We were lucky to catch up with Gregory Blair recently and have shared our conversation below.
Gregory, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
When I was very young, I had no idea I was going to be the only one in the room in a few years. So, I just banged my quirky drum happily and thought nothing of it. As I got older, I realized I was clearly the odd one out: short, thin, underweight, not very attractive, not very athletic; in short, I was none of the things that people generally on the surface admire about a young man. But I was still me on the inside, so I just kept banging my quirky drum and accepted I’d have only a small group of people who would appreciate it.
And once you find the other folks like you—the people who not only survived being the odd ones out but learned to embrace it—you realize that it’s that very quality of your unusual quiddity that makes you special and valuable. After all: if everyone’s a diamond, then diamonds aren’t interesting. And life is so much better for all the interesting people who bang their quirky drums loudly.
And the bonus is that people appreciate the courage and originality that comes from being the only one in the room like you. And sometimes, it’s exactly what they want: I’ve gotten a lot of my acting jobs because of my quirky looks and manner. So, use what you have and make it your strength. You can’t help but win that way.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m an actor, writer, director, producer and script consultant. I’m Southern California—born and bred—and I’ve studied acting, writing and so on here at UCLA and other venues as well as at Cambridge University in England. 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 upcoming feature “The Mystery of Emma Thorn”.
Awards previously unmentioned include an EOTM Award for Best Director of an Indie Horror Film, a Claw Award for Best Screenplay and the Flicker Award for “Best Picture”—all for “Deadly Revisions” (which has a new cut getting released later this year)—as well as handfuls of awards for “Garden Party Massacre”, including Best Feature from the Fantastic Horror Film Festival. I was also awarded the 2017 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.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Professionalism, Personability, and Perseverance.
First, everyone needs to learn how to be a first-rate professional. While each business may have its own codes of professionalism, some traits are universal: dependability, punctuality, follow-through, diplomacy are all qualities to have and demonstrate no matter what field of work you pursue. No one wants to work with someone who lacks these attributes. So if you do lack any of them, get working on that ASAP.
Personability is the term I use to define the kind of character people want to work with. A personable worker is one who is pleasant, amiable, upbeat, optimistic and helpful. Rudeness, complaining, scoffing, arguing are all detrimental to any team’s energy and, ultimately, output. So, train yourself to be someone people want to have on set. It’s a mindset and, I promise you, it’s within you.
Finally…perseverance. Off set, this is the character trait that is required to get you onto the next set. Until the day people come knocking on your door, offering you jobs, your consistent effort to seek out opportunities is your best friend. Done with grace, respect and even humor (where appropriate) I guarantee will reap rewards.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
For me, I would say allowing me to pursue my creative interests and doing so with love and support. That set the groundwork for building my confidence, courage and self-esteem. There’s nothing more powerful than that, I think. But I’d have to also give credit to a few of my teachers throughout my schooling.
In the end, though, as an adult, it’s really up to you to be your own cheerleader; you’re the only one you can depend on to do it when you need it. Others will cheer you on when they perceive you’ve succeeded at something, but on the uphill climb to get there, the only one with you the entire time is you. So, you have to get good at telling yourself you are good enough and that you can achieve the goal that’s in front of you.
Even famous, very successful people question themselves at times and feel like they’re an imposter or unworthy. But I think a little bit of that is humbling and balances out the other end of the spectrum which can lead to becoming conceited. So allow the doubt, feel the fear…and then cheer yourself on, knowing you can achieve what you desire the best way you can.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s not what being human is about, anyway. And I don’t worry about imperfection, because my parents showed me that your worth is not tied to external things. To them, I was a winner, no matter what mess I made.
So make a mess. Make a lot. One of them might just bring you (and others) joy. And then we all win.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://gregoryblair.info
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegregoryblair/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGregoryBlair/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-blair-4217779/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGregoryBlair
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GregoryBlairFilm
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegregoryblair