John Michael Herndon

John Michael Herndon was born in the small rural town of Linn, Missouri, but spent his remaining childhood years in Jefferson City, MO. As an exceptionally shy and introverted child, he expressed himself by being the class 'artist.' In an effort to break out of his shell, he transferred to the much larger public high school where he participated in all the speech and drama classes available, and subsequently began his transition from the visual arts into the dramatic arts. However, convinced by his family to declare a "practical" major, he spent two years at Lincoln University, a local and historic black college, as a Business student before transferring to SMSU (now called Missouri State.) While at SMSU, he expanded his studies and completed separate undergraduate degrees: a B.S. degree in Business, a B.F.A. degree in Theatre, as well as a Master's degree in Theatre. (Other noted students from the Theatre program are John Goodman and Kathleen Turner.) In the ensuing years in Los Ang