Meet Eric Maus
Growing up in a farm town in Wisconsin, I spent a lot of time dreaming. My first works were about my pet mouse. I wrote my first poem about chipmunks. Beyond the praise of my parents, I lived a quiet life. I attempted and soon abandoned my first crime novel at 11. Through the guidance of my public school teachers, I discovered I had real talent at writing. I made my first short comedic films my senior year. I was cast in my first theatrical role, but sadly, had to turn it down because I was a varsity tennis player earning MVP my junior and senior year.
At UW-Madison, I partied with poetry for four years. Finding the power of word choice especially when used to woo women. I lived in Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 2009. That changed my perspective on self-reliance. After graduating with a degree in poetry and certificates in real estate and liberal studies, I went on my own quest. I backpacked through 26 countries and collected stories. When I returned, I lived in Madison and wrote my first novel: Women and Whiskey.
As the years passed, I worked at job after job and working on my novel. I moved to Milwaukee, pretending I was in love. I worked at my parents’ jewelry store: Maus Jewelers, which would’ve been mine if I didn’t love writing so much. I became a real estate agent. I sold 25 homes in two years. I flipped my first house with my parents. I finished that novel. I was unhappy.
I visited New York City for the first time in 2017. Six weeks later, I packed up my novel and my two suitcases and moved. As soon as I arrived I wrote a screenplay that eventually became “A Place in the City.” I started a dog walking business. Since then, I run my business and write every day.
During the pandemic of sadness, I focused my attention on making people laugh. Collaborating with a friend to create Ruff and Tug. We shot everything on a shoestring and made every mistake a filmmaker can make. That’s when I discovered my passion for directing and producing.
Today, I act, direct, and write. I love telling jokes. I used to be afraid of what people think. Maybe it’s because I pass more people on the sidewalk every day in NYC than the population of the town I grew up in. Now, I want to tell you the next crazy story.