Jim Garrard

JIM GARRARD - BIO

Successful Actor, Casting Director, Movie & Television Producer, Label Executive, Talent Manager, Entrepreneur and most importantly Philanthropist, who studied Communications at UCLA.

By the age of 14, Garrard was already in the presence of Hollywood royalty, sharing the screen with acting legends like Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields. After acting in many films the wide-eyed teen decided to broaden his horizons and try his hands behind the camera. Thanks again to the director Burt Reynolds who brought him on as Assistant Casting Director for the Golden Globe nominated film, Sharky’s Machine. He soon moved to Los Angeles, at the age of 18, and went on to cast his first feature film, Mafia King Pin. Guess that is how you get the title “Hollywood’s Youngest Casting Director”. Garrard went on to enjoy many years as a Casting Director. True to form, he also began his Talent Manager career during those early days, representing a number of the biggest Disco Divas of all time, which does continues today. Being the diehard Entrepreneur, Garrard eventually, in 2003, founded his Production Company and Record Label, DonnaJean Entertainment and DonnaJean Records, named in honor of his late Mother, Donna Jean Garrard, who lost her battle with breast cancer at a young age in 1997.

Garrard continues to produce film, television, and music and represent the Talent that he believes will shed light on positivity and inspire others. He has made it his mission to make a difference on all levels and with any medium necessary. Expanding DonnaJean into one of the first 360o entertainment company in Hollywood, creating DonnaJean Media Group LLC, which recognizes that talent is multifaceted.

Garrard lives by the philosophy that it is our obligation to give back to the people and to this planet that has given us so much. Garrard began creating a charitable foundation in 2014, “The DonnaJean Kitchen”. Its mission is simple, feed the three plus million children of the United States that go to bed hungry every night. “Damn it, it is our responsibility to take care of each other, and making sure that all the children in our own country receive the fundamental needs of life, now this is for sure not too much to ask of us.

Garrard and his incredible team’s years of experience and vast entertainment industry network is the cornerstone of The Companies of DonnaJean. This continues proving once more when Jim Garrard sets out to break new ground, he will not neglect the original passion for his craft nor the opportunity to give back to others. As he puts it: ” At the end of the day, no matter how successful we may be, if we haven’t made a real difference in some way, we haven’t really succeeded, have we?”