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[0:00] Robert Bannon: This is Robert Bannon, and before I hit the theme song and introduce the show, I want to tell you about some exciting Roundtable news. The Roundtable has a brand new website. You can go to robertbannon.com, find out all about me, find out all about the show. Brand new and now up and running with brand new Roundtable merchandise. Go to robertbannon.com, follow me on Instagram, and make sure you're subscribing to us wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube. Now let's do a show.

[0:24] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Well, welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon, and you're listening to us on Broadway World, the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, and Spotify. Our next guest is somebody that you already know or you're going to find out about real quick because he is blowing up training and working for years and with some of the biggest actors, and now he is coming to us right here on The Roundtable. He's got a lot to say about his journey, his career, his new projects, what he's learned, who he is. We're going to get the full scoop. Gavin, we're getting the full scoop. Welcome to The Roundtable.

[1:00] Gavin Goudey: Thank you for having me. I'm excited. Let's do this.

[1:05] Robert Bannon: I was reading about you, and you got the bug, the acting bug kind of early in your life. You started at like 13 years old.

[1:13] Gavin Goudey: Yeah, that's correct.

[1:20] Robert Bannon: So what happened? How did it find you? How did it catch you?

[1:20] Gavin Goudey: Yeah, so there's been acting in my family. My mother worked as a child actress. She did small jobs here and there, and my grandfather worked as an actor for some time when he moved to the States, and I grew up hearing stories about it, and I was always really intrigued by it. So then when I was 13, I asked my mom if I could take an acting class because I was very curious, and I remember my first acting class very, very vividly, and I remember being absolutely terrified because I had no clue of what any of it was. I had no idea, and I remember that scene that my teacher assigned me very specifically. It was about a best friend telling his best friend a nightmare he had where his mother died, and I had had a nightmare where my mother died, and I remember sitting in those two chairs with my scene partner and just talking to my best friend about this dream I had, and I bawled my eyes out.

I just was crying so hard, and I was so confused on why that was happening and scared, honestly. So I stopped in the middle of the scene, and I told my teacher, I'm actually crying. I don't know what to do. I'm crying. I'm so sorry. What do I do? And she was like, no, no, no, don't stop, and she was upset because she told me I had a breakthrough, and then I remember in that moment like something clicked, and it wasn't a question anymore of what I wanted to do. It was more of a question of how do I keep doing this? I remember thinking I need to do this. I need to learn more, and then, yeah, ever since that first class, it's just been me learning and wanting to learn more ever since.

[3:17] Robert Bannon: Which, I mean, you're not like 48 years old, so things have moved pretty fast for you, Gavin. In 2023, according to your little bio here, and it's little because he's a baby who has a lot of credits and a lot of work and big things coming up. You did a commercial, and then you did FBI, and now you have this big giant movie that is coming out that has already gotten like, I don't know. It was at Cannes. It's going to be at New York Film Festival. It was. It's going to be in theater. How does it feel? What does it feel like for you?

[4:04] Gavin Goudey: It's all been so surreal. It really has because if you told me two years ago that I'd be standing on stage with James Gray, Miles Teller, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver at the opening night of the New York Film Festival, I would have laughed in your face because that's insane. But I think that is the moment where I realized or asked myself, how did I get here? Because I felt like for so long, I was waiting for it to hit. This is huge, and it hasn't really hit, but that moment, it kind of came over me because it was a big moment. It was one thing actually making the film with these people. That was a dream in and of itself, but everything that's come after it, I wasn't expecting at all. This is my first film.

This is my first time experiencing a lot of this. When I first booked it, I didn't know it would be premiering at Cannes. I didn't know it would be making its way through the festival circuit, and I didn't know I'd be going to the New York Film Festival. It has really just been a gift that keeps on giving, and I'm just incredibly grateful for it.

[5:13] Robert Bannon: There's the film festival you went on, and then there's the film festival of Ypsilanti weekend film festival, and then there's New York Film Festival. Might as well start right at the top there, Gavin. I think it's incredible. It's really incredible, the cast of this movie, and James Gray, if you star at Astra, Armageddon Times, or We Own the Night, he has some incredible films and written some incredible films. I want to know about this film. I want to know a little bit about Paper Tiger. What's your character? What's it about?

[5:44] Gavin Goudey: Yes, I play Scott Pearl. He's the eldest son in the Pearl family, 17 going on 18. He's a senior in high school, going to go off to college soon. He's at the age where he's, in a way, sort of drifting from his family. He wants to figure out who he is outside of them. There's also a lot of pressure and expectation being put on him about his future, particularly college, and that weighs on him. I think that makes that all the more prominent. But then this family finds itself in some incredibly trying circumstances, and it completely shifts Scott's understanding of what's important to him. In a strange way, everything that they go through ultimately brings him closer to his family. Scarlett described the film, one says, as a big story inside of a small. I think that's really beautiful. I really do.

[7:04] Robert Bannon: That sounds perfect to me. November 13th, it's in limited release, and it's expanding nationwide on November 20th. Are you ready? Are you ready for this roller coaster and journey that you're about to embark on?

