LMGI COMPASS
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Fall 2025
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then ALM Gary Huckabay would change the course of his life
forever. Huckabay, who lived in Howard's building, was in prep
on the Warner Bros. film JFK, and he helped get Howard onto the
New Orleans team.
"I had always wanted to break into the film industry," says
Howard, "but back in those days it was really luck or fate in terms
of how you could get in."
Meeting Huckabay was fate presenting opportunity. Even if his
parents were … less than thrilled.
"You know, their structure in life was stability; take care of the
family. But I remember my mom was supportive. My dad though,
didn't really understand how I could leave a well-paying job with
healthcare and whatnot for a job that, in 20 weeks, would just be
over. He was like, 'It's fantastic you're moving up to films, but,
what're you gonna do next?'" It was a fair question.
But Howard felt that he was still young and figured he may not
get this opportunity again. In a bold and maybe even crazy move,
he quit the job and started on the movie a week before principal
photography.
The film's star, Kevin Costner, took a liking to Howard and, as
they neared the end of production, Costner asked him what he
was planning to do next. Despite his father's concerns, Howard
hadn't really given it much thought. Costner advised him, recalls
Howard, that what he needed to do was to get on a project from
beginning to end in order to understand the whole process.
And with that, Costner presented him with an opportunity to
move out to L.A. to work with the AD department on his next
picture, The Bodyguard.
"I'm a people person, you know,
I love to talk. And I kind of
immediately understood
the logistics in terms of what
the job required. We're like
the main artery for every
department—there isn't
anything that happens that
doesn't swing by us. And I think,
over the years, what gets asked
of us has gotten more and more
complicated."
—SLM ELSTON HOWARD/LMGI
SLM Elston Howard/LMGI. Photo courtesy of Elston Howard/LMGI
