ICONIQUE MAGAZINE

1. You began writing songs at just 14 years old. What do you remember about those early writing sessions, and how has your songwriting matured since then?  

GARRETT

The early days of my songwriting was using a handheld tape recorder and writing lyrics that were not based on life experiences as they are now.  I have not only matured and gained experience in life but also in my songwriting.  My songs now have deeper meaning and more complexities in them.  I have learned to tell stories but also inspire others to never give up and to believe in yourself.  I also can produce tracks in my own recording studio as well as use live musicians from my band to play them in the garage studio where we rehearse. 

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2. You mentioned your mother played piano and sang. How did her musical influence help shape your creative foundation growing up?  

GARRETT

I think I learned that music was powerful as an art form and that it has a way to take you back in time or help you relax or help express deep meanings and art through.  I wish I had learned to play back then and would have if I had all the information and the internet when I was younger.  

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3. You sang Bass/Baritone for 15 years in your church choir. How did performing in a faith-based environment influence the emotional depth in your music and acting?  

GARRETT

I believe God has always been my influence and has given me my talents since a young age.  Singing with my choir helped me learn to read music and develop my singing skills and be trained and work with many other talented singers and musicians.  The emotional depth I gained from it started with singing in the many cantatas that we sang 2-3 times a year.  The songs were generally in a theme, and you had to sing with passion and power to express many aspects and facets about God and Jesus’ life story.  This rolled over into becoming an actor through my Choir Director who pushed me to try out for plays and musicals at the local community theatre for which he was involved.  

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4. One of your early released songs, “Between the Lies and the Tears,” was written more than 12 years before it came out. What made the timing finally feel right to release it?  

GARRETT

The timing of that release which also was the same date of the release of my single “My Big Black Truck” happened to be about 10 months after my father passed away.  Between the lies and the tears was one of the songs that I felt had a radio ready sound to it.  After my dad had passed, I felt that life was short and we don’t know when we will leave this earth and wanted to go after my dreams.  I also wanted to start releasing my music before I lost any more family members.   I actually hired a musician who had friends who played all the instruments on the single including the engineer.   

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5. With over 20 singles released to date, what inspires the themes and stories you choose to tell through your music?  

GARRETT

One word is God.  I believe God puts ideas in my head and heart and pushes me to get my music out to the public to help them and inspire them and even make them laugh.  My first album was more of an entertaining album of mixed genres that was more around partying, having fun, and telling stories about Life and Love.  This influenced me to title it “Life, Love & Beer”  My second album “Waves Against The Shore” was about all the difficult things that Men are dealing with that they are afraid to talk about in society such as Alcohol Abuse, Domestic Violence, Loneliness, Suicidal Thoughts, Financial Issues, and more.  The title comes from the idea that ocean waves are sometimes so powerful that they will knock us down or either carry us out to the deep ends of the ocean (unsafe and cause us to drown – in life or to our death) or to safety which is to shore (solid ground/land). My third album “Ephesians 4:32” is a Christian Contemporary album also of mixed genres that came to me based on the difficult and destructive political world we are all living in and around the bible verse which describes and explains forgiveness.  There are many aspects of forgiveness and I feel all of the songs on that album showcase the various sides of forgiveness.    

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6. You’ve collaborated with Gospel, Hip-Hop, Rock, and R&B artists. What does versatility mean to you as a creator? 

GARRETT

Versatility is everything in music.  It’s okay to stay in one genre but I found that I have influences and love for many genres of music so it excites me and makes writing and performing music more fun.  I feel that having versatility in my writing gives me more opportunities in the industry.   

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7. You’re currently writing with a rock band where you’ll be the lead singer and main lyricist. What energy or message are you hoping to bring into that upcoming project? 

GARRETT

The energy and messages in Rock music are generally darker and edgier.  I have written several past songs in that genre which were inspired by the music that I grew up on in the 70’s and 80’s.  This was the time when Classic Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal were very prominent and popular.  The new band I am the lead singer for called “Forged Smoke” is wanting to bring back the feel and sound of the late 70’s to mid 90’s rock music.  With how fads of clothing and music goes, this type of music is seeming to come back into popularity which is what my band wants to do so the timing couldn’t be any better. 

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8. You came into acting later in life and performed in over 20 community theater productions. How did theater challenge or prepare you differently than film acting?  

GARRETT

Theater is what many of the great actors also started in and seem to be going back to much more now than in the past.  Theater Acting helped me prepare for learning lines, performing in front of a large live audience and working with a group of other actors to bring a classic story or musical to life to entertain.  Theater acting is a different beast from film/tv acting.  It is much more difficult in the sense of you only have one take to know your lines, movements, choreography, etc.. than compared to tv/film acting which is much more laid back generally unless there is a scene that requires actions or stunt work.  I am very happy that I had years of stage acting experience before tv/film because it teaches you to be prepared, learn your lines, character, and be able to portray them naturally to an audience. 

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9. Your film career started with back-to-back comedy features from one audition. What do you remember about that moment of momentum? 

GARRETT

It was Amazing.  I really had no tv/film experience, so I was very unsure of my acting ability and confidence at that time.  When I was cheered by the student Casting directors for my audition performance and then told that they were sending my tape over to another Casting Director for another film, I was surprised.  I didn’t think anything would come of it and then I got an email to come to a table read for that 2nd movie.  I felt then like I might have been on to something that I could be good at. 