[7:15] Gavin Goudey: I am so ready for it. I'm so ready for Paper Tiger to get its flowers, seeing it already make its way, and getting recognition. I'm just so happy for it, and particularly for James. He's an incredible person and storyteller. He deserves all the love, and I'm really excited about it.

[7:38] Robert Bannon: You're on set. It's Adam Driver. It's Scarlett Johansson. It's Miles Teller. Oscar winners, and big old movie stars, and superheroes, and Marvel legends, and everything that you can have in there. But at the end of the day, they have to work. They're working actors. They're on set. This is their job. What did you learn from them? This is your first feature film. Did they know that? Did they take you under their wing? Did you have a good relationship? Did you learn a lot?

[8:05] Gavin Goudey: Absolutely. Absolutely. Working with them was its own master class. Across the board, I've learned so much about professionalism, set etiquette, and a lot about the technical side of filmmaking. All of it. This is my first film, so I was really learning how to work on a set of that caliber. Going into it, I was obviously very nervous. I'd never met any of them. I didn't know what to do, but the moment I did, all of the nerves washed away. They are tremendous people and very generous actors. I met Miles first. Before we started shooting, there was a meeting with me, Miles, James, and Roman, my brother. Miles made it very clear from day one that he was there for us as a resource. He told me that him, Adam, and Scarlett were all ones to shoot that I'm in now, and to not be afraid to ask any questions.

That meant a lot to me. It was huge. Watching Miles work taught me so much about being completely present. For example, sometimes after a take, James would come to me in my ear and whisper something like, do something completely different, or try this, just to see what he does, because he wants to see what he does. I loved that he did that, because no matter what curveball you threw at Miles, he was right there with you, and he would catch it, and he would give it back.

[9:51] Gavin Goudey: One of the biggest things I learned with Scarlett was the power of physicality. She'd use her body and her breath before a take to get herself where she needed to be emotionally. She would use the same tools to decompress and get ready for the next take. She would do that take after take, and I found it so fascinating, because she knocked it out of the park each time. Adam is a powerhouse. He is really, really something. What fascinated me about him was the boldness of his choices. He would do something completely different each take, and it never felt out of place or arbitrary, because he really had this incredible understanding of his character, the story we're trying to tell, and watching him taught me when you've really done the work, and you know who you're playing, what you're trying to do here.

You've just given yourself the incredible freedom to play and explore, and I thought that was incredible. I mean, I could go on about all three of them, but I'll leave it there. James called it a nauseatingly happy set, and I think that's a perfect way to describe it, because it was really...

[11:32] Robert Bannon: How could you not want to be on a nauseatingly happy set?

[11:32] Robert Bannon: A movie that is not only at some of the biggest festivals but is at 90 plus percent on Rotten Tomatoes before it's been released. People who have seen it, the critics have seen it, they have loved this movie and you have to be on the lookout for when this movie comes out. I'm so excited for you and I know that the best is yet to come. It's only the beginning. So you've worked in now film, television, commercials. They say that you've done modeling. They say you've done theater when you were younger. All of these things that you do, do you feel like they're all things you want to continue to do? Have you narrowed it down? Are you open for whatever the universe throws at you?

[12:39] Gavin Goudey: Absolutely. Absolutely. Being able to move from medium to medium has taught me so much about the differences, just how different these things are. Paper Tiger was my first film and I did FBI after that. I did a small production of the play Sky Knight. One of my acting teachers wrote. His name is Christian Durso. We did that at the I Am A Theater Company in the Atwater Theater Village. I had an incredible time on that as well. I remember very specifically being at the table of people, incredible talent and just being so happy, really, really happy. I was talking to another actor and I told him that I'm really, really into theater. That sounds silly because I had already done Paper Tiger, but I think it was the fact that I was moving from medium to medium that it hit me in that this is my life now.

It's do this and I'm doing it for such people. It was very fulfilling and it means the world to me that this is my life now. Younger 13-year-old me, he would love me now. I feel like that's the goal that you want to chase is to make young people proud, right?

[14:21] Robert Bannon: Absolutely. That's exactly what you're doing. If you've seen him, you're looking at him and you say, I know him. You may have seen him in Ferrando or Toyota or Cheerios or all of the different things that you've done. Then when you look at your pictures, you are a very fashionista kind of person. These pictures are incredible. You have a lot of personal life and heritage that you list in your press release that your team gives me. Latin American heritage, talking about how you present yourself and is that important part of your story. You're born and raised in Southern California. Is that something that you're very proud of and that representation really matters? You're up on screen. There's a lot of people out here, especially in this crazy country, that they get to see you be a big movie star.

