We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Derek Downer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Derek, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk I have ever taken was finally putting my trust in the universe and believing that whatever came next was what was supposed to happen. A good friend of mine says, “What’s ahead of us is all made up anyway. Why not make it fun?” A sentiment that puts a lot of faith in the world around you. The more I’ve leaned into that particular philosophy, the more quality I’ve gained in my life.

I went full-time as an actor maybe a little too soon, but then again, blind ambition was never my problem. I had the support of my family and belief in my abilities as an actor, but not so much in myself or my direction. The movie business is a cruel grind with sometimes beautiful results. It can be a desperate struggle to achieve your own dreams and ambitions, no matter what they are.

I lost faith so many times before I finally just got out of my own way. The less I stress, the more things fall into place, the more opportunities come, and the better man I am each day. When I stopped coming from a place of desperation, all these things started finding me, and I was finally allowed the chance to succeed.

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 background and context?

I got into acting because of the actors I grew up watching: Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and so many others. Timeless actors who carried a measurable weight on screen. There was something about those performances, and those classic films, that gave me a drive and a hope I had never felt before. It felt like something was waiting for me.

I didn’t come back to this calling with my hat in my hand. I came back with a vengeance, ready to overcome any challenge this business throws at me.

These days, I’m lucky that my work isn’t limited to one particular lane. It’s split pretty evenly between acting, picture cars, production, stunt work, and whatever else I can get my hands on. I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to understand how something works. Filmmaking allows me to keep learning and finding new ways to contribute.

I think that versatility is one of the things that sets me apart. I’m not interested in simply showing up, saying my lines, and going home. I want to understand the whole machine. I like being useful. Whether I’m in front of the camera, behind it, coordinating vehicles, doing stunt work, or helping solve some problem that nobody else knows how to fix, I want to be part of making the thing work.

I’m proudest of the fact that I’ve managed to build a life around the things that genuinely interest me. It’s not always been easy, and the path certainly hasn’t been clear some days, but I’ve never been particularly interested in taking the easy road just because it’s there.

At the end of the day, I want people to know that I’m serious about the work. I love movies, I love the people who make them, and I still have that same feeling I had watching those actors when I was young: that something is waiting for me out there. I’m just trying to be ready when I find it, or it finds me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

What I want most is to be remembered as an authentic actor. Someone grounded and believable, where you forget you’re watching an actor and just believe the person on screen. That’s what I saw in guys like McQueen, Newman, and Mitchum. They never seemed like they were trying to convince you of anything. They just were. There was a weight to them that felt natural.

That’s the kind of actor I want to be. Not someone trying to imitate what those guys did, but someone who can bring that same sense of authenticity to his own work. I want people to watch me and believe that person exists, that he has a life outside of the frame, and that I’m not asking them to believe something I’m not willing to believe myself. If I can build a career on that, I’ll be pretty damn proud of it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of this whole business for me has to be the endless amount of stories to tell and experiences to have. I never know from month to month where I’m going to be, who I’m going to play, or even what I get to burn rubber in that day. There’s something pretty special about never quite knowing what’s around the corner and being ready for whatever comes next.

I think I’ve always been drawn to a life that doesn’t feel too predictable. Every project gives me a chance to step into somebody else’s world for a little while, learn something new, meet people I never would have met otherwise, and hopefully come away with a few stories of my own. The uncertainty can be frustrating, but it’s also what makes it exciting. I’d rather have a life full of experiences than one where I always know exactly what’s coming next.

As McQueen put it in the movie Le Mans, “Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting.”

Contact Info:

• Website: IMDB – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2786705/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downer45/
• Other: Representation:
  TX, GA, OK: https://www.pbtalent.com/
  NY, CA: https://www.thedragonflyagency.com/

Image Credits

Lane Womack, Craig Forster, Brandon Dupre, and headshots by Aetherlight Media (Elizabeth Lloyd)