First of all, why don't you introduce yourself to those of us who don't
already know you?
Hello, My name is Gary Cairns... I'm just a human being trying to be as
creative as I can...
How would you describe yourself as an actor, and some of your
techniques to bring your characters to life? Hmm. I'm a
very serious actor. It's a lifestyle not a hobby to be an actor, or should
I say a serious actor. Techniques... I read the script over and over and
over again and let the character manifest itself. I try to live it as
close as possible without killing myself. I have put myself in hospital
for dehydration before while studying for Lost in a Crowd. It's
all about making the audience believe they are watching real characters.
Some
current and future projects of yours you'd like to talk about - and do
talk about your characters, approach and everything for a bit!
Current project
released is Malignant, which I star alongside the legendary actor Brad Dourif
(Child's Play, One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest), it's out on VOD everywhere, such as Amazon, Vudu etc and
comes out on DVD February 17th 2015. I play a guy who grieves his
wife's death and drinks himself to near death. Brad's character forces me
into his crazy experiment and all hell breaks loose.
Monumental
is a road-trip drama that I co-wrote and star in with the awesome Luke
Albright (Devil's Pass). Also we are in Lost In A
Crowd together. We are currently in post but very close to finishing
it. Hoping to have it released in the fall of 2015. I play a guy
who has a hard time with his mother's death and feels guilty for not being
as appreciative to her while she was alive. He takes a road trip with is
troubled friend Clayne played by Luke Albright. My character has flashes
of his mother at monuments reminding him of her and how passionate she was
about them. It's a story of love, loss, family and friendship.
Ed Spila, Hakeem Kae-kazim, Louis Mandylor,
Gary Cairfns, Sonny Puzikas, Johnny Strong in Daylight's End |
Daylight's
End we just wrapped, and it's a post-apocalyptic tale of survival
from a plague of zombie type creatures. Starring Johnny Strong, Lance
Henriksen, Louis Mandylor, Hakeem-Kae Kazim, Chelsea Edmundson etc. It's a
great cast put together by the amazing William Kaufman (Sinners and
Saints) and Chad Law (Hero Wanted, Drive Hard).
I play "Drew", the somewhat comic relief of the tough times. A
guy who struggled before the world as we know it ended but seems to thrive
better with the apocalypse mainly because his past is erased and he can
now just try and survive and make up for past mistakes.
Circus of
Dread - not sure when we shoot this, but Mark Savage the writer/director is amazing. I look froward to working with Bill Oberst Jr.
[Bill Oberst jr interview -
click here] and Dawna Lee Heising [Dawna
Lee Heising interview - click here] on this. I believe I'm set to play a crooked sheriff...
What
got you into acting in the first place, and did you receive any formal
training on the subject? I saw my cousin Kimmy do a play
when I was 8 years old and I was fascinated by it and her performance. It
drove me to take steps to where I am today. I study mostly alone but I
sometimes hire a coach and also work with actors I believe in and we just
have fun with breaking down scenes and characters. As far as I know, your first
on-camera experiences have been doing loads of commercials from age 8 onwards -
so do talk about that part of your career for a bit, and can you still
remember your first time in front of a camera? I was
nervous as hell doing anything. My knees would shake and I didn't know it.
People pointed it out to me. But the fear and nerves drove me further. I'm
all about conquering fears and getting the most out of life. So it all
started basically when I was 8 and even in little league baseball. I used
to be afraid to hit, but sometimes fear can be your best friend, it keeps
you focused, so I embrace fear and smile when it creeps up on me. I know
I'm living when I sense fear... Your
feature film debut was, I believe, The Good Humor Man. So what can
you tell us about that movie and your character, and how did you get on board in the first
place?
Well I did a ton of commercials for Tenney Fairchild
and producer Glenn Rudolph. They were making the film and cast me in a
little role, "Prosper Schwee", a good kid in the 70's
neighborhood that just kinda does his own thing but looks up to the older
kids.
Other past films of yours you'd like to talk
about? Mad World is a crazy indie drama that has a little
following. It's a harsh in your face bold drama that doesn't hold back. It
has a ton of F-bombs in it, but if you hang out by teenagers, you'll see
how accurate the dialogue is. Hard to fathom on screen sometimes but the
truth is harsh. One can't help but notice that of late, you get
cast more and more in horror movies - pure coincidence or is horror a
genre at all dear to you, and why (not)?
I think it's
because horror films are what's hot and seems to be an easier genre to
sell. I'm down for any genre really, it's just all about, the story, the
director, the role, and the cast around me now. If it isn't worthwhile
I'll step aside. You've also
done quite a bit of television over the years - so what can you tell us
about that aspect of your career? TV is fun, it's faster
paced and comes out faster. I enjoyed working with Timothy Olyphant on
Justifed and recently Criminal Minds. They are a great group of people and
can see why they are on their 10th season. Commercials, TV and
movies - how do they compare, and which do you enjoy the most? I
enjoy film the most but I do ponder about a great TV show and role I hope
to do someday. A role I can really bring to life for a few years or so.
Something like a Breaking Bad would be awesome or a Dexter. Actors
(and indeed actresses) who inspire you? Too many to list.
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Your favourite
movies? The Outsiders, Dazed and Confused.
... and of course, films you really deplore? No
comment! Your
website, Facebook, whatever else? Twitter @garycairnsII,
and my Facebook is Gary Cairns II. Anything else you are
dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Just
hope people become more kind to one another on a daily basis... Thanks
for the interview!
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