Jude S. Walko grew up in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and received a Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of the Arts degree in acting from the renowned University Of Georgia Drama Department in Athens, Georgia. He studied acting there before moving to Los Angeles, California. Jude resides in L.A. where he is furthering his acting career as well as his work behind the scenes as a producer and production manager. Jude is co-founder of Double Dog Dare Productions based out of San Francisco which has had much success in its short film department including showings on Bravo, Independent Film Channel, Air Canada, Caroline's Comedy Club and several other venues. Jude's primary residence is Los Angeles, but he has strong ties to Georgia and Thailand and is concurrently working on multiple film projects. He married a beautiful Thai woman, Pranom Thumcha, whom he meet in Thailand on June 19, 1999. They have two beautiful children together, Preeya Marie "Fah" Walko born on June 24, 2003 and Orion Joseph "OJ" Walko born on January 05, 2005. His daughter Preeya also shares the same birthday as his father Robert J. Walko, Sr. and his brother in law Jeff Rountree. Jude is currently developing an animated feature-film based on his life and experiences in Thailand. He is founder of Jaoshu Mai Productions along with his business partners and good friends Nathan Stein and Anthony Conley of Neopets fame. You can view the preliminary stages of the film at www.thailanime.com.
Nathan Stein, locations manager, is the Godfather to his two children Preeya Marie Walko and Orion Joseph Walko. Jude and Nathan met on "Dude, Wheres My Car?"
Alumnus of the following schools.: 1. Cloud Springs Elementary - Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia 2. Chickamauga Elementary School - Chickamauga, Georgia 3. Gordon Lee Memorial High School - Chickamauga, Georgia 4. St. Marys Prep Seminary - Northeast, Pennsylvania 5. St. Josephs Prep Seminary - Princeton, New Jersey (Class of 90) 6. St. Johns University - Jamaica, New York 7. California State University - Northridge, California 8. Dalton College - Dalton, Georgia 9. University of Georgia - Athens, Georgia (Class of 94)
Got his first paid acting job by hand delivering a simple Polaroid to the casting trailer on the set of "In the Heat of the Night" in Covington, Georgia. This act of initiative led to his role in John Frankenheimers "Andersonville" shot in Turin, Georgia near Americus. Shortly thereafter Jude met Carroll OConnor (the star of "In the Heat of the Night") and his wife at a monastery in Conyers, Georgia. Ironically, years later, Jude would befriend and work with casting director Valerie McCaffrey, best friends of Mary Jo Slater, who cast the show "In The Heat of the Night".
In the early 1995, Jude was hired to act in a bar scene in the Korean Drama "Asphalt Man" aka "Dream Racer" starring Byung-hun Lee and produced by Seoul Broadcasting System. After inquiring, he was then hired on for the remainder of the shoot as an assistant grip traveling from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats, Bakersfield Speedway and finally Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
In 2008, Jude worked for 6 months in India and Thailand in pre-production on a project titled "Marma Yogi" which was written by, and to be directed by, and starring Kollywood Mega-star Kamal Haasan before it was shelved due to lack of funds.
Became a member of The Loyal Order of The Moose on April 20, 2009 at Lodge #652 in Burbank, California to the tunes of The Seat of Our Pants Band featuring Scott Babcock, Steve Moos.
Was a member in good standing for over two years of I.A.T.S.E. #871 North Hollywood, California (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts) as a feature film Production Coordinator before moving on to producing.
Became a Professional Member in good standing of the International Animated Film Society ASIFA-Hollywood on July 28, 2013.
Owns a grave plot in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Sleepy Hollow, NY, USA. Home to the resting place of legendary author Washington Irving who is known for writing "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The very story that inspired Walkos own script, "The Unhallowed Horseman".
