David Ezell, CEO

David Ezell is a Manhattan-based writer, actor, entrepreneur, and licensed psychotherapist. He grew up in rural Georgia and, as a boy, played (despite the threats of Ms. Regina) in the backyard of Flannery O’Connor’s home in Milledgeville.

 

In his teens he acted professionally in theater (and a little bit in) television. He then pursued an academic path at a variety of schools, including the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he studied film history in the History of Technology department as a doctoral student, and Columbia University, where he studied psychology. He eventually became a licensed psychotherapist first practicing on the west coast and later back home in New York and Connecticut.

 

After many years in private practice, he founded Darien Wellness in 2014. He returned to acting in 2018 and trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He later studied with master teachers including Sandy Meisner’s disciple, James Price and legendary acting teacher Jack Waltzer. 

 

In 2024, David began his beginner’s luck streak; his first play, The Great American Scream Machine, was produced as part of the SOOP Playwriting Competition’s Top Twelve selections. His first screenplay, Occam’s Beard, won awards at festivals around the world including The Big Apple Film Festival (2025, Best Short Screenplay) and The Cannes Film Awards (2026, Best New Writer). His first documentary, PAPER MOON Rise, will premiere at the Paper Moon Festival in Kansas in 2027.