We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deaton Gabbard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deaton below.
Deaton, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
There’s a reason I expanded beyond being a working actor and independent producer into teaching and mentoring. When I first started out, I didn’t have anyone helping me navigate the process. Looking back now, there are things I could have learned in months that took me years to figure out. If someone had given me the right tools and direction early on, I genuinely believe it could’ve cut years off my learning curve. That’s a big reason I coach now. I don’t believe in gatekeeping. This industry is hard enough already. I believe we all move further when we help each other, and I want to be the person I didn’t have when I was looking for answers.
Like a lot of actors, I started by doing what most people do: mimicking. I could fake emotions, look comfortable on camera, and make things seem believable, but I eventually realized that wasn’t truthful acting. Real growth came through consistent training. Over the years I’ve studied with incredible coaches including Andi Matheny, James Ciccone, Amber Bohac and Kimberly Crandall at Actorsite, learned the business side through Wendy Alane Wright’s Hollywood Winner Circle, and most recently completed Alex Collins’ year-long Mastermind 2025 program. I didn’t suddenly get lucky. I committed to training, invested in myself, and never stopped growing. People see the wins, but they don’t always see the years of work behind them. If it takes 10 years to become an overnight success, I’m on year eight…and that includes a strike and a pandemic.
The most essential skill is still learning the craft first. If you can’t act, it doesn’t matter what opportunity comes your way because you won’t be ready for it. You should consistently be in class or working with a private coach like myself and actively working scenes. Auditions move too fast to learn acting on the spot. Training is where you build those muscles including scene breakdown, memorization, making choices, and learning how to bring truth to a performance. It’s also where you start discovering your strengths and learning what types you naturally fit into. Early on, many actors worry about being typecast, but the reality is that being typecast at the beginning is often how you continue to work and build momentum.
One thing that would’ve dramatically sped up my learning process was understanding the business side of acting sooner. Most actors think acting is just performing, but a huge part of this career is understanding how you fit into the industry and how to market yourself. You can be incredibly talented, but if nobody knows where to place you, opportunities become much harder to create. Now that I understand the business side, I felt confident enough to make the move to Atlanta and step into a much larger market with even greater competition.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Deaton Gabbard. I’m based in Atlanta now, but I grew up in Kentucky. I’m a working actor, acting coach, mentor, independent producer, podcast host, and content creator who’s deeply passionate about both the craft and business side of this industry. At the core of everything I do is storytelling. Whether I’m in front of the camera or behind it, I’m always focused on creating something meaningful. That passion is what got me into acting in the first place.
I knew I wanted to be an actor since I was five years old. But it wasn’t until my first experience on set, working background on the Phillip Noyce film Above Suspicion, that I realized I wanted to make it a realistic career. We worked a 14-hour day and I loved every second of it. It didn’t feel like work. That was the moment I realized I had to figure out how to make acting and filmmaking my reality.
As a working actor, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of projects including JC Films A Paralyzing Redemption alongside Dean Cain and Eddie McClintock, Dread Central’s Bystanders, and the Asylum/Tubi Original Earthquake Underground. Every set has taught me something different and helped shape the way I approach both acting and filmmaking.
Over time, that passion expanded beyond acting itself. I fell in love with the entire filmmaking process. I love writing, producing, directing, creating content, and building projects from the ground up. I’m currently the Executive Producer and title character in Renegade: The Series, with episodes one and two available to watch for free on YouTube. We’re actively developing episode three as we continue expanding the world and story of the series. I’m also the co-owner of Cobra Pit Productions, where we’re actively developing a new feature film project that I like to describe as Knives Out meets Saw. On top of that, I recently wrote and directed a single-take short film called Dream Search that’s currently being submitted to film festivals. I’ve always loved being involved in the creative process from every angle, not just standing in front of the camera but helping build the entire world around it.
