When he was ten years old, John O’Leary wanted to fit in and be ordinary. He wanted his scars to fade and his fingers to grow back. He didn’t want to stand out and certainly didn’t want a light to shine on his life. And yet, he has shared his story thousands of times from the stage, written two best-selling books, “On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life” and “In Awe.” And now, his story about being a little boy who should have died after being burned on 100% of his body will become a full-length feature movie filmed in St. Louis starring William H. Macy, John Corbett, Joel Courtney, DeVon Franklin, Stephanie Szostak, and Masey McLain and directed by John McNamera.
Kirkwood City Lifestyle was honored to talk with world-renowned speaker, international best-selling author, Webster Groves resident and Kirkwood business owner, and now movie producer John O'Leary.
KCL: How will the movie "On Fire" tell the story of John O'Leary?
JO: As a work of fiction, this story would be awe-inspiring. The fact that it's true, told without any fabrication, filmed in the same neighborhood, same house, same hospital, and same community where the actual story took place three decades earlier is nothing short of a miracle.
People who know my story may think the movie will be about the day of the fire or the recovery. But most of the movie focuses on the incredible stories of the unassuming and remarkable people who show up in this little boy's life and eventually the adult version of his life. They are the heroes of the story. They are the faces on the movie poster. Not John O'Leary.
This movie is being made to be shown in theaters and streamed to a global audience. We want to inspire and love more people differently and this is a really cool way to touch lives. We're trying to use this moment to ignite people to be on fire for good.
Does sharing your story on screen feel different than sharing your story in front of a live audience?
I've presented my story to over 3,000 different audiences, but seeing something so personal being told so well for so many is odd. This movie is so much bigger than me. When it began to come together back in 2017, it seemed way too big. It's incredible to think that there are people from Hollywood filming in St. Louis because a group of investors - corporate sponsors in St. Louis, generous family, friends, and neighbors - believed in the story. I would've never imagined it would be possible, and I don't feel worthy of it. But I'm extraordinarily humbled and grateful for it.
What's the one thing you want the audience to take away from the movie?
Despite their challenges, brokenness, and mistakes, their lives can be used for remarkable good in someone else's life.
It took a while for me to fully embrace that my brokenness can be used for good. I have now unapologetically accepted it, but it took a long time to get there. This movie shows that the last person to become aware of how remarkable life can be is John O'Leary.
The book On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life is filled with life lessons we can learn from the most unlikely heroes. How will you translate lessons into a movie?
Telling the story of a life in 90 minutes is extremely difficult. It's not just figuring out how to tell John O'Leary's story but also how to tell the stories of the various characters who profoundly elevated John's life. What makes this particularly challenging is the person at the center of this story is the recipient of heroic acts by so many other people.
On Fire does not make John O'Leary a hero. Trust me. I make every mistake in the book at least twice. And people keep showing up for me despite that. We want the audience to recognize and celebrate the people in John O'Leary's life, the example they set, and how they can teach the rest of us to be heroes for others.
Describe how this movie has become an inflection point for your family.
We are an amazingly loving family not defined by what we went through 36 years ago. We very rarely talk about it as a family. However, as the movie was coming together and is now being filmed, we've been discussing it much more. I'm one of six kids, and on the day of the fire, a two-year-old, a seven-year-old, an eleven-year-old, a fifteen-year-old, and a seventeen-year-old changed in mighty ways. Because of this movie, I heard, sometimes for the first time, what the experience was like for my parents and my five siblings.
Joel Courtney and Masey McLain portray real-life John and Beth O'Leary. Not only is it a portrayal of our lives, it's factual.
The character I was most worried about getting right was not John O'Leary or John's parents, Denny and Susan O'Leary, who are so instrumental to the story. I was most concerned about getting my wife Beth right.
She's such an important character in my life and for the life of the film. Beth is unchanging in a positive way, and getting the right blend of her beauty, humility, faithfulness, cynicism, cuteness, and toughness was essential. She didn't sign up for her life to become a movie when she said, "I do." twenty years ago. But Masey McLain portrays roles with grace and conviction, and I know her voice and her heart will do justice for Beth O’Leary.
What do your kids think about the movie?
The best thing I can say about my kids is they are so unimpressed by their dad. They don't think he's funny. They definitely don't think he's cool. They don't even think his story is that good. That's one of the things that I love most about these little kids.
To be even more honest, I recently read my son's college essay. It was about the power being different. His essay opens with the story of being with his dad at a restaurant ordering sandwiches, and the girl behind the register can't stop looking at his dad's hands. That used to embarrass him. As the essay continues, he now recognizes the beauty of being different.
I want to share that message on screen with people worldwide. I want kids to learn they don't have to be like everybody else, someone in Hollywood or a social media influencer. I want them to know, "You are uniquely designed to be exactly how you are. And that's enough."
What will people be surprised to see when the movie comes out next year?
We were worried that Hollywood would hijack our story. But instead, Hollywood left California and joined us in Missouri. Sean McNamara, the Hollywood director of "Soul Surfer," is a phenomenal director and human being. He has let me sit alongside him the entire time to ensure this story is spot on. And through Sean's generosity, we get the last word on what's said and what's not. Had a studio in Hollywood bought this, it would be very different.
When Sean came to St. Louis, he saw the Arch, St. Louis University, Kiener Plaza, The Hill, and he realized that one of the crucial characters in this movie had to be the city of St. Louis. It's so cool that the movie is a love story for this community in a market that sometimes beats itself up.
And in addition to that, Sean is committed to every detail of the story. The costume designers wanted to know what cargo pants I wore in college and what kind of sweatsuit I wore on the day I was burned. My wife's wedding dress is being worn. They are filming on location at Mercy Hospital, in my dorm room at SLU, and in the house that I was raised in and burned and then, and then eventually, was rebuilt. My parents still live there. My sweet dad, who today is in a wheelchair due to Parkinson's Disease, is rolled out of the room while scenes are being filmed. Every detail is precisely chosen to depict the love that moves this story forward.
What would you tell your 9-year-old self?
Sometimes, it takes a while to recognize how fortunate you are to have your life. I spent not only the first nine years of my life taking it for granted but even after coming out of the hospital, after receiving burns to a hundred percent of my body and the expectation that I would die even after that, I took my life for granted until I was in my late twenties. How amazing it is when you have this awakening where you recognize how profoundly blessed you are to be alive. You may not have the life you dreamt of, and you may not have an easy life. But you have your life, an opportunity, and the agency to make it better tomorrow for yourself and others.
Our lives are a gift to all of us, and we should not waste it or leave it wrapped under the tree.
https://johnolearyinspires.com/onfireforgood/
https://johnolearyinspires.com/together/
"We want to inspire and love more people differently. We're trying to use this moment to ignite people to be on fire for good."