Introducing, Gregory Sands

Gregory Sands is a native New Yorker that grew up on Long Island. This actor is a jack of all trades, going from a literature student, to cemetery worker, to (hopefully) the next big thing among young actors. He held little back when I candidly spoke with him about his process, hopes, and dreams.

Jillian: When did you know that acting was the path you needed to take?

Gregory: It took me a while to figure out exactly where I was heading. I bought a notebook, left school and started writing. Initially, it was mostly poetry, but eventually I started writing dialogue. I wasn't sure why I was writing dialogue, but I was. And after I would I write it, I would stare at it, daydream about it, and bring it to life in my head. Prior to that, while I was studying writing and poetry at Emerson College I did work on a few student shorts and always enjoyed the acting experience. That led to reading a wide-range of plays, theory, and neurotically observing film performances. Suddenly, I was hooked. After a few months away from the classroom setting I realized that I found acting to be the rawest approach towards artistic expression. Like any of my artwork, it allows me to deal with all of my emotions creatively, blatantly and directly.

Jillian: What do you believe is acting?

Gregory: I approach acting as interpreting a narrative through human interaction; I suppose I find the idea of 'human nature' to be quite an amazing entity. Human nature has developed on curiosity and discovery for thousands of years. We have thoroughly examined the world around us and have exploited a lot of information. The arts are innately obliged to interpret the living world surrounding it. As an ambitious artist living in the Information age, I want to use my energy to create an awareness of the responsibilities ahead of us. Information brings knowledge. Knowledge is power. With great power comes great responsibility. At this point in my life, I can't find a better way to do my work than to dedicate myself to human interaction. My passion lies in the beauty and potential of this world.

Jillian: So you went from going to school in Boston, to trying to “make it” in the New York acting scene. How did you take the leap of faith?

Gregory: I spent last summer working at the Long Island National Cemetery with my younger brother. We worked a hot forty hours a week digging graves, repairing graves, and grounds keeping. I used that money to move into Manhattan and since then have been living the New York minute. I immediately started waiting tables on the Upper West Side and working with students on small scene-work projects. From there I tested the waters of the open casting calls and working as an extra. Now I'm finishing up a screenplay for a short I started writing at the beginning of December. A young director from Brooklyn and I are producing the project together. We start shooting in May and will wrap at the end of June.

Jillian: How do you prep for a new project? What is your process like?

Gregory: For me, I find that each project is a great way to evaluate my progress. As soon as I take a role, I begin the preparation process. Mostly, it requires me to think about the circumstances and characteristics of an upcoming project/character all day and night. Whether I have a couple of days to prepare for a scene or a month to prepare for a short, I am constantly applying my understanding of the piece to my real world interactions. Sometimes this involves a drastic change in my decision making process, other times I might just need to walk differently. Between each project, my priority is to live and study towards deeper and deeper awareness of both worlds. Once shooting starts, I have to let go of that particular awareness and completely trust that my preparation will allow me to react and respond appropriately and creatively.

Jillian: So, you've had some small parts in student projects, and some extra work under your belt. Are you actively seeking a manager or agent?

Gregory: I have a few more personal goals to accomplish before I can officially start the agent-seeking process. Right now, I'm very happy with the representation I have. Sarah McTeague, a close friend and associate, started as my manager about the time I made the move to NYC. Sarah is a young talent in the production and casting field with a strong sense for industry trends. She continues to do a great job of creating and organizing many of my meetings, appointments, and auditions. She also has used her fashion experience to help develop and sharpen my own presentation for important events and opportunities. When I begin to seriously look for an agent, I will be expecting two things: The opportunity to audition for larger stage roles and also some sort of affiliation with soap operas. Perhaps I will seek out more than one agent. It depends what each has to offer. As a native New Yorker, I find it extremely important to carve a respectable path on stage. It's very raw and I find great satisfaction in the sequential performance structure (starting at the beginning of the play and acting all the way through, as opposed to the stop-and-go, cut-action experience of film). The soap opera desire is not only for exposure but also to experience new, obscure scripts often.

Jillian: Have any fun moments as a TV/Film extra?

Gregory: Extra work is actually a lot of fun. Of course it can be boring and tedious at times, but it's a great way to make a day's pay when you have nothing else going on. You spend hours and hours in the background of shots pretending to talk to people you have never met before, which can be awkward at times, but you quickly find the people who are feeling the same way as you about the experience. At this point I've only worked on "Blue Bloods" and "Gossip Girl." But I did get to play a great game of hangman with Donnie Walberg; I was playing a detective questioning a club owner about a murder and he stumped me before we started shooting.

Jillian: So you are a waiter. Fitting in with actor stereo-type right?

Gregory: Ha, well as much as I'd love to be done waiting tables, right now I wouldn't want to be doing anything else while I organize my acting career. I have the wonderful opportunity of meeting thousands of interesting, quirky people every week. The entire staff at Georgia's (a great spot on 89th & Broadway!), from the kitchen to the management and administration, has become as close as family for me. All of our shifts are flexible and the managers are very aware that none of the waiters are looking to make a career at this. If we have projects to work on or auditions to go to, they only ask that we have our shifts covered. Georgia, the owner, and Diane, the manager, are very encouraging of our passions.

Jillian: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Gregory: Five years, wow. That's a bit of a ways from now; it’s exciting to think about it! I will most likely be in New York City. By then, I hope to be working with an agent and also continue working on my book of poetry. So in five years, I suppose I want some of my writing published and have consistent work on stage so I can stop waiting tables. That sounds really good to me. On top of it all, I hope that my work will forever speak positive energy to those around me.

Contact Gregory Sands at gregoryrsands@gmail.com