That philosophy also extends into our podcast, Podcast of Traveling Actors. I co-host this with one of my best friends, another working actor based in Kentucky named Brandon Wall. Last season’s video episodes can be found on my YouTube channel, and we’re currently in post-production for Season 3 with a planned early Fall release. Many of the coaches and mentors who helped shape my own journey will also be featured as guests. I love creating spaces where people can pull back the curtain and have honest conversations about acting, growth, and the realities of this industry. A lot of people only see the wins, but I think there’s value in talking about the work behind them.
Coaching naturally grew out of that same mindset. Through private coaching, I help actors improve their craft while building on their instincts and tailoring the work to fit their specific goals and needs. One of my biggest notes as a coach is: “I don’t believe you—stop acting.” People usually laugh when they hear that, but what I really mean is stop trying to perform and start being truthful. I’m always pushing actors toward authenticity over performance because that shift changed everything for me. It was when that clicked that I started getting callbacks and booking more consistently.
What sets me apart is that I’m actively living everything I teach. I’m still training, still auditioning, still learning, still creating projects, and still growing. I understand what it feels like to be in the middle of the process because I’m in it too.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a specific credit or accomplishment—it’s the impact and the journey. Seeing actors gain confidence, sign with agencies they spent years trying to get into, take bigger chances, and start believing in themselves is incredibly rewarding.
I want people to know I’m not interested in pretending there’s a shortcut. I believe in training, showing up consistently, building community, and putting in the work behind the scenes that people don’t always see. I also won’t sugarcoat things. I’ve been in rooms where people tell actors only what they want to hear, and you don’t grow that way.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is sharing that art. Art is subjective and speaks to people in so many different ways. Two people can watch the exact same film or performance and walk away with completely different experiences, and I think that’s fascinating. What connects with one person may not connect with another, but when something genuinely resonates, it can stay with people for years.
I think storytelling has always been powerful because it makes people feel seen. Whether I’m acting, producing, creating content, or coaching, the most rewarding part is knowing that something you created connected with someone else in a meaningful way. At the end of the day, if something I create makes someone think differently, feel something deeply, or inspires them to take action, that’s incredibly rewarding.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I’ll be honest, I’m currently in a huge pivot moment in my life. I never thought I would fall in love with something as much as I fell in love with acting—until I did. Part of the reason I moved wasn’t just because it was a smart career move; it was also because I needed a fresh start. I had built a life that looked very different than the one I’m living now, and when that changed, I found myself having to rebuild more than just my environment.
What I’ve learned is that sometimes pivots aren’t planned. Sometimes they’re forced on you. You can either fight them or decide to grow through them. Moving to Atlanta wasn’t just about putting myself in a larger market—it was about betting on myself again and stepping into a new chapter.
As difficult as it’s been, I think moments like that force you to reevaluate who you are, what matters to you, and what kind of life you want to build. Right now I’m still in that process, but I think there’s value in being honest about that too. Not every pivot comes with a perfect ending tied up in a bow. Sometimes you’re still living it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/DeatonGabbard
- Instagram: @deatonegabbard
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deaton.gabbard/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deaton-gabbard-5b503a169
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/DEGdeatonegabbard
- Other: Podcast of Traveling Actors Audio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-of-traveling-actors/id1555979332
Podcast of Traveling Actors Video: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXphmdulV2xs77PwsGJI23UUYp2a_HlWx&si=VSoO1WOaFZNiR1mS
Cobra Pit Productions: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069655643360
Cobra Pit Productions YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cobrapitproductions2593
Renegade Episode One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBUK7MLPPmw&t=53sFor audition coaching or to start training email deaton.gabbard@gmail.com
Image Credits
Ira Carmichael Photography for headshots
Others don’t need photography credits.
Can provide the projects though:
Bystanders for the screaming with an axe
Crying in the car is A Paralyzing Redemption
Superhero costume is Renegade: The Series
The one with me standing with the light is Earthquake Underground
And the last one is BTS from Dream Search