Name: Gabrielle Reyes
Hometown: Arlington, Texas
Current Location: Dallas / New York
TrunkSpace: When did you know that you wanted to act for a living?
Reyes: My older sister and I grew up waking up at the crack of dawn to watch “Sailor Moon” and several other anime shows that came on local TV if you maneuvered your antenna just right. Back then, we weren’t able to use things like Crunchyroll, which is an anime streaming site. Although, some countries still cant use that even today, unless of course they use the best VPN for crunchyroll. Anyway, as we got older we got involved in anime/comic conventions in the area and eventually started competing in cosplay costume contests. We were both doing all the writing, singing, prop and costume building for our entries and after our first entry we took the stage and won! It soon came to be that my love of writing, dressing up and performing flourished to the love for storytelling that I have today!
TrunkSpace: Was there a particular performance or actor/actress from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Reyes: I was unapologetically obsessed with the whole “Star Wars” saga and ended up putting on a one-woman play of Episode IV in my living room on Thanksgiving. From that I idolized actors like Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, and my first childhood crush; Harrison Ford. As I got older I began to follow the careers of Tracee Ellis Ross and Liam Neeson.
TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career as an actor? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Reyes: I was lucky to have family that supported and pushed me to invest in an education at The University of Oklahoma where I received my BFA in Acting. Of course, plans change and the path was not always clear for how I would get from point A to point Z, but I always made sure to keep myself busy during the summer and winter breaks venturing out to Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to take classes and immerse myself in the ebb and flow of each city. I never let the industry beat me down because I constantly ask myself, “Okay, now what’s next?”
TrunkSpace: When did you decide to move away from your home and pursue acting as a career? How old were you at the time?
Reyes: During my third year in college I took a year off to “study abroad” in Los Angeles. During that time I knew that I was making the choice to leave the safety of my schooling to dive head first into auditioning, working and taking classes in a highly concentrated actor environment. I was lucky that I was able to finish out my education AND live in the heart of the entertainment industry while gaining a sense of true independence and knowledge of possibilities.
TrunkSpace: Was that move an easy transition for you initially? How long did it take you to feel at home and find a good support group of friends and peers?
Reyes: Incredibly! I have a loving support group of friends and family that live and work in LA so when I moved there I was immediately welcomed (and fed) with open arms. When I relocated to Dallas and then New York City, many of my fellow actors and OU alumni friends also lived in the area making my home feel easy, breezy, beautiful. I always felt like I could grow where I was planted!
TrunkSpace: What has been your biggest break in terms of a particular role or project thus far?
Reyes: I’m currently working on a world premiere musical on Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in New York and it’s been such a blessing and blast of a time getting to originate and create a role from the ground up!
TrunkSpace: Is there a specific type of role you’d like to take on or a specific genre that you feel more at home in?
Reyes: As much as I feel the most comfortable with dramatic film and TV work I ADORE the strange and obtuse character work that shows up more often in fantasy, sitcom or stage work.
TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength an actor/actress can have outside of acting ability itself?
Reyes: Honesty. And not that kind of prescribed “honesty” you learn in your acting class every Wednesday and Friday night. But the kind that comes through when you have to tell your fiancé that you saw someone at the grocery store who you were attracted to, or that you’ve outgrown your best friend, or telling your Baptist-raised mother that you don’t see the point in religion anymore. In my experience being able to build on that honesty makes you a more relaxed and generous person free from tension or fear of the truth.
TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your acting career? Where would you like your path to lead?
Reyes: Ultimately, I’d love to produce, direct and write films about the beauty and ferocity of the human experience. Acting is storytelling, and storytelling is a form of activism. With the success of my acting career I plan to use my influence to enact change through more outlets of entertainment.
TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring actor/actress who is considering moving away from home to pursue their dream?
Reyes: Jump, crawl, leap, dive and fall into it! And once you are there, just keep asking yourself, “What’s next?” Never settle for generality or simplicity and through every rejection or recognition keep demanding more from yourself.
TrunkSpace: Where can people (and casting directors) learn more about you?
Reyes: Find me on…
Twitter: @gabriellevreyes
Instagram: @lordgabriellethethird
Website: www.gabriellevreyes.com
IMDB: imdb.me/gabriellevreyes
Backstage: backstage.com/u/gabriellevreyes
Agency Website: marycollins.com/gabrielle-reyes