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10. You’ve now been in over 30 film roles. How do you choose roles that speak to you?  

GARRETT

Many roles have come to me just by chance or from the past working with another actor or director or writer on their movie or show.  Now that I have two agents, I don’t choose many of the roles that I have auditioned for or cast in.  However, any other roles that I have self-submitted for are generally for a role that either I have never portrayed and/or be challenging.  I am a character actor and will look for roles that have some type of edge to them.  

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11. You’ve received multiple nominations and awards for your acting, including Best Supporting Actor at the HAPA Awards for your role as a Russian spy. How did that recognition reshape your confidence or career direction? 

GARRETT

Winning that award helped in my confidence as an actor but also opened me up to the possibility of playing roles from other countries and wanting to learn more accents.  I believe having that clip in my past actor reel showed Directors and Casting directors that I might have the look and the sound of an Eastern European.  From that role, I think it helped me to be cast as the Russian Yusef Nastarovic in the recent film released “How Did I Get Here?” that is now streaming on Prime Video.

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12. You’re set to voice multiple characters in the upcoming animated feature “N’yarey.” What excites you most about voice acting compared to on-camera performance? 

GARRETT

Voice Acting is another type of acting that I have worked on continuing to improve my skills.  It is one of the most difficult forms of acting since you do not have your eyes or body to get a message across, only your voice.  I am somewhat of an introvert so being able to record lines for a role such as in this movie in a recording booth or studio would be exciting.  Since the writer/director lives in Ukraine, I will be recording in my home recording studio.  The great thing about voice acting is that you can read from a script so no memorizing of lines is required. 

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13. With eight feature films and a musical cartoon currently streaming on Prime Video, how does it feel to see your work live on platforms reaching global audiences? 

GARRETT

It really a wonderful feeling to know that my work can live on way past this lifetime.  I don’t go back and watch the films I have been in, but I do like to see how far I have come in my acting over the years by seeing my work.  I am very appreciative to all that have given me an opportunity to tell the writer’s story as one of the characters.  

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14. You launched Forge Ahead A/V Studios in 2020 to support actors, musicians, and creatives. What inspired you to create a space that helps others “forge ahead” as your slogan states?

GARRETT

 I love helping others and saw that there was a need in the industry for low cost training in Voiceover as well as access to a recording studio and assistance on films with sound or music.  Many studios will charge high prices and have limited schedules.  I work around the actor or artist’s schedule. 

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15. Your studio has handled ADR for feature films and produces voice reels and music production. What do you think creatives need most that they don’t always receive?

GARRETT

 I think having access to a recording studio as well as voice over training is what many need but don’t think it is either important training to have or that they already think they have a great voice.  There is a lot of technical things that a great voice over actor needs to know or improve on to help them with voice acting.  This also comes into play when they get cast in a commercial and have to read lines and be technically solid in their reads.  

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16. As someone who wears many hats — actor, singer, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur — how do you maintain balance and purpose?

GARRETT

 It’s hard sometimes but I generally do not put pressure on myself to keep a strict schedule.  Any projects I am cast in only work a day or so at a time and I rehearse with my band only once a week and I will practice a few hours during the week for that around any auditions I receive.  Right now, my business is very slow.  Luckily there are no costs to it except for my website for the business which is https://forgeaheadavstudios.com  I hope it was okay to give a plug for it here.  

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17. You have multiple upcoming film and series releases scheduled for 2025. What should audiences expect from this next chapter of your work?

GARRETT

 I hope audiences see my growth as an actor and in the series see more of me on film in an ongoing character that develops over time.  I also will be in a variety of roles and I hope to showcase my range as an actor as well and be able to impact viewers in some way or another. 

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18. You’re also preparing to write, produce, and direct your first short film in 2026. What story are you most driven to tell through your own lens?

GARRETT

  The  story I will be telling will be a fiction however I am going to be researching the role that I also will be portraying as the lead in the movie in more depth than anything I have ever played before.  I want to shed some light on a disease in a different way and has audiences not on the edge of their seat but also learn about a person that they may or may not have been educated or had experience with to gain a better understanding about this particular individual. 

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19. When you look back at your journey — from church choir, to theater stages, to film sets, to business ownership — what moment stands out as the turning point?

GARRETT

 It’s really hard to say one place in time impacted me more than any other.  As an actor we are taught that becoming an actor (and really anything we set to achieve) is a journey and not a sprint.  It’s really a combination of all the phases that I have gone through have made me who I am to this day.  I think the moment when I had the confidence to believe in myself and know that I have the ability to accomplish anything I set out to do is what I would say is the turning point.  However, it was with the help and guidance by so many along with my confidence that I believe allowed me to achieve so much in the entertainment industry.  But, there is so much more I want to achieve in this journey which keeps me motivated to keep going.  

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20. And finally — what message do you hope your life and career communicates to artists who feel like they’re “starting late” or standing on the edge of their dreams?

GARRETT

 It’s never too late to start anything.  I started stage acting at 37 yrs old and film and tv acting around 45 years old.  I think you just need the confidence to do what ever it is you want to do.  You also need to have passion and drive and it helps to have family members and friends that support you but don’t let them stop you if you want something bad enough.  Just make sure you have no regrets.