Earlier this month, singer-songwriter and actor John Gallagher Jr. and his band stopped at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock during a tour promoting their new EP, “Almost Okay.” The concert was followed by a retrospective of Gallagher’s career and a screening of his 2016 film "10 Cloverfield Lane."
Gallagher doesn’t like to call himself a multi-hyphenate. But the folk rock musician is also an actor whose eclectic roles span stage and screen. This includes "Swim Fishy," which was filmed in Northwest Arkansas early this year. The movie was written and directed by Arkansas native Kristen Buckels Cantrell and doesn’t yet have a release date.
But 20 years ago, Broadway fans knew Gallagher from the rock musical "Spring Awakening." Gallagher won a Tony Award in 2007 for his role as Moritz. Gallagher then starred in "American Idiot," the stage adaptation of Green Day’s iconic 2004 album of the same name. But if you’re more of an Aaron Sorkin devotee, you’ll recognize Gallagher from the HBO show "The Newsroom."
Gallagher has also gained a following from his roles in independent and horror films, like "10 Cloverfield Lane." In the film, Gallagher plays a contractor sheltering in a bunker from an apparent toxic threat. The film also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman. Gallagher says the film came at a perfect time in his career.
“I just wrapped the third season of "The Newsroom," and I was a little burnt out by the end of that run. I had just turned thirty and didn’t really know what I was doing. I remember thinking as I was making that movie that it felt like something was turning around,” Gallagher says. “I have my personal top five, probably, of just being proud of the performance and being proud of the work and also having a good time making it. And "10 Cloverfield Lane" is definitely on that short list.”
But Gallagher’s first passion is music, which he shared with an audience at the AMFA on the first night of his mini-residency.
Gallagher says he appreciates when fans discover his music through his film and TV work. But he also hopes to connect to new fans through touring.
“Part of the reason why I kind of insist on touring more [than] a songwriter or like an emerging band would, is that while I have a sort of a fan base as an actor, what I do as a musician is very much its own sort of separate entity,” Gallagher says. “And I sort of want to get in front of as many new audiences as I can.”
It’s safe to say Gallagher’s stage career exists because of his love of music. During a Q&A at AMFA, Gallagher said he originally thought his lack of formal training would prevent him from being cast in "Spring Awakening." But, he said, it was his family’s background in folk music that led producer Michael Mayer to cast him. And Gallagher was drawn to "Spring Awakening" because of the late Duncan Sheik, who wrote the music for the play.
Gallagher has collaborated with Mayer twice since then, on "American Idiot" in 2011 and most recently on "Swept Away," another jukebox musical based on the music of The Avett Brothers. The show initially faced multiple setbacks because of COVID-19 and eventually closed after a short stint on Broadway. Near its end, the show saw a surge in ticket sales and was extended for two weeks before its final curtain call. To call the project a labor of love is an understatement for Gallagher.
“I would have done it for free if it meant running the show because it meant that much to me,” Gallagher says. “You know, the stuff that really matters to you as a performer or creator doesn't always come along. Obviously, we have to make a living, so you factor that in sometimes. But the truth is theater, independent film, making records and touring– I'm not really in it because I'm rolling in the dough.”
Gallagher will tour with singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins starting in mid November. At the same time, he can be found on the silver screen in "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York," which released in limited theaters October 23 but doesn’t yet have an Arkansas release date. Gallagher’s other upcoming projects include "The Exorcist: Martyrs" and Netflix miniseries "The God of the Woods," slated for release in 2027.
More information on AMFA’s programming, including its upcoming Art on Film series, is at arkmfa.org/events.
