the most elite music performance boarding school in the country who compete to perform at the year-end talent showcase. 

Produced by Swirl Films (Saints & Sinners) was created and executive produced by Fuller (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) and Tedder (Songland).  The teleplay is by Genna Ryan (Young Sheldon, The Thundermans) and the story is by Janae Bakken (Greenhouse Academy) and Ryan, who are also executive producers.

It was directed and executive produced by Matt Stawski (Side Effects). Marc Dworkin & Sean Cunningham (Julie and the Phantoms) served as consulting producers. Production of California Dreaming for Nickelodeon was overseen by Shauna Phelan and Zack Olin, Co-Heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action.  Laura Courtie served as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production.

“California Dreaming” was supposed to have been a series, it was not picked up, the pilot aired on December 16,  2021. And working on this program offered Taylor the opportunity to mix with and appear along with the stars of the show. This included Jenna Raine Simmons (Hyperlinked) as “Jenna,” Liv Simone (Raven’s Home) as “Liv,” Angelina Green (America’s Got Talent) as “Nina,” Ben Krieger (National tour of “Finding Neverland”) as “Ben” and Max Fincham (Invasion) as “Max.”

From having appeared in this Nickelodeon, Taylor was offered the opportunity to appear in the production of “Single Drunk Female,” a ten-episode first season made-for-TV series produced by Freeform to be streamed on Hulu.

Written, created, and executive produced by Simone Finch “Single Drunk Female” follows 28-year-old alcoholic Samantha Fink, played by Sofia Black-D’Elia, who,  after an embarrassingly public breakdown within the series’ first few minutes marked a new low. Fired from her job for showing up drunk, was sentenced to rehab and community service after accidentally hitting her former boss in the eye with a phone, and moved back in with her overbearing mother Carol (Ally Sheedy).

After a 30-day stint in rehab, Sam began her sobriety journey with a few setbacks. She was unreceptive to the court-mandated AA meetings and brushed off Olivia’s (Rebecca Henderson) efforts to be her sober coach, thinking she can go at it alone. She got a huge wake-up call after getting drunk with her childhood friend Felicia and crashing her mother’s car into a party bus rented by her childhood friend Brit (Sasha Compère), who’s marrying her ex-boyfriend. Samantha then sets out on a path to figure out her best self while confronted with remnants of her old life.

This sounds like a dark subject for a comedy,  but it works its way out.  Although Sam is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, she really proves to be a hot mess.

In this series, Taylor is scheduled to appear in the third episode(1.3 as it is noted) as the karaoke announcer.  In the Facebook post in which he announces his participation in this series, Taylor gives a shout-out to Sharon Elaine Morris and “The Truth” Jessica L. Lawson.   Although both of these may sound like an odd way to launch an acting career (if this is in fact what Taylor wishes), remember what Konstantin Stanislavski had said, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” Dabbs Greer, a bit actor, once said, “Every character actor, in their own little sphere, is the lead.”

The Weekender wishes Bennie Taylor every success, whatever path he chooses to pursue. He is well on his way to becoming one the biggest names in the film and entertainment management business.  These excursions into television acting will give him other experiences on which he may draw.  JTT Strong.

Discover Bennie Taylor’s talents https://imdb.to/3fQqJMM
Bennie Taylor’s IMDb page https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0852031/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Follow Bennie Taylor on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jon.tomus
For more on Jon Tomus Talent, LLC http://www.jontomus.com/contactus.php