About

Douglas Taurel

I have a deep passion for telling stories, and because of this passion, I founded Cyclops Productions. I founded Cyclops Production because I wanted the opportunity to work on projects that inspired me as an actor. 

When I first moved to New York City from Houston, Texas, I remember seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly on Broadway, performing in True West by Sam Shepard, where they each swap the roles they were performing with each other. I was so blown away as an actor that I thought, how in the world can I have that opportunity, and so Cyclops Productions was born. True West was our first production, and yes, we flipped the roles just like Phillip and John did on Broadway. We performed that first production here in New York and then took it to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where we received rave reviews, and were honored to get four out of five stars at the festival. Because of us producing the play, in a roundabout way, I had the opportunity to speak directly to Philip Seymour Hoffman about the play and our production. It was an experience that I will never forget as an actor. And more importantly, I quickly realized that if I want to act in plays and films that inspire me, I need to produce them. 

After True West, we produced Of Mice and Men, which was reviewed by the New York Times, and then we produce our first short film, Siesta. It was a short film that my good friend Michael Mathis and I did together. We shot it on a shoestring budget, but that small project went on to premiere at five film festivals, including the prestigious Atlanta Short Film Festival. 

All these experiences kept reinforcing in me that to produce your work means creating opportunities not only for myself as an actor but for other artists. And to have the chance to develop incredible relationships with the most amazing actors, directors, and artists in the industry. Slowly we have grown to create bigger projects, like The American Soldier and our current seven-part TV series, Landing Home.  

The American Soldier has performed at the Kennedy Center twice, Library of Congress, The American Legion National Headquarters, The American Revolution Museum, Off-Broadway, and abroad. It has earned four out of five stars a the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and nominated for a United Kingdom Amnesty international award. 

Landing Home is our biggest project to date with a large team, a substantial budget, and an unbelievable cast. It was all filmed in Hoboken and Jersey City. 

Cyclops Productions' mission is to finish every project we take on and continue producing high-caliber stories that inspire and move audiences. 

If you would like to work with us, please reach out.