Saucon Valley Native Makes a Name for Himself in Hollywood

Ryan Rossell never planned on becoming an author. He grew up in the Saucon Valley area, where his mom was a music teacher and his older sisters were involved in various arts. This led to his own interest in the arts, he said in a recent interview.

As a fifth-grade student, Rossell played the lead in production of “Oliver,” which led to more acting opportunities. In high school, he was selected to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Performing Arts. The program ran for six weeks during the summer.

“Unfortunately that program is no longer offered, but that really helped solidify my passion to pursue the arts full-time,” he explained.

Rossell took a year off to travel through South America after graduating from high school. He was then accepted to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied theater with a focus in screenwriting. He wrote a number of screenplays while attending the university, including “Black Wine,” a thriller about young love. His big break came when he eventually turned “Black Wine” into a movie, which is now available on Netflix and Amazon.

“I was young and straight out of NYU,” Rossell said. “The thought of making an intensely wild movie with an extremely low budget was challenging and invigorating.”

Most of the movie was filmed on location in the Lehigh Valley, including at in Lower Saucon and at a car wash in Hellertown. Many local residents worked behind the scenes and as extras in the film, and “Black Wine” was screened at several film festivals throughout the country, including the Hollywood Film Festival.

“Looking back on it, I learned a lot, met some great people, and got to incorporate some of where I grew up into the film,” Rossell said of the experience.

After the premiere in Hollywood, Rossell decided to live in Los Angeles, where he worked for a green screen studio. He wrote for film, television and commercials, which was always his goal. After two years, his boss at the studio retired and Rossell had the thought of combining his passion for writing with his love of travel.

“That was actually when I first thought about writing a book, both to see if I could do it and because I felt the story I had to tell was entertaining enough for people to enjoy,” he explained.

A semi-autobiography, “The Lottery Loser” is a story about a man in his 20s who wins the lottery and takes his three friends on an adventure around the world, with destinations such as Tokyo, Amsterdam and Las Vegas on their itinerary. The book’s website notes that in the story, “Friendships will be tested, morals will be challenged, and their lives will be forever changed.”

Rossell, however, remains mum about what is real versus imagined in the book.

“Most of the events are true,” he said. “Some are fabricated and others exaggerated. I’ll leave it up to the reader to decide what’s real and what’s not.”

Rossell said that writing the book was the hardest thing he’s ever done and “much more difficult than making a movie.” Despite the fact that he never saw himself becoming an author, he has plenty of advice to share for those who want to write about their own life adventures.

“Finish the book you start,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of people who started a novel but never finished it. Keep working at it.”

"Once it’s done, give it to people you trust and take their constructed criticism," he continued. "Once you’ve made the appropriate changes, do everything in your power to get it published. And once you land an agent or publisher, be patient. Just because you don’t hear from them doesn’t mean they’re not working hard for you. It’s a long process, but a very rewarding one once all the smoke clears.”

With both a movie and a book under his belt, Rossell has plans to expand his resume in the near future.

He has finished writing a comedic television show and plans to shoot it in May. On top of that, he plans to produce a short film he wrote a few years ago and submit it to film festivals. And who knows? Maybe the Saucon Valley native will become a household name in the future.

“I’m really excited about both projects, as I think they have a lot of potential,” Rossell said.

For more on “Black Wine,” visit www.blackwinethemovie.com or view the trailer on Netflix or YouTube. For more information or to purchase “The Lottery Loser,” visit www.thelotteryloser.com.