[15:11] Gavin Goudey: Yeah, absolutely. It means the world to me that I can be someone that someone can look up to. That's a crazy concept to me because when I was younger, I don't know if I had someone like me in the things that I watched. I'm queer myself. When I grew up, I wasn't always comfortable or sure of myself. That side of me felt very taboo. For a long time, I didn't want to explore it or think about it or express it. I really tried to repress it. I think looking back on my younger self now, I would just give them a hug and tell them that it's okay. You're beautiful and it's okay. If there's something that I can do now that might help another kid not feel the same way I felt when I was growing up, scared, helpless or hopeless or alone, that would mean everything to me. If someone can see something that I'm a part of and understand that they're worthy of love, just like every human being on this planet is, that's incredibly important to me.

[16:38] Gavin Goudey: I do. Perfect, please. Sometimes, film and television can be escapism, but they can also make you feel seen. When you find a character and you realize, oh, I'm not alone. It's so special. And it's just kind of crazy that I'm in the very early steps of my career. It's just crazy that I can be that for someone. I want to be that for someone.

[17:22] Robert Bannon: Absolutely. My husband and myself, I talk about this all the time. I came out way later in life. Being a part of the LGBTQIA community has been a badge of honor that at 14 years old, I would not have thought I would have because I was so scared and afraid. And I tried to repress it and repress it for way too long. So the fact that we can talk about this now and somebody out there may see you and be inspired by you, like your work, like your films, television, et cetera, and feel not alone, I think is one of the great... Besides giving entertainment and art and culture, acceptance is maybe the most important thing we could ever be able to be seen. So I give you so much credit because I didn't have your courage at your age and you inspire me, truly. Truly.

[18:03] Gavin Goudey: Oh, wow. That means a lot. Thank you. We support people. We got to support the film. We got to support the career and all the things. So you say you're still at the beginning of what is going to be really an exciting career. So do you think about the future? Do you have hopes, goals, plans? What's the goal? Book? Keep working? Just come on, put them on set. Let's go.

[18:27] Gavin Goudey: Yes. Booked and busy. Yeah. I mean, God, a lot can happen in five or 10 years, but I really only know one thing for sure, that I'm still going to be chasing this. I told myself when I first started that it's only a matter of time. And I really, really believe that because if you're really passionate about something and you put your all into that passion and you chase it, then it's a fact that it only becomes a matter of time. And there has to be... You have to believe in yourself. And I would tell myself that if I made it when I was 60 years old, if I booked my first thing when I was 60 years old, I would still be happy because I was doing the thing that I love to do. And it's just all so surreal that it's... I don't want to say that I've made it, but I'm starting to get my foot in the door so early.

It's really cool. So whether I find myself working on another film or in television or standing on a stage somewhere, as long as I'm getting to play like a really deeply rich, complex human being and each character challenges me in a way that the last didn't, I'll be a happy camper. I never want to stop being pushed or discovering something new about what I'm capable of as an actor. So yeah, I'd love to lead a film. I'd love to be on Broadway someday. And like I was saying before, I'd love the opportunity to play a complex queer character and tell stories that might actually really impact somebody, stories that invite thought and empathy and hopefully bring people closer together, because that's kind of what this art form is really about at the end of the day.

And yeah, I'm a big believer in manifestation. So yes, I absolutely see myself working with the filmmakers and the artists that I admire. So putting that out there in the universe and maybe someday I'll venture into writing and directing, because I have a lot of ideas and stories that I'd love to tell, but that's not necessarily where my focus is right now, because there's so much I want to learn about it. I want to learn as an actor, but I love the idea that this could expand into different forms of storytelling throughout my life.

[21:02] Robert Bannon: It's going to expand into whatever you want, and you put it out in the, look how far you've gotten from manifesting it now. I mean, that's pretty good. It's a pretty solid start to me. If you want to see this incredible film, 1980s Queens, the Russian mobs there, family, what's going to happen with them all, you want to see in Scott and be Miles and Scarlet's baby. You want to see Adam Driver be his uncle. You want to see the antics that happen, then you need to make sure you check out Paper Tiger. We could follow you. We could stay up to date on all the things that you do, because I know there's more work. I'm sure the auditions and offers and work is coming your way, your incredible team. I'm so grateful to your PR team for setting this up, because pretty soon you'll be way too busy and too booked and important to remember our chat. And I want that for you. I want you to be, Gavin, I want you to be like, I am everywhere. I ain't got no time. Let's go. I'm a big old movie star. Let's do it.

[21:59] Gavin Goudey: I love that. I love that. I'll never forget this. This is my first interview, so I will never forget it. I really appreciate it.

[22:06] Robert Bannon: Honored and flattered, because I can't wait for this to come out and I can't wait to see what happens. And I'm so grateful that you trusted us to do it. And you're so eloquent and you have such a good head on your shoulders and do the work. And as a fellow person in this community of art and in queer culture, I want to say thank you, because I think it's really powerful that you're so brave and strong and talented. I can't wait to see the movie. I can't wait for people to see Paper Tiger and stay up to date on everything that Gavin's doing. Congratulations.

[22:37] Gavin Goudey: Thank you so much. Thank you so much. This has been amazing.

[22:40] Robert Bannon: The best. Let's go. I'll see you next time. I'll see you soon. Thank you for being here.

[22:45] Gavin Goudey: Yeah. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much.