Former Hollywood couple makes Conroe home; star in new film ‘Lonesome Soldier’

Former Los Angeles-based actors Steve and Alana Monroe have brought their craft from Hollywood to Conroe.

Steve Monroe appeared in films such as “Miss Congeniality,” “Jersey Boys” and “Promising Young Woman” in addition to many television roles including a reoccurring role as Scott Proctor on the series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” 

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Alana Monroe has been in more than 25 commercials and multiple films. 

They met at a party in Los Angeles and have been married for 13 years, but when Hollywood was no longer their scene during the pandemic, in 2021 the duo settled in Conroe to be closer to Alana’s family. 

A move to Conroe

What they found was an LA address was not necessarily needed to share their passion for acting and storytelling. 

“When the pandemic hit, things got weird and different in LA,” Alana said. With casting offices closed and auditions being done online, they considered pursing their acting careers elsewhere.

“The climate had changed so dramatically that staying in LA in order to continue acting was unnecessary,” Steve said. 

Currently they teach acting locally and their first major collaborative project was released Nov. 3. 

Their latest project

Both star in and are executive producers for the independent film “Lonesome Soldier” from the Military Movies production unit.

The movie immerses viewers in the journey of soldier Jackson Harlow, a young man hailing from the heart of Tennessee to the war-torn lands of Iraq.

Haunted by the vivid memories of war, his homecoming proves to be a profound turning point in his life, as he discovers that the battle he faces is far from over — it’s just different. 

The film delves into the impact of PTSD on both the veteran and the veteran’s loved ones. 

Their roles

Steve plays Harlow’s stepdad, John, and Alana plays local bar owner, Amy. 

“This has been a shared labor of love for many years,” Steve said. 

When Steve first met Alexander Randazzo who plays Harlow, he was taken by Randazzo’s passion and charisma. 

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“I saw the hunger and passion in him that I had. I knew this was a relationship I needed to nurture,” Steve said. 

Randazzo also wrote and was a part of the producing team for the movie. It tells the true story of an American soldier from Tennessee where access to resources were scarce. 

The soldier ends up in a coma and his mother, Teresa played by Allison McAtee, must hold out faith for her son. 

Not going over the top

Steve Monroe is often cast in villainous roles and here he is the naysayer to Harlow’s recovery. 

“The character John puts a wall between the mother and son and the mother has to decide which way she’s going and she chooses her son,” Alana said. “She perseveres in prayer and he wakes up from the coma and that’s what drew us to this story.” 

Steve said the challenge here was not to take John over the top. 

“The stretch for me was not doing too much and keeping it small,” he said. “As actors we’re seduced into going over the top. I wanted intentionally to go way under the radar and be the opposite of ostentatious.” 

Production perseverance

Production was set to start with the cast and crew in place in March 2020 when the pandemic brought the project to an abrupt halt. 

“We’re three days from rolling camera, all the crew and cast are there and then the world shut down. It was quite devastating,” Steve said. 

Alana said they are both faith-filled and the production team was able to retool and they believe God opened the right doors at the right time to get the production going again. 

The film was shot over a 23-day span in New Mexico and released in select theaters on Nov. 3. 

The impact

It was shown locally in Regal theaters in early November. The film will soon release at Army & Air Force Exchange Service theaters across the world. 

The Monroes have been moved by the reactions as veterans view the film. 

“My dad was a Vietnam veteran and my aunt saw the film and said ‘I finally understand what it was like for him.’ My mom said the same thing,” Alana said.