Victoria G Interviews Sean Gunnell

VG: What are some qualities you look for in a project?

SG: If the script hits me in the gut, if all kinds of emotions and thoughts overwhelm me, and if I don't feel revolted by the material, I feel it's definitely worth exploring and adventuring on. I need to get a good feel from the director, if they are not only someone who has a fully realized vision of the story they want to tell, but also if they are someone grounded enough to guide everyone on the endeavor (I've come across unstable directors before, and no amount of quality storytelling is worth agreeing to do if they are the ones being the unhinged actors behind the camera). I'd say the biggest quality I look for is the full artistic freedom a director gives his actors, and at the same time this freedom isn't some dog off of a leash, because what matters most is that the director will know how to shape, mold, and reign in that freedom when it comes to each performance serving the story best.

VG: Which character that you have played so far has been the most similar to you?

SG: I'd say the supporting character of Mike from an Indie feature film I acted in last year, Reflections of a Broken Memory. I care deeply about versatility, and unearthing as much of the unknown as possible in my work, and then sometimes I come across a character who I feel mirrors my own empathetic, compassionate, and vulnerable nature. The role of Mike required of me the entire giving nature of my heart. In one scene, I delivered a eulogy about a dear friend who recently passed, and so I went to a place that was painful but paramount (playing with my imagination about truly saying goodbye to my best friend), and the result was shattering me all throughout filming, but this was a positive. The beauty of that real life connection was the wind beneath my wings, allowing me to soar with my dialogue as I connected with the funeral mourners in the scene, and by day's end I felt like I was flying high!

VG: How would you describe yourself in three words?

SG: Kind, empathetic, and passionate.

VG: What are your social media handles?

SG: Instagram @sean_gunnell, and Facebook @seangunnell.actor

VG: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

SG: I see myself working consistently as an A-list screen actor in movies and television, and as an Equity actor on stage. I see myself working with the directors, writers, actors, and behind-the-scenes artists I have admired for years, traveling the world and making powerful art and entertainment that not only transports all of us to magical dream worlds, but also touches and impacts something deep in the hearts of countless individuals. I'll never forget the roaring fire my heroes ignited in me. I very much wish and intend to do the same for others.

VG: What are three qualities every actor should have?

SG: Integrity, hustle, and fortitude.

VG: Do you have any advice for an aspiring actor?

SG: Be you. People are going to tell you to quit, to do something societally convenient, to go back to school, and that it's impossible or foolish to pursue a career in the arts, etc. No one ever achieved the magnificent works of art, wonder, and science we have seen and known in this life by taking the easy path. Go the road less traveled, do the things no one else is courageous enough to do, protect and nurture and strengthen your dreams to withstand any and all storms, don't take yourself too seriously, and get back up when you fall. Also, I recommend these two pieces of valuable wisdom: 1. Set vital goals to your dreams so that they have somewhere to go towards, and 2. Fall in love with failure. Now go and set this world alight with your brilliance!

VG: What's next for you?

SG: At the top of the list, I am and have been submitting to mid-tier talent agencies since the end of February of this year, and a TV movie I played a supporting role in, Dangerous Medicine, premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network last Friday, March 5 (now available to stream on the Lifetime app, to rent/purchase on Amazon Prime Video, and to purchase on Vudu). I am lined up to play leading roles in two short films and one music video (all halted due to COVID and scheduling issues), I have recently recorded video content and VO for a phone based video game company, and two feature films I am attached to are in the process of financing and final screenplay edits. My main goals for 2021 are representation, a guest role on a union television series, a supporting role in a union feature film, a leading role in a national commercial, and joining SAG-AFTRA. My other bit of advice for actors is to set tangible goals that are realistic to your current standings. It's important and healthy to reach for the stars, and it's nice to have our head in the clouds, but falling can hurt a lot more than if we don't ground ourselves and harmonize gut feelings with logic. So, to anyone reading this, live your passions and forge your dreams into reality while making sure you have solid footing as you do so. You'll understand as time goes on.

VG: RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS Who is a director you would love to work with?

SG: Paul Thomas Anderson. Some of his latest films, There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread, are sheer masterpieces, and I cannot wait to inhabit a world he brings to life.

VG: What is something you can't live without?

SG: The ocean. I have lived by a major body of water my whole life (the Pacific Ocean and Lake Michigan), and to step into liquid, to look out on the endless horizon is me being tied to something universally greater than myself. Being in nature fuels creativity and healthy living, and water is my source for that kind of lifestyle. Serenity, bliss, and inner peace is the name of the game!

VG: What is your biggest pet peeve?

SG: Compost. The smell of it, the texture, the rot of veggies, fruits, egg shells, coffee grinds, etc., and that it all gets stirred into hay and grass as part of an ecosystem. Why? Just, why? Be gone from me! Haha.

VG: Do you have any hidden talents?

SG: I would say I was born with an internal compass in my head. I can go somewhere once, and I will instinctively know how to get back to that place, whether with a map or just my own knowledge. I am a visual learner, so nature, landmarks, and a true sense of knowing which direction I am walking in has always been a part of my genetic makeup.

VG: Do you play any instruments?

SG: I do not. When I was younger I played piano, violin, and a flute, and I was pretty good at all three but they didn't stay in the picture for long. I tried guitar when I was 14 but that didn't stick either. When it comes to music, I've found that singing is my connection to being part of music, especially with my uncle who's worked as a bassist in San Francisco off and on for years (when we get together, he plays guitar for Green Day's "Welcome to Paradise," and I provide the vocals)

VG: What is your favorite pastime?

SG: Baseball. I played some when I was 8 years old, and for as long as I can remember my dad would take me to San Francisco Giants games. I loved attending stadium games all throughout my life, and I purchased packages to watch the Giants as I live in LA.

VG: Do you have any pets?

SG: I do not. I grew up with dogs and a cat, and I would one day love to adopt either a Siberian Husky or a German Shepherd (my dad raised shepherds, and I'd like to carry on the tradition).

VG: What is your biggest fear?

SG: Living a life that society and others expect of me rather than living my own full force. As far as we know we have one life on this planet, in this existence. There's nothing worse than more unoriginality in a sea of monotony. Live a life that your inner child would want.

VG: What is your favorite film genre?

SG: Drama. In the past 20 years, I would say dramatic films have definitely taken precedent. It's where the juiciest apples are, the meat and potatoes, and stories that legends weave. That's where I hope to engrain myself for the years to come.

VG: What have you been doing while in quarantine?

SG: Ironically enough, I had one of my best years as an actor and creative during quarantine in 2020. Professionally, I filmed and completed supporting roles in one TV movie and two Indie feature films, plus a leading role in an industrial, I have gotten booked for background gigs spread across last year and this year, have gained some Best Actor wins and nominations for my role in Collar, and I helped set up/video record/edit bedding products for the Bay Area bed linen company, Bella Notte. Outside of being employed as an artist, I have done one interview for a film festival, and I have been part of another interview that is a new creative venture releasing in April or May of this year. Personally, I have laid low and relaxed in LA, and I've spent time with family and friends back in my Bay Area childhood hometown. I have taken the health of my entire well being to new heights, and I have made sure to prioritize my connections with my family, friends, and peers. We are all in this together, we will persevere and ride this storm out, and I want to give a thank you shoutout to all of the doctors, nurses, first responders, and scientists who have worked around the clock since day one to heal the people of the world. You are our superheroes, forever and always.