Myles Grier is an American actor of Nigerian descent. He is most known for his performances in the award-winning short film ‘Remember To Breathe In The Dark,’ NBC’s Game of Silence, and FOX’s Lethal Weapon. Myles Grier is a film, television, and stage actor with a diverse and eclectic background spanning the arts. Hailing from Stone Mountain, Georgia, Myles began acting on stage at age 11. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2012, Myles has broadened his horizons with appearances on primetime television, including Freeform’s The Fosters, FOX’s Lethal Weapon, NBC’s Game of Silence, ABC’s Agent Carter, NBC’s Aquarius, and more.
Most recently, Grier was a “lead” of the upcoming mental health indie film, Good Side of Bad, an adaption of the book of the same title, and he was part of the creative collective who broke new audio ground on the popular app ‘Clubhouse’ with their innovative theatrical experience of ‘The Lion King’ the musical, in which he produced and voiced Young & Adult Simba.
Remember To Breathe In The Dark (2020) Trailer Written, Director and Producer by Myles Grier
indieactivity: Please give a personal and concise autobiography of yourself?
Myles Grier (MG): I was born in Atlanta, GA, raised in Stone Mountain. I remember being a hyper little kid who wanted to be a singer because I was obsessed with how “music” made me feel; however, I soon realized I wasn’t fond of my own voice when presented with an opportunity to audition for a teenage boy group. So, I tried the drama club at my middle school, and it was the perfect place for me to put all of my wild energy. My first play was a jazz play, which included music and swing dancing in a jazz club. I had no idea that I was basically doing musical theatre. All I knew was it combined my love for music, for dance, and this art of acting. From there on, I fell in love with the theatre process: the rehearsals, playing pretend with my friends, receiving the feedback from an audience directly “in the moment”; it was “an addictive” energy that I never knew I needed until that first play.
My father was a huge influence on me as a businessman. He helped me find out that this is an actual career that I could go into, and he encouraged me to get into on-camera classes, which is where I was discovered at the age of 13 by Joy Pervis, one of Atlanta’s top talent agents. Both of my parents were great examples of commitment and work ethic, so when I knew I wanted to be an actor, I fully committed. I got accepted into Atlanta’s top performing arts high school, DeKalb School of the Arts (DSA), and later received my BFA in Theatre from one of Georgia’s best theatre programs at Valdosta State University.
Relocating to Los Angeles, CA, was the best choice I made for my own personal artistic growth. Being prepared with my early years of practice and getting familiar with the business of an actor, having a couple of commercials credits under my belt, I had enough faith and confidence to go where I felt I needed to go in order to develop amongst the best in the industry. So I leaped across the country to Hollywood to take my career to new heights. Within my first year in Los Angeles, I booked my first television credit on ABC Family’s (now Freeform) “The Fosters.” Since then, I’ve made television appearances on “Aquarius” (NBC), “Agent Carter” (ABC), “Game of Silence” (NBC), guest-starred on “Lethal Weapon” (FOX), among other leading roles in films and commercials.
What acting technique do you use?
Myles Grier (MG): Ever since high school, I’ve connected to Lee Strasberg’s method (aka “Method” acting) for my technique because of my own major need for relaxation, along with how I’ve found it extremely helpful to use sense memory and pulling from personal experiences. I’ve developed my use of the technique more in recent years at Sharon Chatten Studio, under Sharon Chatten, who worked with Strasberg in the past. I recently released an inspirational short film, “Remember To Breathe In The Dark,” which started as a therapeutic project meant to help me process the passing of my father.
I was able to present how men can show strength through emotional vulnerability while using the “Method” technique for my performance. The relaxation required to achieve the level of stillness, control, and authenticity was crucial in helping the performance feel like you’re peeking into the private moments of the character. It was imperative that I drew from my own personal experiences and insecurities for my process, but I creatively heighten them for the film.
You are an experienced actor; how much work: creative, energy, or focus do you put into your scenes?
Myles Grier (MG): I focus a lot of creative and intuitive energy when playing any character or scene. From imagining circumstances, developing the “who” of my character, discovering their life experiences, analyzing what the writer has given to the actors in the script, physical and vocal behavior, history of the character, figuring out the objectives for each scene, and intentions. Once these things are done, I aim to let the preparation go and simply know who I am while listening and responding, and making strong choices.
You have worked on popular shows and films; how has each show impacted your work as an actor and your career?
Myles Grier (MG): Each experience impacted me in various ways. I’ve been fortunate to be inspired by and build friendships with the creatives I’ve collaborated with, from the executive producers, directors, directors of photography to the talented actors. I’ve also grown from each project that has a challenging pace or style. If I leave an experience feeling stretched out of my comfort zone, then I’ve grown, and that’s ultimately the great impact.
How do you create the character from a script into a person?
Myles Grier (MG): That’s where I use my own substance and allow the character to flow through me. I can adjust myself to become a closer version to how I interpret the character, but it’s coming through the unique vessel that is me. It’s not always solely reliant on direction. With the preparation and work that I bring to any performance, I found that directors have given enough freedom and trust to me as an actor, seeing that I understand the story and role. They give directions to get the best performance that fits the overall goal, but it’s been collaborative from my experiences so far.
Explain a creative choice you took on set of a recent production?
Myles Grier (MG): Unfortunately, the example I would use here from a more recent production would be a spoiler. The production is not yet released. No other examples that I feel are creative interpretations from a director’s direction. 🙁
What do you like most about directors and his/her collaboration with his/her team?
MG: I love a focused director who is personable, empathetic, relaxed, protective, and aware of the focus it takes for actors to do our jobs. It’s always great to have a director who asks emotional questions or knows how to speak the creative lingo that motivates an actor’s choices in the desired direction—also, someone with a specific vision to lend to our process and the overall team collaboration.
A Compilation of TV/Digital Work (2013-2017) Before Myles Took A Year Hiatus After His Father’s Death in 2017
What is next for you?
MG: I’m really focused on making sure I’m being present in life as much as I can, so I can continue to absorb substance to add to my performances. As far as upcoming projects, I’m involved in a great film adaptation of the novel ‘The Good Side of Bad’ with an award-winning cast and crew; I’m looking forward to its release.
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