Sebastian Siegel’s Reflections on Directing, Producing, Storytelling and Depth Psychology
Sebastian Siegel is a British-American screenwriter, director, author, and actor whose diverse career spans impactful storytelling and compelling performances. Sebastian has made a mark with his visionary film Grace and Grit, based on the life and work of philosopher Ken Wilber. Sebastian’s work embodies a quest for transcendence, connection, and meaning.
Let’s talk about the ‘Grace and Grit’ movie first. How did you become aware of philosopher Ken Wilber and his story?
SS: His books blew my mind. They’re all on consciousness, and the evolution of Spirit, cosmos and Kosmos… of God. I read… studied them, for years. His book Grace and Grit, which chronicles his and his wife Treya’s journals from the 1980s was one of the later books of his that I read.
What attracted you to the story that made you want to direct this film?
SS: When I read the final page and put the book down, I was both devastated, and full of hope. What is this juxtaposition of polar opposites that I’m experiencing? … It was the little me, here now, that was devastated, and simultaneously the eternal, indelible me - the transcendent Self - that was exhilarated. This story conveys, experientially, crucifixion and resurrection, to know love and loving, and to lose all hope and yet still be born again in this moment with renewed appreciation for what the mystery and miracle is. It’s an experiential film, not for everyone, but for all those who seek to experience love beyond life.
In this case two people seem to fall in love at first sight, or rather first touch, and very quickly develop what many would describe as a sublime relationship, however, her health challenges lead to friction, stress, drinking, and even physical aggression and separation. But the relationship overcomes all challenges. What advice do you have for overcoming challenges in relationships?
SS: I don’t have advice. I only sense that life passes in an instant, and it’s a valuable exploration to ask, “what are we doing here, what’s really going on?” This question, when really asked aloud to yourself with courage, opens up a profound adventure at any age. This courageous questioning is not for the faint of heart, though it is for the mystical souls and lovers that y beyond the stars and touch the galaxies and worlds beyond. This movie demands that same unsettling existential exploration. If you’re not ready, you’ll be triggered, yet if you’re bold, you’ll be rocked open.
It does seem so. John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods and author of ‘Conscious Capitalism’ wrote: ‘Like the book it’s adapted from, this film is brilliant. [Sebastian Siegel’s] Grace and Grit will shake you, and maybe even awaken you in some way. This movie is a must-see, especially for anyone interested in love or consciousness.’ In the movie, Treya’s mom is concerned because she doesn’t like the contents of Ken’s books. Since many moviegoers might be unfamiliar with his work, what was the sentiment around his books, why would people object to his ideas?
It’s not so much that people would object, it’s that Ken Wilber is a paradigm buster. Since his first book - which was denied by numerous publishers when he was 23 because it was too visionary, too far rooted form the conventions of its time - which when it was then published made him an instant figure in the worlds of psychology, philosophy and spirituality. And all his books since then have taken that same trajectory; to unsettle the reader by piercing current givens of knowing, to point beyond at something deeper and further. Ken Wilber doesn’t write for a popular audience. He writes to push the limits of how we may know, or experience, the Kosmos, Spirit, godhead. By pedestrian terms his books are outrageous and confounding, for intellectuals and real thinkers his writing is brilliant and original.
Moreover, in terms of the film adaptation (where we put 400 pages into under 2 hours), these characters, and in this case Treya’s mom, played by Frances Fisher, did not necessarily disregard his writing. In a movie though, you must tell a tangible and specific story, with clear voices to convey and represent the multitude of challenges that we all experience in all of our relationships.
I’m grateful for their entire family, and for all of Ken and Treya’s friends and peers for letting me tell this story.
Now, you have played a number of pivotal roles in many hit projects as an actor, from the recent remakes of ‘Hawaii Five-0’ and ‘Magnum PI’, to ‘Lost’, ‘The Family That Preys’, and the upcoming movie ‘Fate’, which comes out next year. It seems you usually play either British (which you are), or the bad guy, or both. Why is that?
SS: Haha. I do enjoy playing British. I had an accent until I was about five. We moved from Oxford to Hawaii, and then Texas. It’s also satisfying to play the villain… it’s an exercise in compassion, because the actor must find a way to like the character, to understand his or her weaknesses, shortcomings, and then to make that individual relatable, even likable in spite of those traits.
You are also known for gracing over 100 fitness and wellness magazine covers and having been in a number of mega commercial campaigns, billboards in Times Square, hit music videos, and major clothing campaigns. When and how did you get into fitness and bodybuilding as a business?
SS: I’ve been fortunate. I understood the magazines as a business right from the start. My first cover was for Men’s Fitness, one of many, and one of the last magazine covers Joe Weider selected. I was grateful to every individual – from creative to production - who helped make each one of these covers happen.
After a dozen, I would forgo payment on many, and sought instead to have my name on the cover, or retain the rights to drive some of the content in the publications. After about 20 I was helping to produce some of these covers.
From there, I took on major endorsement deals and ownership stakes in health companies. There was a crossover with the range of commercial campaigns I was shooting at the time - so the businesses were catalytic to each other.
Now let’s talk about your video series ‘The Eight Questions’, which is now streaming on YouTube and X. In it we can learn deep insights from influential people from different fields and backgrounds. How did you come up with this concept, and how do you pick your guests?
SS: These are questions that are exciting to me… questions that are important to continually ask… about love, purpose, heaven and hell (or the best and worst of life), intimacy, religions, spirituality, and God. I selected leaders at the tops of their fields from a range of interests, some of the best in the world from philosophy, psychology, surfing, fighting, free-diving, art, media, religions, authors, business, film, and impossible stories of hope and resurrection.
Moreover, all these individuals are also close friends. There are currently 51 episodes out now. You can search each one by name, or the trailer, or the entire series by name on YouTube.
One of your guests, Dr. James Hollis, cofounder and Director Emeritus of
the Jung Center, has a book, ‘What Matters Most’. Do you have any advice
for people who are experiencing loneliness or depression?
SS: Hollis has become an incredible friend and mentor. And that’s a wonderful book. It’s a disservice to offer something formulaic for depression… my tendency is to push back against all the online pop-psychology that does that. Challenge must be worked through. Though I think it’s important to spend part of every day in service to others, sometimes in pivotal ways, yet often in very simple ways - and to explore a knowledge of God, or Spirit, or the force within and beyond that is the Ultimate driver of expanse, connectivity, grace and becoming. We work on this in my office, and in my workshops.
What are you currently working on as a producer, director, writer?
SS: I’m in prep on a movie called 180. It’s a true story about indulgence and debauchery in the 1990s, about finding what matters in life, and ultimately about resurrection and the American Dream. I’m also in development on a movie about one of the last youngest grandmasters. It’s a chess movie, also about the American Dream, and how the impossible is made possible by faith, courage and conviction. All my moves, and writing, are about transcendence.
CONNECT WITH SEBASTIAN SIEGEL
Theatrical: Joe Kolkowitz, Richard Kerner
Writing/Producing/Directing: Neil SackerPsychology: DeeplyConscious.com
IG: @SebastianSiegel1
X: @SebastianSiegel
YouTube: TheEightQuestions
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