How Being Passionate can Bring Success

A story, quote, and lesson on how a hit movie franchise was created

Follow your heart.

Chad Stahelski and David Leitch were ecstatic. After years of experience as stuntmen in multiple action films, their movie project was starting to take off. Their script was solid and they had (somehow) brought in an A-list actor to star in the film. Filming was set to begin in 2014. However, just days before filming began, they realized they were facing a small problem:

They were $6 million short of their funding goal.

Without that money, their movie wouldn’t get made. All the effort they had poured into writing the script, hiring staff, and securing studio space would be wasted. It was now all hands on deck as they scrambled to pitch the project to anyone with cash to spare.

After many calls, they finally managed to get in touch with Eva Longoria, the famous Desperate Housewives actress who was also a producer and director on other projects. She needed some convincing, but she eventually bought into the project. Thanks to her $6 million investment, John Wick was born.

Left: Eva Longoria during the 2022 Web Summit. Right: Keanu Reeves promoting John Wick (2014). Credit: Web Summit / Daniel Benavides.

There’s an important caveat worth mentioning: Longoria didn’t invest simply because the script was good or because Keanu Reeves was attached. She’s said multiple times that what truly convinced her was Chad and David’s passion for the project.

It was clear they knew what they were doing. They had worked on both good and bad films and understood what it took to make a great one. But what really set them apart when pitching to potential investors was how deeply they believed in the project — and in themselves.

“I love investing in people. You can tell me you’re opening a chicken farm, but if you’re fucking passionate about it and you’ve done the work and know the market, I’m in.”

- Eva Longoria on her investment

This quote makes one thing clear: passion alone isn’t enough — some level of expertise is still required to bring a project to life. But when the foundation is solid, passion can be the difference between a good idea and a breakthrough success.

Looking back, it’s clear Longoria made the right call. By betting on two people who were not only talented but truly believed in their vision, she helped make John Wick a reality — and doubled her $6 million investment in the process. Her only misstep? Not investing in the sequels.

So now I ask you:

When was the last time you were truly passionate about something? Have you explored that passion recently?

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