On February 18, 2016, at age 72, Eddie Conrad landed his first major role in a feature film. After countless hours performing in the background as an extra in various productions, this speaking role qualified Eddie to join the venerable Screen Actors Guild.

For more than half a century Eddie has been fearlessly chasing life – making new friends no matter what part of the world he happened to be in. His mind moves a thousand miles a minute, and when he sets a goal for himself, you can believe he’ll achieve it. He taught himself how to play music, how to speak multiple languages, how to fly an airplane and, of course, how to act. He had no formal training as an actor, but he spent a lifetime learning how to connect with others, a skill he easily adapted to reach the audience on the other side of the camera.

Eddie’s driven to make people smile, and he does it effortlessly in a way that sows opportunity into every encounter. He knows that at any moment, any chance meeting might launch his next adventure. The movie role is just one of countless examples of that dynamic. It started with a part in a music video. He met a writer on the set, and a year later, he auditioned for her film. He got the part. If Eddie’s future reflects any of his past, he will parlay this role into something much larger.

Eddie says that age has made him better not only at being himself but at letting himself go. In the movie, he plays a Vietnam veteran being sought out by a daughter he had never met. In real life, Eddie is almost larger than life, filled with relentless energy and an unbridled anticipation for the opportunities coming in the day ahead. In real life, Eddie shatters the myth that growing older means slowing down.

Eddie Conrad … Peoples Health Champion.