An Inspired Chat with Gregory Blair of Hollywood, CA

Gregory Blair shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Gregory, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I think most of us who are artists, no matter how introverted we may be, have a desire to connect: we have something we want to express–for ourselves and to others. But art is very subjective and personal, and you never know if other people are going to respond favorably to your work.

At the recent advance screening of my new film “The Mystery of Emma Thorn”, an audience member came up to me in tears; we hugged, and, in my ear, he said “Beautiful. Just beautiful!”

I couldn’t have felt more proud and joyful than I did at that moment. I knew at least one person had been touched profoundly by what I had created. I think that’s the heart of it for me–the connection a creative work can bring between two people, even across time and space: that’s the power, the value and the true success of art.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Southern California born and bred actor, writer, director, editor, producer and script consultant.

As an actor, I’ve done stage (“Angels in America”, “Six Degrees of Separation”, etc.), film (“Craving”, “Fang”, etc.), and television and web (“Escape the Night”, “Love That Girl!”, etc.). Of my many acting awards, I’m most proud of my Robby Award for Best Actor in a Drama for “Angels In America”.

As a writer, I’ve been represented on stage (“Cold Lang Syne”, “Nicholas Nickleby”, etc.), and in prose offerings such as “The Ritual”, “Little Shivers” and the Stonewall Award winning “Spewing Pulp”. My film writing credits include the psychological thriller “Deadly Revisions”, the horror/comedy “Garden Party Massacre”, the story for the period horror film “The Convent” and the script for my new drama “The Mystery of Emma Thorn”.

My directing and producing hats have earned me an EOTM Award for Best Director of an Indie Horror Film and the Flicker Award for “Best Picture”—both for “Deadly Revisions”—as well as handfuls of awards for “Garden Party Massacre”, including “Best Feature” from the Fantastic Horror Film Festival and Zed Fest’s prestigious Phil Tucker Spirit Award.

My goal is to entertain and enlighten people to make the world a little bit better for my having been here. If I make you laugh or cry or scream or think—anything to remind you of our common human experience and how none of us are ever truly alone in any of it—then my time will have been well spent.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I imagine most of us are freely exactly who we are as we blossom into ourselves through a combination of nature and nurture. It’s only after learning about rejection, tribalism and similar social phenomena that we alter or filter ourselves.

I was a very carefree, enthusiastic, optimistic, fearless soul in my youth and–though many life experiences chipped away and soured those elements to a degree along my journey–I’ve found that, the older I get, the more I’m returning (and wanting to return) to that authentic self. Because I think he was a really cool kid.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Being weird is a superpower. It’s how you stand out. It’s how you get remembered more than the next person. Sure, at times it can be lonely or cause people to treat you unkindly, but it’s our unique quirks that make up the very quiddity by which we shine like no one else. And there’s power in that.

So, celebrate your weirdness; amplify and spread it around like fairy dust. You never know who you’ll enchant or inspire.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
There are many people throughout history that I’ve admired for many things, but the one that comes to mind, oddly, is John Stewart. His mix of wisdom and humor is not exactly unparalleled, perhaps–there are many excellent commentators, comedians, etc. who are speaking out with insight and snarky jocularity–but I find something about Mr. Stewart’s honest passion incredibly moving and admirable.

I recall one time he was discussing the latest anti-LGBTQ+ news story and he struggled not to break down in tears; he was so pained by the cruelty being wielded upon a group to which he didn’t even belong. And that is the very definition of empathy: to care about others regardless of their relation to you. I was quite moved by that moment and it was that sense of right and wrong, to do no harm, to have empathy that instantly earned him a place on my shelf of admiration forever.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I think this is one of the keys to happiness and satisfaction with your life. When you give something everything you’ve got, you know you’ve done your best…and that’s always something to be proud of. I’ve been in projects that haven’t earned the praise or recognition I might have hoped for them, but I’ve always been proud of the effort I put into them.

Disappointment and failure are part of life. And needing validation from outside is a perilous modus operandi. So always do your best and you can reap validation in your own effort. As Alexander Pope put forth in “An Essay on Man”: “Act well your part; there all the honor lies.”

Indeed.

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