If the Green Bay Packers lost the Super Bowl, he’d stay home in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. But if they won, he’d move over 2,000 miles away to Los Angeles in pursuit of a screenwriting career. On Jan.
, 26, 1997, the Packers defeated the New England Patriots 35-21. Dick Grunert didn’t hesitate. He packed up his things and moved to the place where so many dreams do not come true.
“So, without a lot of money,” Grunert said, “and thankfully with a very supportive family who really helped out, I moved out here. And I did a lot of odd jobs.” Santa Clarita resident Grunert, now 50, was born and raised in Wisconsin.
He grew up loving movies, devouring them with his parents, his grandparents and others. He also loved reading Stephen King books. When he was about 6 years old, Grunert’s dad showed him two films back to back: George Pal’s 1960 film “The Time Machine” and Howard Hawks’ 1951 film “The Thing from Another World.
” “I just remember thinking, ‘This is what I want to do,’” he said. “I didn’t quite understand what the jobs were, I just wanted to do something like that.” Grunert said he saw his dad taking great joy in writing short stories and novels for himself.
That’s what gave young Grunert the idea that perhaps he, too, could write. “I remember in fourth grade, I wrote a short story and read it to the class,” he said. “Didn’t really go over that well.
Of course, I got teased. But, I mean, everybody knew this was my passion.” Yes.