Biography
Peter Antico
Regarding Pete Antico's filmmaking skills, John Milius says, "He is a dedicated student of film with a profound grasp of the filmmaking process. I believe he has an exciting future as a writer and director."
Peter Antico is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. Coming from a sharp Wall Street family background with expertise in commodities trading, he is also a keen student of macroeconomics. He possesses a deep understanding of the rapidly shifting flow of capital and its impact on the global marketplace. His two passions are finance and film. Antico studied at California Lutheran University, UCLA’s Screenwriting program, trained in acting with Allan Rich (A Leap from the Method), and learned improvisation at The Groundling Theater.
Antico’s most recent project is the documentary "The Paradigm of Money," which he directed with Sean Stone producing. Described as The Big Short on steroids, the film dives deep into the global financial system’s infrastructure, exposing corrupt policies that facilitate the transfer of wealth from the middle class to the top one percent.
He produced the Lionsgate/Netflix documentary "Through My Father’s Eyes," released on November 19, 2019, which tells the story of former Olympic judo bronze medalist and MMA champion Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey. Antico and his team followed Rousey for six years, chronicling her journey from an amateur juggling three jobs—sometimes missing training due to lack of gas money—to becoming the first woman accepted into the UFC.
Peter Antico is drawn to stories celebrating the human spirit. His script "A War Within," inspired by his own life as a man born with a neurological disorder, explores the challenges he faced as a child and his struggles breaking into show business as a professional stuntman. It also portrays his journey to understanding love and compassion. Mentored for 15 years by the legendary writer-director John Milius, who will executive produce the film, Antico’s script resonated with actor/director Ron Yuan ("Blade of the 47 Ronin," "Step Up China"), who will direct. The late Harry Dean Stanton also supported the story, sharing many philosophical discussions with Antico.
Antico produced and is in post-production on the documentary "Faith," offering a rare look into the minds and souls of fighters and extraordinary individuals. It explores the psychological and spiritual aspects of these warriors who rose from abuse, poverty, and crime, driven by their dreams. Faith is about believing without having data on how success will come.
Together with Jonathan Saw (son of famed bandleader Artie Shaw), Antico created the docu-series "One Sacred Planet." The series highlights the spirituality and science of Earth’s ecosystem, focusing on the Amazon Rainforest’s atmospheric rivers that sustain global precipitation and its healing plant medicines.
He also co-wrote, produced, and directed the rockumentary pilot "Role Models of Rock," featuring Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum.
As an actor, Antico’s film credits include The Creators (opposite Gerard Depardieu, Bruce Payne & William Shatner), Oliver Stone’s Wall Street 2—where he consulted on economics and played a hedge fund manager—The Other Guys with Will Ferrell & Mark Wahlberg, Black Dynamite, The Hunt for Red October, Con Air, Lethal Weapon III, and Time Cop II. He had notable roles in 29th Street with Danny Aiello and Motorcycle Gang, directed by Milius.
Despite suffering from Tourette syndrome, Antico excelled in collegiate athletics as a baseball player and pole vaulter at California Lutheran University. Tired of classroom confines, he pursued the arts, far from Wall Street. His physicality helped him become a versatile stuntman, doubling major stars like Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Don Johnson, and Sylvester Stallone. He won an action award in 1986 for best fight sequence in "Tuff Turf" and was nominated for best fight at the Taurus World Stunt Awards for doubling De Niro in "15 Minutes." His experience in action enabled him to expand into directing, writing, producing, and acting.
Antico’s first producing and directing credits were award-winning shorts such as "A Little Tailor’s Christmas Story" and "Newton’s Law," created through a nonprofit he co-founded with actor Allan Rich. These short films aim to educate young people about ethical and moral issues. Peter Antico focuses on character-driven stories that improve the quality of life for others.
"The media is a powerful tool, and I intend to use it to benefit children and those less fortunate than me." – Pete Antico
