Writing father, acting son have a creative bond

R. Kyle Hannah’s creative outlet is the written word. For his 13-year-old son Logan, it’s on the screen. But the Trussville duo are hoping some day their artistic paths can cross.

“He’s got so much potential, and I can’t wait until he’s acting in one of my screenplays. It’s going to be a great father/son team,” R. Kyle Hannah said.

R. Kyle Hannah is retired from the U.S. Army and has lived in Trussville for 17 years. While he began writing in high school, it was on deployment that he first began working on a book.

“[I] really didn’t take it seriously until I was in the military and deployed. And when you’re sitting on a base, there’s not much else to do, so I wrote my first book in Afghanistan, came home and finally got it published a few years later,” R. Kyle Hannah said.

He self-published his first novel, “To Aid and Protect,” in 2010 after it had been sitting on his shelf for seven years. This was followed by “Time Assassins” in 2012 and its sequel, “Assassin’s Gambit,” which he wrote on his last deployment and published in 2014.

Since retiring, R. Kyle Hannah said he’s been able to devote more time to writing — as long as Facebook and family aren’t distracting him.

“[Writing] has become more prominent in my life. Between that and chauffeuring [Logan] around, it’s become a full-time thing,” he said.

His third novel is coming out soon, and there’s already a fourth in the works, R. Kyle Hannah said, plus more ideas he still needs to get down on paper. He writes his books for adults but also straightforward enough so kids Logan’s age can enjoy them.

“I like his books. I’ve read all three of them, and he does have an interesting imagination,” Logan Hannah said.

Logan Hannah’s love of acting developed more recently than his father’s writing career. Last summer, he was watching some of his favorite TV shows — “The Flash” and “Arrow” — when he wanted to learn more. 

“I wanted to know what the behind-the-scenes was like. And then I watched it and was like, ‘That’s really cool. I want to see that for myself. I want to try it,’” Logan Hannah said.

From there, the Hewitt-Trussville Middle School eighth-grader attended an acting camp and performed in a musical. This summer, he wrapped up production for “The Donut Man,” a TV series produced by EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) in Irondale. His character, also named Logan, is one of the singers and dancers.

“In one episode I do get dragged on the floor for a three-legged race,” Logan Hannah said.

He was on set five days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for five weeks. Despite his acting cutting into his summer free time, Logan Hannah said he was excited to have a role, and being on set surpassed his expectations. 

“The set — in your mind it’s so different, but when you get there it’s even better than you imagined. And then you get to work on it, and it’s a great feeling that you have,” Logan Hannah said.

The hard part, he said, is keeping a smile while he sings and dances.

“So far it’s hard to be seen because I’m short and in the very back,” Logan Hannah said.

During the summer, acting hasn’t been a conflict with his schoolwork or playing trumpet in the band, but Logan Hannah said he wants to continue acting and get more roles. He has participated in a film-fighting class and is taking karate lessons to improve his skills, as well as a Nickelodeon Camp. His ultimate goal: to play a role in a superhero story like the ones he loves to watch.

Acting in an adaptation of one of his dad’s stories would be pretty good, too, he said.

“I would love to act in ‘To Aid and Protect,’” Logan Hannah said.

In the meantime, the Hannahs support each other’s creative pursuits. Logan Hannah reads his father’s books and gives suggestions, and his father “drives me places,” Logan Hannah said.

They also attend local conventions together, including the Geek Gathering in Sheffield, Con Kasterborous in Huntsville and, most recently, Magic City Con in Hoover in July. R. Kyle Hannah said he enjoys getting to talk to people who read his books, and Logan Hannah signed autographs at Magic City Con.

“People are enjoying my scribblings,” R. Kyle Hannah said.

R. Kyle Hannah’s third novel, the last in the “Time Assassins” trilogy, will be available on Amazon soon, and “The Donut Man” is scheduled to premiere in summer 2017. In the meantime, both Hannahs will keep finding ways to share and sharpen their artistic talents.