Lance Hool

Biography

Lance Hool is a Mexican film director, producer, and actor whose career spans several decades across action, war, and romantic drama films. Known for both independent and studio-backed projects, he has played a significant role in shaping cross-border film production between Mexico and the United States.

Biography

Born in Mexico, Lance Hool grew up in Mexico City in a family deeply connected to the film industry. He has cited a strong cinematic heritage, noting that his great-grandfather worked as a financier for Charlie Chaplin. Hool spent his formative years surrounded by filmmaking influences and maintained close personal ties with prominent figures in New Mexico during his youth.

He pursued higher education at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, blending creative ambitions with business acumen that would later shape his producing career.

Career

Hool made his acting debut in Rio Lobo (1970), the final film directed by Howard Hawks. He went on to work extensively in the Mexican film industry for two decades and served as the U.S. representative for Mexico’s national film distribution company in the late 1970s.

As a producer, Hool was involved in a wide range of films, including thrillers such as Wolf Lake, 10 to Midnight, and The Evil That Men Do, as well as comedies like Pure Luck and McHale’s Navy. He also produced the family adventure Flipper.

Hool gained international recognition as a director with the action film Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985), followed by the science-fiction action film Steel Dawn (1987), starring Patrick Swayze. In 1999, he directed and produced One Man’s Hero, a historical war film centered on the Saint Patrick’s Battalion during the Mexican–American War, a project noted for its personal and cultural significance.

He later served as an executive producer on major films, including Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles and Man on Fire.

Later Work and Film Studio

In 2011, Hool founded Santa Fe Studios, establishing one of New Mexico’s largest film production facilities. The studio became a major contributor to regional filmmaking and economic development, though it also faced public controversy and financial challenges in later years.

Hool returned to directing with the romantic drama 2 Hearts (2020), inspired by the real-life love story of Leslie and Jorge Bacardi. The film was a family collaboration, involving multiple relatives in writing, producing, music, and casting. After its theatrical release, the film gained widespread attention when it became one of the most-watched titles on streaming platforms in 2021.