Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cedric Gegel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cedric, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’m from Wapakoneta, Ohio – the same hometown as Neil Armstrong, the first man to ever step foot on the moon. I remember asking my choir director in high school, Tim Smith, if there was ever a world where I could be an actor. I didn’t think it was possible that some small-town kid could ever make it. I’ll never forget him laughing and, with so much kindness in his voice and smile, telling me: “A guy that grew up three blocks from you went to the moon. You don’t think you can play dress-up for a living?”

When I started school at Capital University, I think I was afraid. Afraid of risks, afraid of an unknown future, and afraid of failure. I started as a business major, then switched to studying high school English education while doing plays and musicals for fun on the side. But when my English professors saw me on stage, they sat me down and told me that I needed to leave their program – they could see that my real passion was in acting. Then, my acting professor, the late, great Dr. Bill Kennedy, sat me down and told me much the same. I decided to go ahead and do the terrifying thing: change majors and pursue a dream.

I’d love to say it started then, but that was the uncovering of the fire; the spark began long before that. I was recently going through a number of papers my parents had kept from middle and elementary school, and I found something from the fourth grade where I had written: “I want to be an actor.” Truth be told, I had no idea I wanted that back then, but it makes sense. We didn’t have cable growing up, so I watched DVD box sets of I Love Lucy, Andy Griffith, The Beverly Hillbillies, Carol Burnett, Gomer Pyle; I devoured fantasy books and played outside in the backyard with my siblings.

That’s what I still do today. I learned comedic timing from Don Knotts and Lucille Ball and Red Skelton and Tim Conway; I grew my imagination in Narnia and at Hogwarts and wandering Alagaësia and defeating Kronos; I still just get to play dress-up with friends. That’s a testament to my parents, who made sure we were reading and got us into dance classes and listening to soundtracks like Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music. It’s a testament to my siblings, my older sister Tori and twin sister Salon and younger brother, Austin. Everything I do now leads back to the worlds we built in our backyard or found between the pages of those books.

So although I discovered it in college, I think I knew from a very young age. I think maybe, in my core, I knew when I was a little boy looking up at the moon and knowing it was possible to get there.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Cedric Gegel, and I am an actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and YouTuber based in the New York City area. I’m originally from Ohio, which is where my career got started. As I mentioned, I had some professors – to whom I am so grateful – persuade me to consider changing majors to theatre. I worked on a lot of short films with friends, theatre at school, some indie projects around Ohio, and, a year after graduating from Capital University, wrote and directed my debut feature film, the indie family faith-based fantasy Cadia: The World Within, starring Corbin Bernsen (LA Law, Psych, Major League) and James Phelps (the Harry Potter franchise).

I think that experience really set the tone for my career. We had a ton of fun making that movie, even though, truly, we were a bunch of barely-adults running around the woods. I hadn’t truly studied screenwriting or directing; I just loved movies and loved working with good people. I think that love shows on screen, and working with Corbin and James, as well the rest of our cast – like the incredible talented Sells triplets, Keegan, Carly, and Tanner, or the phenomenal indie actor John Wells, everyone was great – really taught me that if you can trust the people you’re working with, and have fun, and have everyone care about the project, then things will work out.

Since then, I’ve moved several times, finally landing in the NYC area, although my heart still loves Columbus and would love to keep making films in Ohio. I’ve been in dozens of films, short films, and series, and have had some incredible opportunities to appear on stage, including roles like Joe Gillis in SUNSET BOULEVARD, Pippin in PIPPIN, and my personal favorite, Robert F. Kennedy in KENNEDY: BOBBY’S LAST CRUSADE. I’m also especially proud of our indie series, The Coroner’s Assistant, which was written and directed by the remarkable Angeline Walsh. We made this thing as indie as indie gets, and we ended up being nominated for two ASTRA Awards, which is a testament to Angeline’s resolve and craft and, of course, the power, again, of good people having fun, trusting each other, and caring about the project.

