Giacomo Knox

Giacomo (birth name James) was born to James and Doris Knox on August 1, 1969 in Newark, NJ and along with his sister Angela, the family also resided in Newark, NJ. The Knoxes had a troubled marriage and an acrimonious divorce, which would impact Giacomo for many years to come. His mother moved to Seattle, Washington in 1976 to start a new life. Giacomo was a terribly shy child and often withdrew to television and early attempts at creative writing. The eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in 1980 and his mother's homesickness, sent the family eastward to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and finally back to New Jersey in 1981. Still painfully shy, he further withdrew into himself, writing volumes of poetry and mastering English grammar. He graduated from grammar school at age 12 and began attending Seton Hall Preparatory School in 1982. Giacomo ran track for three years, but his love for writing and acting eclipsed his athletic abilities. He appeared as Yeoman Herbert Quayle in the school's spring musical South Pacific. He graduated from The Prep in 1986 at the age of 16, then started classes at Seton Hall University one week later. He graduated from Seton Hall University in 1992 with a B.A. in English/Film/Theater.[3][4] Giacomo was raised as a Roman Catholic, but has since converted to the Natzarim faith of Yahushua the Messiah.[5]

Knox (4th from left) graduating from Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, SC in September 1987.

Giacomo had absent-mindedly sent a post card to the local Marine Corps recruiter's office, but when two Marines in dress blues showed up at his door one summer afternoon, he was hooked! He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1987 and was sent to recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina. Recruit training broke much of his shyness, and created the self-discipline he still calls upon today. Even in his advancing age, he admits to being a "workout junkie", and panics when he puts on a few pounds. Enlisting in the reserves allowed Giacomo to continue his college education and serve his country. Upon his return from recruit training, Giacomo was assigned to the 6th Motor Transport Battalion in Red Bank, NJ. Giacomo Knox was deployed with his reserve unit to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.[3][4] Giacomo credits joining the Marine Corps for giving him the discipline to accomplish any task that God put in front of him.[6]

Giacomo has been acting professionally since 1994, and he has appeared in both film and television. In 1994 he appeared in a television movie A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle, and in 1998 he appeared in an episode of Malcolm & Eddie. He began his stuntperforming career in 1995, and performed stunt work for the 2003 Samuel L. Jackson action movie S.W.A.T.[3] Giacomo is also the nephew of actor Daniel Whitner.[7]

In 2008 Knox began production of a new reality television show that was focused on reuniting fathers and sons who had been separated for a period of time. The show began as a web based series, with the pilot episode featuring Giacomo's week-long reunion with his father.[8] The show premiered on the internet on April 16, 2009. The show was created by Knox and produced by Western Boy, LLC. The mission of Western Boy LLC is to produce entertaining and thought provoking television and film projects that will inspire and motivate audiences to take action and hopefully, grow as individuals.[9] "Knox’s experience is not about drugs or prison. He was a marine, and he has found his way in life without his father, but many men who see this show, no matter what dire circumstances they are in, will be able to relate to either leaving their children or being left. Even with being a good man, Knox still yearns for his father."[10]

On September 24, 2011 Giacomo got the break that he had worked so hard for in order to develop A Week With My Father. AWWMF was selected as one of twenty five semi-finalists in the 2011 New York Television Festival in the category A&E Unscripted Development Pipeline. This earned Giacomo an opportunity to go to New York City and pitch his television show.[11] Although AWWMF was not selected as one of the finalists for the A&E Unscripted Development Pipeline, it did win a guaranteed development deal from SevenOne International and Red Arrow Entertainment Group in the Pitch Partner's initiative.[12][13][14]