Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarrell Pyro Johnson.
Jarrell Pyro, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Yeah, so for me, everything really starts with who I am before the bakery ever existed. I’m Jarrell Pyro Johnson — I’ve always been a creator. Acting, music, writing, filmmaking… that’s the world I come from. I’m someone who builds stories and brings ideas to life. And right now, I’m in that space between major film roles, editing my newest projects Dinner With The God of War and Thaddeus, while also writing and developing my next film, UMBRA. That creative grind is a big part of my identity.
But during that period — waiting on the next big role, juggling edits, and dealing with some real interpersonal hardships — something shifted. My mom reminded me of our family’s roots, our traditions, and especially our Grandma’s recipes. She’s the one who inspired me to bring those recipes to the forefront. It gave me something grounding, something healing, something I could build with my hands while everything else in life felt uncertain.
That’s how Grandma’s Hands (The Grandsons Batch) was born. It started with me in the kitchen, reconnecting with family through flavor and memory. Then it grew — market by market, conversation by conversation. I realized I wasn’t just baking; I was building a brand, a community, and a legacy. And as the bakery expanded, I leaned into my systems mindset, refining everything until it became a real engine.
Today, Grandma’s Hands (The Grandsons Batch) is this blend of who I am creatively and who I am personally. It’s storytelling, it’s discipline, it’s family, and it’s resilience. And honestly, I’m still evolving. The bakery is just one chapter in a much bigger story I’m writing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Not at all. The road has had some real bumps. Around the time I was waiting on my next major film role and juggling edits for Dinner With The God of War and Thaddeus, plus writing my next film UMBRA, my personal life was going through its own storm. I had just gotten out of a bad relationship, and that kind of emotional fallout forces you to confront yourself in ways you don’t expect. I was trying to figure out who I was again — or as my fellow filmmaker J. Tyler Pennington would say, I was trying to ‘find my spoons,’ basically find myself again.
In the middle of all that, I realized I needed to find love again — not romantic love, but the kind of love that grounds you, restores you, and reminds you who you are. And I knew that if I tapped back into my family’s legacy and our Grandma’s recipes, I’d find that love. Those recipes carried my family through hardships, turmoil, and generations of struggle. They soothed our souls. They brought us together. And I believed they could give that same comfort to other people too.
That’s when my mom encouraged me to bring those recipes forward, and that became the spark for Grandma’s Hands (The Grandsons Batch). But even then, it wasn’t easy. I had to learn the business side from scratch — sourcing ingredients, scaling batches, branding, packaging, showing up at markets, building a customer base. I was balancing filmmaking, trading, healing, and entrepreneurship all at once.
But the struggles shaped me. They forced me to slow down, rebuild, and create something meaningful. Every setback sharpened my discipline. Every emotional hit pushed me to find new strength. And all of that became the foundation of Grandma’s Hands (The Grandsons Batch). So no, it hasn’t been smooth — but the rough parts made the story real, and they made me better.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Definitely. My work spans a few different creative lanes, but they all connect through storytelling. I’m an actor and filmmaker first — that’s where I learned how to build worlds, shape characters, and communicate emotion. I’ve been fortunate to appear in films like Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Avengers: Endgame, Obstacle Corpse, The Outlaw Johnny Black, Fame City, Springfield, and Rise Above The Rims. On the creative side, I’m also developing my own projects, including Dinner With The God of War, Thaddeus, and my upcoming film UMBRA.
I’m also a musician, and my newest album So Play Your Part is available on all streaming platforms. Music gives me a different way to express the emotional and internal parts of my journey.
And beyond film and music, I’m an author. I wrote a book called It’s All an Act, which teaches people how to get into acting — not just the technical steps, but the mindset, discipline, and strategy behind building a real career. It’s one of the projects I’m proudest of because it lets me give back to people who are trying to break into an industry that can feel impossible to navigate.
Then there’s the entrepreneurial side of me. I run Grandma’s Hands (The Grandsons Batch), where I bring my family’s legacy and recipes to the community. It’s a completely different craft, but it carries the same intention: creating something that makes people feel something real.
What sets me apart is that I don’t limit myself to one lane. I build systems, I tell stories, and I create experiences across multiple mediums. Whether it’s a film, an album, a book, or a mini loaf, I approach everything with discipline, heart, and a commitment to legacy. That blend of creativity and structure is really what defines my work.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is creating things that matter. I’m at my best when I’m building — whether that’s a film, a song, a book, or a mini loaf. There’s something about taking an idea from nothing and turning it into something people can feel that brings me real joy. That’s the artist in me.
I’m also happiest when I’m connected to my purpose. Acting, filmmaking, writing It’s All an Act, releasing my album So Play Your Part, running Grandma’s Hands — all of it gives me a sense of direction. I like knowing that the work I do can inspire someone, feed someone, teach someone, or simply make their day a little better.
And honestly, what makes me happiest is seeing people respond to the things I create. When someone watches a film I’m in, listens to my music, reads my book, or tastes one of my Grandma’s recipes and feels something — that’s the payoff. That’s the love I was searching for when I was trying to rebuild myself. That’s the same love my family used to get through hard times, and now I get to pass it forward.
So what makes me happy is purpose, creation, and connection. Those three things keep me grounded and keep me moving.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.pyro2sick.com
- Instagram: @pyro2sick
- Facebook: @pyrotv1
- Twitter: @pyro2sick
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jarrellpyrojohnson?si=8XAnoyqU7Q8wjSBT
- Other: https://the-grandsons-batch.square.site/
