Meet Gavin Velez | Actor – Comedian – Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gavin Velez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gavin, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
The life of an artist is one that is always threatening to go out of balance. Constancy is a luxury in most fields because you are beholden to external forces like a weekly batch of shifts or a schedule. You have driving forces like quotas, a site manager, the next deal, the next sale, or in sports the next win.

In an artistic field like acting, especially in film acting, there are milestones and there are moments of celebration that often come far after the “work” is occurring.

The “work” happens before. For me, that is the challenge, doing the preparation work in the quiet hours when you want to relax. Studying lines, rehearsing an accent, watching reference materials, or mentally getting in the headspace of a character. All of these preparations are necessary for a day of acting work, whether a live show or a day on a film or TV set.

I work other jobs to make a living, I always have. I do not come from wealth and I take a sadistic pride in my ability to make enough money to spare a day for acting and make no money so I can eventually make a lot of money. I work hard enough to give myself the space to work on what I truly want. That space includes room for the rest of my life. My friendships, my most important relationship with my partner of 6 years, my health and my family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an artist. I am an actor. I have done independent films, some commercials, hundreds of live shows and filmed sketches. I was in the Blue Man Group. I’m pictured on the cover of an Iggy Azelea Album. I’ve got an eclectic list of acting work behind me and so much more ahead.
You can check my website for all of my credits and special skills I mean, please, hire me! www.gavinvelez.com

But really what I am is a worker. Acting and performance art are my career but I have always kept jobs to support myself. Since moving to Los Angeles, I have worked the following jobs: Summer arts intern, Barista, Porter, Caterer, Waiter, Substitute Teacher, Photographer for Santa Claus’ workshop, Poolboy, Concierge, Usher, Audio Crew for a wedding band, Website builder, Real Estate Executive Assistant, Content Creator, Video Editor, Lyft Driver, Uber Eats, Production Assistant, Gopher, 2nd 2nd Assistant Director, 2nd Assistant Director, 1st Assistant Director, Covid Compliance Officer, Print Model, Production Coordinator, Director, Skincare Study Recruiter, oh and yes of course Actor.

This exhaustive list speaks for itself. The challenge is making an artistic career work when you have to live and support yourself. This has been very difficult at times. I believe strongly that you should live life with decency, responsibility and respect. This means working hard even at the job that isn’t your end goal. I have made life long friends working miserable shifts carrying rich people’s shopping bags in Glendale. I have met filmmakers at a wedding I worked who later hired me as an actor.

I think I want people to know that I am so grateful. Everyone who I have worked along side in these survival jobs have helped me by picking up a shift, meeting a deadline, or carrying a literal burden that I had to lift. They have helped me live the life that I want to live. I am grateful for the fellow artists who have taken a chance on me and allowed me to do great work that I am proud of.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh this is a great question and I have gotten to do this in reality a few times now.

For a full week in LA I would definitely take you to some of the hidden beauty in LA. We would go to the Huntington Gardens in South Pasadena and spend a whole day looking at art and amazing natural wonders. We could take another day and head to the Getty Museum followed by a dinner on Sawtelle, probably Killer Noodle or Marugame Udon. We could bounce back to Pasadena to go to the Norton Simon Museum.

I would take you to my favorite coastal area over in Malibu and go to Zuma beach for the day. Get some fish tacos and have a lobster roll at Broad Street Oyster Company.

We should also see some shows, so definitely go to the Comedy Store, UCB LA, and see my friends at The Pack Theater.

We would have to make time in the week to hit Bacari for some Tapas, definitely the Silver Lake Location. We would get In N Out probably like four times while you were here too.

To end the food tour we would have a final meal at Saffy’s Place in East Hollywood. This is hands down my favorite meal in LA and I will go any time with any person.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have a great community centered in the indie LA comedy scene. I am a resident actor and improvisor at The Pack Theater. The Pack is a grassroots comedy theater in Los Feliz that is home to so many dedicated, funny people. When a lot of Los Angeles organizations are looking for your money or your clout as currency, The Pack has been a great place to work out ideas and get out as much as you are putting in.

Website: https://www.gavinvelez.com

Instagram: @gavin.velez

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-velez-b30309138/

Other: https://www.packtheater.com/

https://www.imdb.me/gavinvelez

Image Credits
Carli Lind — Mher Vahakn Ajamian