Greg Sestero

Greg Sestero – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Discover the unpredictable journey of Greg Sestero — from modeling and acting to cult fame via The Room, his bestselling memoir, and his creative reinventions. Explore his life, works, and insights.

Introduction

Greg Sestero (born July 15, 1978) is an American actor, model, writer, and filmmaker best known for his role in the cult classic movie The Room and for authoring the memoir The Disaster Artist. His path—from fashion runways to midnight film screenings, from ambition to odd fame—reveals much about perseverance, the nature of art, and the power of authenticity (even when flawed). In this article, we’ll trace his life, creative evolution, and memorable reflections.

Early Life and Background

Gregory “Greg” Sestero was born on July 15, 1978, in Walnut Creek, California. His mother, Marie-Josée (Citro), is of French and Sicilian descent; his father, Richard Sestero, has Italian and Irish roots. He grew up in Danville, California, and attended Monte Vista High School.

As a child, he was creative and ambitious. At age 12, he wrote a sequel to Home Alone titled Home Alone 2: Lost in Disney World, complete with a poster and suggested soundtrack, which he submitted to Hughes Entertainment—and received a encouraging response from John Hughes himself.

During his high school years, he began modeling. He worked in fashion capitals like Milan and Paris for designers including Giorgio Armani and Gianfranco Ferré. Later, he returned to the U.S. to focus on acting, enrolling in the American Conservatory Theater (San Francisco) before moving to Los Angeles under the guidance of agent Iris Burton.

He is bilingual (English & French) and holds dual U.S.–French citizenship, reflecting his family’s European connections.

Career and Achievements

Early Roles & Modeling

Sestero’s start in entertainment was a blend of modeling and small acting roles. His modeling work included high-profile fashion brands, while in acting he appeared in shows and films such as Nash Bridges, Gattaca (1997), Patch Adams (1998), and EdTV. He also had a starring role in the direct-to-video horror film Retro Puppet Master (1999).

The Room & Cult Status

The turning point in Sestero’s public identity was The Room (2003), in which he played Mark, the best friend of Tommy Wiseau’s character Johnny. Originally, Sestero had agreed to assist behind the scenes (casting, production), but Wiseau eventually cast him in the starring role.

The Room was a critical and box office flop—earning less than US$2,000 in its initial run—and widely derided. Yet over time it gained tremendous cult status, with midnight screenings, audience interaction, and a vibrant fanbase. Sestero frequently participated in fan events and embraced the absurd legacy of the film.

The Disaster Artist & Later Projects

In 2013, Sestero co-wrote The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made with Tom Bissell. The book recounts his experience on The Room, his friendship with Wiseau, and his creative aspirations. It became a New York Times bestseller and drew cinematic adaptation: James Franco directed the 2017 film The Disaster Artist, in which Dave Franco played Sestero and James Franco played Wiseau.

Meanwhile, Sestero continued working in film, writing, producing, and acting. Some notable works:

• Best F(r)iends (2017–2018), a two-part film co-written and starred by Sestero, reuniting him with Wiseau.

• Miracle Valley (2021), his directorial debut: he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this horror film.

Thus, his career evolved from actor/model to author and filmmaker, navigating the dual identity of cult figure and creator.

Legacy & Influence

Greg Sestero’s legacy is tied to notions of outsider art, passionate risk, and creative reinvention:

• Cult icon: The Room remains a landmark of “so bad it’s good” cinema, and Sestero’s participation in its myth has given him a lasting presence in pop cult lore.

• Narrative reclamation: Through The Disaster Artist, he reframed his and Wiseau’s experience, turning mockery into empathy, and giving context to what was often ridiculed.

• Creative autonomy: His shift to writing, producing, and directing (e.g. Miracle Valley) shows his intent to take agency over the stories he wants to tell.

• Embracing imperfection: Sestero’s path suggests that creative life isn’t only about success or polish, but about persistence, openness to failure, and evolving identity.

Memorable Quotes by Greg Sestero

Here are several quotations and lines attributed to Greg Sestero that reflect his views on art, ambition, and The Room:

• “The Room is a drama that is also a comedy that is also an existential cry for help that is finally a testament to human endurance.”

• “The only reason I came to L.A. in the first place was to tell stories and make movies. Whatever way you can do that — if you can do that — at whatever level, that's rewarding.”

• “One of the things I’ve learned is you can’t really control what an audience is going to feel.”

• “I still think that … the original draft from The Room was brilliant in its own way. It made me laugh, which is … a good thing. It got a reaction.”

• “It’s kind of a fantasy of what could have been.”

• “I think sometimes we start out wanting to do things that maybe we’re not cut out for.”

These lines suggest a mixture of idealism, self-reflection, and acceptance of art’s unpredictability.

Lessons from Greg Sestero’s Journey

1. Failure can become a platform
   Rather than burying The Room, Sestero leaned into its strangeness and allowed its cult growth to become part of his story.

2. Tell your own story
   By writing The Disaster Artist, he reclaimed narrative control and invited audiences to see behind the myth.

3. Creative roles can shift
   His move to directing, producing, and writing suggests that a person in the arts can evolve across disciplines, not be constrained by early roles.

4. Authenticity over perfection
   Sestero’s willingness to embrace imperfection—his and others’—resonates with audiences precisely because it feels human.

5. Persistence matters
   Even when early projects seem doomed, the act of continuing, creating, and being open to reinvention can lead to unexpected resonance.

Conclusion

Greg Sestero’s life is a fascinating blend of ambition, odd fame, reinvention, and creative grit. From high fashion runways to the midnight cult screenings of The Room, and then to memoir and direction, his journey transcends the conventional success arc. What remains central is his voice—honest, curious, and imperfect.