Battlefield graduate making it big in Hollywood

The story of Larry Fields, a Battlefield graduate who surpassed the odds

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Battlefield has been open since 2004, and since then, over 35,000 students have walked through the halls of 15000 Graduation Drive. Out of those 35,000 people, Battlefield has graduated many successful students, leaders, and faces of the future. Each of these students have found success in different ways, but for one student, the journey to success was far different from the rest.

Seven years ago Larry Fields walked across the stage at Battlefield’s graduation just like every other student did, but little did people know that by 2018 he would be starring in his own commercials, television shows, and working with people such as Will Ferrell in Hollywood. “It’s pretty crazy,” says Fields. “Coming out of high school I actually wanted to play football. I played varsity football here at Battlefield for two years and really enjoyed it.” As a member of the football team, Fields and the rest of the Bobcats won their first and only state championship for the football program. “Since I really wanted to continue to play football, I decided to attend the University of South Dakota after high school because they offered me a spot on the team as a redshirt freshmen.” Fields graduated Battlefield with a 3.6 GPA and began his first year at USD, but that was not the end of his journey.

To his surprise, Fields did not stay at the university very long. “I loved football, but I found myself wanting to pursue new things,” says Fields. While at Battlefield, Fields was a member of the AFJROTC program, and because of that he was very fond of the military. “I decided that after my freshman year I would enlist in the military,” and Fields did just that. He packed his things and decided to attend basic training. Although his heart was set on serving, while at basic training it was discovered that he had a heart condition. “The military actually discharged me,” continues Fields. “I tried to get numerous recommendations to stay in, but they really just wouldn’t have me.” Down, but not out, Fields moved out to California where he would eventually get married at the age of 20.

Fields and his wife were living in a home in Monterey, California when they decided that their marriage was not going to work out. “It was rough. By this time I did not really have a job, any money, or a good place to rest my head,” says Fields. “So what I did, was I called my brother and asked him for one thing: one hundred dollars. I didn’t ask to come room with him, for him to help me, or for anything. Simply one hundred dollars.” Fields took those hundred dollars, and he used it to buy a ticket to Los Angeles where he decided that he wanted to become an actor.

To gain some money Fields decided to get a job. The first thing he could land was a security job working at Judge Faith. “I thought I was going to be like one of those cool police officers you see standing next to the judge on TV,” says Fields, “but little did I know I would be working security outside the venue, like as an actual guard.” While Fields was there working there, he met a man named John Tynan. “John was training to be a manager for actors,” explains Fields. Tynan really liked Fields, and they became great friends. “John said that when he got promoted to manager he would sign me because he liked my look.” Fields was very grateful of the promise Tynan had made him, and he would not forget it.

During his time working at Judge Faith, Fields was still struggling with money. “Eventually, because I couldn’t meet my car payments, my car was taken,” says Fields. “I didn’t have much money, a place to live, or a car.” In attempt to get back on his feet, Fields got another job working security – this time working at the home of Jeffery Goddard, a big commercial producer at NBC and PBS. Goddard was also associated with the Los Angeles Times. He liked Fields, and to help him out Goddard offered him an additional five hundred dollars to spend on whatever he needed, which at the time was food. Goddard, who befriended Fields, then opened his guest room to him, where he was allowed to stay as long as he kept working around the property. “After that, I decided to leave my job at Judge Faith and become a golf caddy on the side,” continues Fields. Caddies in that area can make good money, and Larry made enough to buy a Hollywood apartment.

“I still really wanted to become an actor, so I started looking for agents,” recalls Fields. In ‘the industry’ many actors and models have both agents and managers, and Fields was on the lookout. He decided to go audition for a panel of agents, and although none of them hired him on the spot, they were interested. “One guy even asked for my headshots, but when I sent them his way he never got back to me. It wasn’tfun,” says Fields. After his audition, a mutual friend introduced Fields to a man named Tony Scott. They hit it off, and Scott agreed to manage him. Now with a manager, Fields began taking acting classes. “After a couple weeks of classes, I decided to take new headshots and send them to a lot of agents. I kid you not, within fifteen minutes my phone was blowing up. Almost all of them got back to me right away,” continues Fields. “Even the guy who did not get back to me the first time.” Fields decided to let the past be the past, as he signed with that agent and took his first commercial role as a basketball player. “It was a hard audition, but I got the call and was really excited,” says Fields. Days after that, Mark Foster reached out to Fields. Foster was a producer that had worked on Suits, Grey’s Anatomy, Entourage, and 21 Jump Street. Together they shot a Super Bowl commercial. “He told me that he was working on a new TV show, and that he wanted me to be a lead in it,” adds Fields. Foster asked his assistant to get Field’s contact info, but unfortunately when Fields sent his portfolio to the assistant it never made it to Foster.

Although it was out his control, the missed opportunity got to Fields. On the other hand though, he was making serious money. After just starting out his acting career, he decided to buy a motorcycle. “Little did I know that a couple weeks later I would be in a motorcycle accident that would cause me to be in the hospital for a couple weeks,” continues Fields. When he finally left the hospital and picked up on his acting career, he and Scott decided that they needed more help if Fields was to make it big.

To get the ball rolling again, they decided to hire another manager and two more agents, one of which was a theatrical agent who would help Fields get into movies. At this time, he began to shoot a lot as a model and was doing very well. Unfortunately though, Fields found his career and his co-workers’ careers parting ways. “My initial manager, Tony, and I decided to go our separate ways. I also learned that one of my agents was stealing money from me, so we were obviously done working together as well,” says Fields. In Hollywood, managers and agents usually receive a portion of the money that their client makes, but one of Field’s agents was taking too large of a cut. While all this turmoil was happening in Field’s life, he received a call from an old friend: John Tynan.

Tynan, who had befriended Larry while he was at Judge Faith, was now a manager. Tynan said that when he could sign Larry, he would – and he did just that. “I was now working with John, and I was pumped. I’ve always been a guy that believes in people, and I never forgot about the promise John had made me. It was awesome,” says Fields. The two began working together, and are still working together to this day. Since then, he has crossed paths with some of the biggest faces in Hollywood: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey, and more. With regards to working with Ferrell, Fields was on his show, Funny or Die. He has also starred in his own commercials for brands such as Jeep and Dave & Buster’s. The 2018 Summer of Jeep commercial that he was in even featured the band OneRepublic.

Through working with Tynan, Fields continues to do astounding things with his career as he just finished an anti-smoking campaign and a movie called Little Dreams. He is also currently working with Young Thug as a lead in his next music video and is on hold for a TBS show.

Throughout his journey, Fields has learned a lot of life lessons about how to keep persevering. As a message to all Battlefield students, Fields says that they “should know that their minds really do create the future of anything they can imagine.” To get where he is now at the age of 25, Fields advises to treat youth as a beautiful thing and not “wait to chase dreams,” and take every opportunity that comes your way.

Make sure to check out Fields’ new projects coming out soon and follow his Instagram account @iamlarryfields.