The very first time I got to act was when me and my girlfriend at the time were walking in the mall and got spotted by a local director who happen to be shooting a clothing line commercial in the mall, and asked could we be in the commercial because we had the perfect look for what he was shooting, we said yes and shot the commercial two days later. Then one day, three months later I’m sitting home and the commercial comes on and I freeeeaaaakkk!!!!! I was too hyped!!!! ,But in that instant I knew acting is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I was seventeen then.
indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Gregory Gordon (GG): I started studying acting when I was twenty seven years old at KD college/conservatory for film & dramatic arts in Dallas Texas. KD was the building blocks for my acting career because I didn’t know much about acting back then so being at KD was a way for me to learn the fundamentals. We had multiple classes each semester consisting of stage combat, acting I, voice I, scene study, auditioning and on camera work.
We got to perform for the entire school, we would put on a full stage production towards the end of each semester and it would be a chance to showcase what you’ve been training on in class. This ultimately helped me to become more comfortable in my own skin and really let go when it came to performing. I would recommend KD to anyone who is just starting out and wants to build a career in acting.
What acting technique do you use?
Gregory Gordon (GG): I think Denzel Washington got it right when he said “I don’t have a technique I take a little bit from each one and make it my own” and that’s what I’ve been doing for a while now not just sticking to one style/technique but taking a little from each one trying to make it my own so it comes from a real place and the acting doesn’t come off systematic, you know really experimenting to find what works for you to have a great performance.
Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Gregory Gordon (GG): Fortunately I’ve been blessed to always have a busy schedule so I really don’t have the time to get into classes as much as I would like, so I do casting director Workshops when the right one comes along. it’s a good chance to get real feedback plus some pointers and advice from the casting directors you’ve auditioned for or will audition for ,it really gives you a chance to showcase your skills in front of the right people with honest opinions. Workshops also gives you the advantage to meet decision makers in film/Television who could possibly kick start your career and with all the talent and competition these days you need relationships with casting directors to stay ahead of the bunch.
What acting books do you read?
Gregory Gordon (GG): A History In Narrative Film by David a. Cook, The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works by Shakespeare, The Film Actors Complete Career Guide by Lawrence Parke, Acting I by Robert Cohen and Stella Adler’s Guide To Acting by Stella Adler and How To Make It In Hollywood by Linda Buzzell, these are some of the books I’ve e read, I use them as a reference whenever I need to know something or I know someone trying to get into acting I let them use these books for references.
How do you keep fit as an actor?
Gregory Gordon (GG): I usually keep fit by staying in the gym five days out the week, the two days I’m off I still do cardio to keep my endurance up plus I have an extra bonus on the side because my wife is a personal trainer so she stays on top of me to make sure I’m in the best condition for whatever role I might land. Mentally I try to always get some alone time when I am at home to go over my thoughts and do some self-evaluation to see how I feel, where I stand with things at the current time and what can make me a better person/actor going forward.
How do you prepare for a role, when you get it?
Gregory Gordon (GG): I personally like to read the script multiple times before I do anything else I want to find the tone of the script so I can be comfortable with saying the words. I read the whole script out loud over and over until it hurts so saying the words become almost second nature that gives me the room to play around to find the character. I also like to do a lot of set rehearsal because I always tend to find out more about the character when I’m on set and can actually see the setting ,that’s when I get even more ideas that will give the character more layers and make the performance stand out and memorable.
How do you create a character from a script into a person?
Gregory Gordon (GG): Its very simple I find out what the character is fighting for in the script and I build around that. Whatever the character is fighting for helps me understand what type of person they are which I can build a back story from to give the character a life. This helps me to get in character even more because of the work I’ve put into script to find the realness/personality of the character.
