Interview with Actor - Gavin Stenhouse

Gavin Stenhouse

Kung Fu, 9-1-1, Black Mirror, Fun, Gus!, Into The Dark

What did you want to become when you were a child?

I always wanted to explore acting but initially I wanted to become a veterinarian or a marine biologist. Right up until I was taking my “GCSEs” (a set of school exams you take when you’re about 16, in the UK) I wanted to be a scientist or a vet. When I realized I wasn’t going to be able to get into University to study science without an “A-Level” (another UK exam) in Chemistry, I decided it was Acting or nothing.

What aspects of your career do you like best/least?

One of my favourite things about the acting business is that you get to explore so many different facets of the human experience. You get to research all kinds of professions and psychologies. I love analyzing human behaviour and what makes different characters unique, physically and mentally.

My least favourite part of the job is the “business” world. It is an unbelievably competitive market and it can be truly crushing to your self-esteem and destructive to your mental health and as with any creative profession, there is a relentless fear that the momentum of success can stop at any moment. That if you stop pushing your “brand”, you’ll fall into obsolescence.

If you could send a note to your 15 year-old self, what would it say?

“Work harder in school. Care less about what other people think of you. Take up rock-climbing and photography because you’ll reach your late-twenties and wish you’d started earlier!”

If you could send a note to your 75 year-old self, what would it say?

“Am I doing this right?!”

Happiness is...:

Being at peace within yourself.

What inspires you?

People who genuinely care about the future of humanity and the future of our planet and want to leave the World a better, fairer place for all.

Whom do you most admire in life? What specific characteristics of this person do you want to emulate?

I don’t think there’s any singular person that I admire. I do admire lots of qualities in many people that inspire me. Resilience in the face of adversity. The sacrifice of oneself for the betterment of society. The many people who work tirelessly fighting entrenched systemic issues like racism, wealth inequality, homelessness, corporate lobbying, LGBTQ+ rights, access to water, the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

What three books would you insist everyone read?

“How to Be an Antiracist” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi,
“Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now” by Jaron Lanier and
the “Unknown Soldier” series of comics by Joshua Dysart

If in a bad (sad, sour, or angry) mood, I pop this movie in and know I will feel better once the film wraps up:

Probably a Lord Of The Rings movie. Nothing makes me feel better than losing myself in an epic adventure.

A meal that I serve that I know will be a crowd-pleaser is:

Roast Chicken with all the trimmings.

What do you consider to be the best mistake you have ever made?

The best mistake?! I once poured orange juice into my morning cereal instead of milk… that ended up being pretty tasty!

The key to my personal well-being is:

If possible, trying to find a moment of “zen-time” for myself each day. Whether that’s climbing, music or photography.

What do you believe to be the greatest gift to offer one another?

Empathy. I think that all too often, especially in recent times, many of us will jump to react to a person or situation with presumption or bias but if we really stop to consider, converse or try to communicate with each other, we still may not see eye-to-eye but we may at least have a more nuanced understanding of the situation or person.

Any advice for those wanting to become performers &/or live their best lives?

Live your best life first and foremost. The joy you find in life enriches what you will bring to your craft and it is your life experience that will colour your art.

Any last words?

Thank you for reaching out with these wonderful interview questions and thank you to everyone who has tuned in to watch KUNG FU. It’s a really wonderful show with lots of heart and I truly believe it’s incredibly special and timely.

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