An actor, stuntman and professional wrestler, he is a man with many irons in the entertainment industry fire.
Justin Mane knew show biz was in his blood from an early age, joking that once he realized he could never turn into a Power Ranger, he figured acting was the next best thing. It was a bumpy start, though, after seemingly being "discovered" by a talent agent at the age of 16 while he was shopping at a store in his home state of Michigan. That so-called agent turned out to be a scam artist and acting would have to wait many years.
So Justin started off in entertainment as a pro wrestler, even making a couple appearances on TV for WWE, where he competed under the stage name, Jacob Kaye. Though it is not his primary focus these days, he still keeps a hand in the wrestling game, competing a few times a month on a Michigan-based circuit called the Blue Collar Wrestling Alliance, playing a bad guy - a heel in professional wrestling parlance - known as "The Mane Event"...gotta love that, don't you!?
Justin, who tips the scales at just under 200 pounds, is also a personal trainer and, as you can see in his recent wrestling promo photo, he knows his way around the weightroom. We're guessing those guns are 18 or 19 inches at the bicep when flexed: whoa!
But it's acting that is his primary professional passion and something he's become more and more dedicated to since getting his first big break back in 2014. That's when Justin landed a role as an extra in Jurassic World and spent 10 days in New Orleans working on the movie. He says it was like a dream come true, because the 1993 picture that launched the franchise, Jurassic Park, is one of his all-time favorite films; it meant so much to him, he actually shed tears of joy when he first walked onto the set.
Being based in Michigan, where we shot our movie, Justin does a mix of feature films, TV commercials, corporate productions and voice-over work to keep busy. He even won a part in a locally-produced Christmas movie that came out last year called Christmas Coupon.
In Miracle on Christmas, a Christian picture written and directed by yours truly, Justin plays the brother-in-law of protagonist Mary Boyce - portrayed by Erin Bethea - a Christian woman struggling with her faith because of personal trials. His character's name is Bill and he brings some serious comic relief to the table, including during a couple football-related scenes, one of which is pictured above.
He says he enjoyed working on the movie, citing both the professionalism of the crew and friendships he established with fellow cast members as reasons this proved to be "one of the best experiences" he's had on a production. Justin also believes those close relationships between the actors helped strengthen the performances, a sentiment we share.
As to the movie itself, aside from being entertained, he hopes audiences will come away with a renewed sense of the importance of family and the necessity of providing strong support for our loved ones, particularly in times of difficulty. We, too, want that message - and the hope we have in God through Christ - to resonate with moviegoers when Miracle on Christmas is released for this year's Yuletide season.