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Royce Lundquist | Surfing the Vertical Wave: The Vertical Buzz S2E4
Welcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Royce Lundquist, one of the most exciting new leading men in the vertical space, to talk about his fast rise as an actor, his creative roots, and the new ventures he is building beyond the screen.
Royce shares his journey from being a homeschooled theater kid in a Navy family, to studying at the Orange County School of the Arts, Pace University, and Loyola Marymount University, to finding his way into vertical films with Queen of the Court. He also talks about surfing, discipline, SoCal roots, and why determination has shaped both his acting career and his entrepreneurial path.
Then Buzz and Royce dive into the craft of vertical acting, what makes a true leading man in the 9:16 world, and how the space is changing as new platforms and creators push for more elevated storytelling. Royce also breaks down Playback, To Her Beat, Monkey Boy Films, and his new real estate storytelling venture with The Ivy Group, including Open House Open House and The Duel.
In this episode, you will learn:
• How Royce Lundquist went from theater kid to vertical leading man
• Why surfing, discipline, and determination shaped his creative mindset
• How Royce found vertical films and what changed his mind about the format
• What it was like working on Queen of the Court, Call Sign Legacy, To Her Beat, and Playback
• How vertical acting demands preparation, specificity, and strong character choices
• What fans respond to in a great vertical leading man
• Why the vertical space is moving beyond formula and into more elevated storytelling
• How Monkey Boy Films started and what Royce is building as a director and producer
• How Open House Open House and The Duel are turning real estate marketing into cinematic storytelling
• Why Royce sees vertical entertainment as unpredictable, fast-moving, and full of opportunity
Chapters
00:00 Vertical Buzz Intro
01:17 Meet Royce Lundquist
03:27 Theater Kid Origins
05:28 SoCal Roots and Commute
07:32 Surfing and Determination
11:01 Finding Vertical Films
15:27 Call Sign Legacy Stories
20:35 Vertical Craft and Set Life
28:16 Sponsor Break Aeiro
29:28 Leading Man and Elevating Space
42:04 Royce's New Ventures
43:15 Playback Story Breakdown
44:19 Mexico City Shoot
44:39 Monkey Boys Origins
46:22 First Musical Vertical
48:55 Trailer Reactions
52:19 Sponsor Break Aeiro
53:23 Monkey Boy Business Model
59:14 Open House
01:02:21 The Duel And Wrap Up
Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)
AEIRO Air Purifiers help identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, powerful enough to clean rooms 300+ sq ft, quiet enough for production, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration.
Website: AEIRO.co
Guest: Royce Lundquist
Royce Lundquist is an LA-based actor, filmmaker, musician, and entrepreneur whose creative roots began in childhood as part of a Navy family living in cities around the country and abroad. He trained at the Orange County School of the Arts, studied in New York at Pace University, and earned his BA in Theater Arts from Loyola Marymount University. As an actor, Royce has appeared in award-winning films including 34902, Love’s Perfect Song, Wanted, and Queen of the Court, the project that introduced him to the vertical format. He is also the co-founder of Monkey Boy Films, where he directs and produces across film, music, commercial work, and cinematic real estate storytelling.
Instagram: @royce_lundquist
Host: Buzz Leer
Buzz Leer is an actor, host, and veteran of the vertical film space.
Instagram: @buzz_leer
A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
Owned and operated by Erika and Jason Hanan
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano
Instagram: @anakarinacano
Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
The Vertical Buzz Theme Song
Public Relations and Media
Robb Leer, Leer Communications, Inc.
Thank you
Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.
Host, Buzz Leer
View all episodes
By verticalbuzzdistroWelcome to The Vertical Buzz, where vertical entertainment finds its voice. This week, host Buzz Leer sits down with Royce Lundquist, one of the most exciting new leading men in the vertical space, to talk about his fast rise as an actor, his creative roots, and the new ventures he is building beyond the screen.
Royce shares his journey from being a homeschooled theater kid in a Navy family, to studying at the Orange County School of the Arts, Pace University, and Loyola Marymount University, to finding his way into vertical films with Queen of the Court. He also talks about surfing, discipline, SoCal roots, and why determination has shaped both his acting career and his entrepreneurial path.
Then Buzz and Royce dive into the craft of vertical acting, what makes a true leading man in the 9:16 world, and how the space is changing as new platforms and creators push for more elevated storytelling. Royce also breaks down Playback, To Her Beat, Monkey Boy Films, and his new real estate storytelling venture with The Ivy Group, including Open House Open House and The Duel.
In this episode, you will learn:
• How Royce Lundquist went from theater kid to vertical leading man
• Why surfing, discipline, and determination shaped his creative mindset
• How Royce found vertical films and what changed his mind about the format
• What it was like working on Queen of the Court, Call Sign Legacy, To Her Beat, and Playback
• How vertical acting demands preparation, specificity, and strong character choices
• What fans respond to in a great vertical leading man
• Why the vertical space is moving beyond formula and into more elevated storytelling
• How Monkey Boy Films started and what Royce is building as a director and producer
• How Open House Open House and The Duel are turning real estate marketing into cinematic storytelling
• Why Royce sees vertical entertainment as unpredictable, fast-moving, and full of opportunity
Chapters
00:00 Vertical Buzz Intro
01:17 Meet Royce Lundquist
03:27 Theater Kid Origins
05:28 SoCal Roots and Commute
07:32 Surfing and Determination
11:01 Finding Vertical Films
15:27 Call Sign Legacy Stories
20:35 Vertical Craft and Set Life
28:16 Sponsor Break Aeiro
29:28 Leading Man and Elevating Space
42:04 Royce's New Ventures
43:15 Playback Story Breakdown
44:19 Mexico City Shoot
44:39 Monkey Boys Origins
46:22 First Musical Vertical
48:55 Trailer Reactions
52:19 Sponsor Break Aeiro
53:23 Monkey Boy Business Model
59:14 Open House
01:02:21 The Duel And Wrap Up
Sponsor: AEIRO (Arrow Air Purifiers)
AEIRO Air Purifiers help identify, reduce, and monitor airborne contaminants to create a cleaner indoor environment for homes and professional spaces.
Featured in this episode: AEIRO AC150, powerful enough to clean rooms 300+ sq ft, quiet enough for production, with smart sensor controls and true HEPA plus carbon filtration.
Website: AEIRO.co
Guest: Royce Lundquist
Royce Lundquist is an LA-based actor, filmmaker, musician, and entrepreneur whose creative roots began in childhood as part of a Navy family living in cities around the country and abroad. He trained at the Orange County School of the Arts, studied in New York at Pace University, and earned his BA in Theater Arts from Loyola Marymount University. As an actor, Royce has appeared in award-winning films including 34902, Love’s Perfect Song, Wanted, and Queen of the Court, the project that introduced him to the vertical format. He is also the co-founder of Monkey Boy Films, where he directs and produces across film, music, commercial work, and cinematic real estate storytelling.
Instagram: @royce_lundquist
Host: Buzz Leer
Buzz Leer is an actor, host, and veteran of the vertical film space.
Instagram: @buzz_leer
A Glendale Podcast Studio Production
Owned and operated by Erika and Jason Hanan
Instagram: @glendalepodcaststudio
Social Media Coordinator: Ana Karina Cano
Instagram: @anakarinacano
Theme Song by Grace Leer and Bryan Dawley
The Vertical Buzz Theme Song
Public Relations and Media
Robb Leer, Leer Communications, Inc.
Thank you
Special thanks to all of my support team, friends, and family.
Host, Buzz Leer