Jon Hill on Grief Not Being Linear and Laughing Through Loss
About this episode
Jon Hill discusses his journey through grief and creativity after losing his father, blending personal stories with insights on filmmaking and identity.
In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, Dr. Stephanie J. Wong talks with filmmaker and sports producer Jon Hill to explore how identity, loss, and creativity have shaped his life and work. Jon opens up about his mixed-race heritage—growing up with a Thai mother and an American father whose love story began in Thailand during the Vietnam War—and how that unique background inspired his film Above the Clouds , now available on streaming platforms. The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Jon reflects on losing his father at 25 and the long, unexpected journey of grief that followed. He shares how a chance encounter and a miraculous experience during his father's final moments sparked a short film that eventually became a feature-length comedy, created over 13 years. Through humor and honesty, Jon offers thoughtful insights into coping with loss, acknowledging emotions, and understanding that healing is never linear. We also dive into Jon's professional world—from covering major events like the Super Bowl and World Cup at Fox Sports to navigating independent filmmaking and advocating for Asian representation in media. The episode wraps with stories of resilience, work-life…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Stephanie J Wong
Guest: Jon Hill
Topics covered
- grief
- identity
- creativity
- loss
- Asian representation
- filmmaking
- resilience
Keywords
- grief
- loss
- creativity
- filmmaking
- Asian representation
- resilience
- humor
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Fox Sports
Books & works: Above the Clouds
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