Ultimately, I think I’ve been able to build a career off of those things. I care, I trust, and I have fun. I work hard (on set and off; when I’m not acting, I am writing in my home office, studying films, or working on videos for my YouTube channel) and I build genuine friendships. To me, that’s been the best part of my career. I love acting – adore it! – but the best parts are in between takes, or during rehearsal breaks, where you’re spending time with each other, building those relationships and memories. And of course, those show up on screen, whether your characters are friends or enemies. If you respect and care for your scene partner, for the team behind the camera, and for the story you’re telling together, then the results will have that bit of magic. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked all over the country, making so many friendships and memories all along the way, and have grown to appreciate coming home, opening my laptop, and letting my imagination run wild on the blank sheets of a screenplay. Then, when it’s time – I’m off again to meet more people, tell more stories, and keep living this dream.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I started college at Capital University as a business major, then switched to studying high school English education while doing plays and musicals for fun on the side. But when my English professors saw me on stage, they sat me down and told me that I needed to leave their program – they could see that my real passion was in acting. Then, my acting professor, the late, great Dr. Bill Kennedy, sat me down and told me much the same. I decided to go ahead and do the terrifying thing: change majors and pursue a dream.

Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with cancer.

My cancer was in my elbow. Blood vessel cancer – epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, if you enjoy some Latin – and it’s extremely, extremely rare… meaning there was no clear treatment plan. Those offered by my medical team included chemotherapy, surgery/radiation, or an amputation. Amputating it was the clearest path to removing the cancer, but because of my dream, my doctors decided to go for radiation and surgery. The following months were terrible – and I mean Terrible, capital T – but it gave me the single thing I think any creative needs to make it in this life: resilience.

Through all my surgeries and treatments, I had pain. Have pain – it’s still there, but so is my arm. We put a lot of faith in this risky treatment plan, and although my motion and strength are severely limited in that arm, the plan worked. When I was facing these treatments, I had to really face the question of whether I was going to chase this dream or not. It meant a lifetime of pain while have no long-term job, no promise of health insurance, roles I wouldn’t be able to perform, a limited ability to dance or do stunts, and the ever-present risk of shattering my elbow, which could easily lead to an amputation and infection, which could lead to… well, yeah.

But I’ve done it. I’ve worked with the most amazing, wonderful people on projects that mean the world to me. I’ve worked around my limitations to meet the demands of performance, and I’ve been humbled to see directors and stunt coordinators and choreographers and co-stars treat me with so much dignity and care as they shape moments around my disability. I’d like to take a moment to shout out the James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State, who treated me with so much care and empathy. Without them, I don’t know if I’d still have a career – or even my left arm.

It was terrifying, and still is. I regularly have dreams that I’ve hit my arm on a door frame and the elbow just shatters. Thank goodness that’s never happened, but even still, it hurts daily. That pain is a reminder of what I’ve gone through, and that I am still here. It will never heal, but I have. It’s taught me that it’s okay to be a bit fragile. Strength isn’t invulnerability; it is vulnerability. It’s resilience.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Storytelling is the bedrock of civilization. Art. Religion. Language. Community. The self. We tell ourselves our story of ourselves and who we are. Our families. Our futures.

I want to tell stories that matter. Sometimes, that means a comedy that simply distracts people; sometimes, it’s a script that terrifies me. It’s wanting to reflect back on who I am and why; who and what God may be and why. Who I love and why. Why? That’s the question that always drives me. Why love? Why hate? Why exist? Why question?

I’ve found that those little in-between moments – quiet breaths offstage, the crafty table between takes, that little eternity of silence before “action,” or laughter with co-stars and crew – those are the why. Because we’re coming closer together. Because similar to faith, meaning is made whole in community. I’m driven to keep finding and shaping communities, bringing people together, and telling stories that maybe help people understand a bit more about who and what and why. Sometimes that’s through laughter. Sometimes it’s through tears. Always, it’s through humility, vulnerability, and dignity.

That’s what drives me. Connection with people, whether it’s my co-stars or the crew or the audience – or just the people I meet wherever I am. Expanding my worldview, challenging myself, and growing because I got to know someone new. It’s a curiosity about people and about myself, which I think is reflected in my faith. It’s a drive to create a more loving, inclusive, hopeful world, even if the story itself may be dark; there’s reason to believe in each other. I’ve met the most incredible people – two have texted me during this interview, just checking in on me at the end of what has been a very difficult year in my life. If that’s not a testament to the friendships I’ve been so fortunate to make, then I don’t know what is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cedricgegel.wixsite.com/cedric-gegel
• Instagram: instagram.com/cedricgegel
• Facebook: facebook.com/cedricgegel
• Twitter: twitter.com/cedricgegel
• Youtube: youtube.com/@CedricGegel1
• Other: imdb.com/name/nm7391561

Image Credits
Daniel Stemen United Front Films Filip Rucewicz Christopher Ott Angeline Productions / Old Coal Pictures Alexander South / Southern Productions no credit no credit Butterfly Guild JoAnna Goldberg Sue Yang @sue_takes_photos