I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Christopher J. Gannon about five random facts about himself, what he learned from creating short film. Plus what he has learned about himself during the pandemic . Check out my interview with Christopher J. Gannon below:
Loryn: What have you've learned about yourself during the pandemic?
Chris: What I’ve learned about myself during the pandemic is that I needed to learn how to rest. The business is very fast paced and sometimes you might forgo rest in order to keep moving forward. I realized that if I rested more often, I could perform better.
Loryn: What advice would you give someone interested in becoming an actor while navigating the pandemic?
Chris: Start small. How do we learn anything? Through study. Read acting books and try to get an idea of what you're getting yourself into. “The Lee Strasberg notes” is a great place to start. Second is training. Theory and study is about 10% of the work. The other 90% is practical application and training. The life of an actor is by no means an easy life. You have to want it with every fiber of your body. If you can't see yourself doing anything other than acting, I say go for it.
Loryn: What did you learn from creating short films?
Chris : Short films are a great way to test the waters and see if you enjoy it. Through creating short films I’ve discovered what I like and what I don’t like. I’ve been on good sets and bad but each new experience leaves me with a new lesson learned and I’ve become a better actor because of it.
Loryn: What's a goal you have for the end of this quarter?
Chris: For the end of this quarter my goal is to practice the foundation work every day. It keeps the body in tune and allows you to be much more sensitive when you’re reacting to imaginary stimulis. The foundation work is like a musician practicing scales. You must rinse and repeat over and over until it's in your bones. Then impulse takes over and you can get lost in the work.
Loryn: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
Chris: I have ADHD. It’s my greatest superpower and my greatest curse. Like acting, managing ADHD takes Iron Discipline. I have to monitor what I eat, drink, read, watch, play, etc. I’m constantly auditing myself to make sure I’m moving forward and not seeking out pleasure activities for the sake of a quick dopamine hit. It’s a challenge but it makes what I do all worth it.
Stay updated with Christopher J. Gannon by checking out his website: https://chrisjgannon.com/ . Plus check out his acting credits: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9080271/