We were lucky to catch up with Devin McGee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Devin, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I guess you could say it’s in my blood since I come from a family of artisans. My grandmother, father and aunt were all very talented stained glass artists. My father is also an amazing drummer and I inherited my love for music and playing drums from him. My mother is a writer, so my passion for storytelling stems from her. My uncle was a cinematographer back in the 1980s, and he was pivotal in the development of the initial IMAX cameras as well as time lapse photography, lending his talent to groundbreaking films like Koyaanisqatsi and Chronos.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

A few years after graduating college, I was sick of being landlocked in the western part of North Carolina and disillusioned by my corporate job. I decided to start fresh and move back to the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina (where I had attended college at UNC Wilmington). I ended up moving into a house just a few blocks from the Screen Gems studio lot. I would drive by the studios every day on my way to and from work, imagining how exciting it would be like to have a job working as a professional actor on a television show or film. As luck would have it, my friend, Beth, worked for the popular teen drama series One Tree Hill (which was filmed in Wilmington). She knew I was a drummer, and booked me as a featured extra playing a drummer for one of the lead character’s bands on the show. It was my first time being on a professional set, and I immediately fell in love. I felt like I had finally found my tribe.

Fast forward a few years (and many acting classes) later, I booked a small day player part on the same show (One Tree Hill).
I was thrilled! Little did I know that fate had more in store, as what was supposed to be a short one episode appearance evolved into a recurring guest star role over the course of two more seasons. I am living proof that there are no “small parts” and your luck really can change in this business at any time! I was grateful to be a part of a few other great films and television shows in the Southeast before moving to Los Angeles in 2018. I continue to work as a film and television actor. I also play drums in two Los Angeles based bands – Pronghorn and The Lovepools.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Art can be therapeutic and cathartic. It helps you work through certain issues that you may be dealing with and serves as a necessary creative outlet. For me, nothing compares to the feeling of performing live and the reciprocal energy that flows between the artist and the audience. It seems transcendent and magical.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

As an artist, living a city as large as Los Angeles it’s tough to get an audience to come out for anything, since you are competing against so many other events happening on any given day. I feel like art has always been a catalyst for education, change and inspiration in every culture. It is the responsibility of the artist to stir the pot, educate, and expand society’s views when it comes to tolerance of others and walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. I am a strong advocate for supporting local artists and their work. Go see a live band, theater performance, poetry reading, and/or art show!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/devinmcgee?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devinmatthewmcgee
• Other: IMDb: imdb.me/devinmcgee
  Pronghorn: https://instagram.com/pronghornlosangeles?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==
• The Lovepools: https://instagram.com/thelovepools?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==

Image Credits
Photo by Michael Tackett – © The CW, LLC All Rights Reserved