We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Garrett Dumas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Garrett below.

Garrett, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I realize I didn’t learn my craft like everyone else, I learned differently. I don’t come from a theater background, nor did I have any aspirations to be an actor. But I’ve always wanted to be a superhero. Throughout my career I’ve relied heavily on living in the moment and emotional memory. I was blessed with the opportunity to be a stand in and I learned from there. I learned by watching some of the greatest actors to have ever done it and reenacting their scenes for camera from Johnathan Majors to Lawrence Fishburne. I’ve taken classes here in there but I’ve heard one thing, you’re really good. When you can perform on some of the biggest sets without question, you know you can do anything. I’ve sense then picked up books and studied some of the greats from Meisner to Stanislavsky. I find the most essential skill I was born with is to make any scenario real, it’s never acting when you’re real in the moment letting the scene guide you, forget yourself, become the character. Even a scene with no lines, I had to stop myself from being overcome with emotion as I walked off set. If you’re like me coming up in this industry late, we have bills, a responsibility, a job, and not alot of income in between. So study every chance you get, learn as much as you can to become better at your craft. If you have a hard life at every turn like myself, use it, it becomes an invaluable tool, something those who’ve had it easy just don’t have. When you’ve spent your life being the strong one, it’s a place to let it go. With hard work, Faith and alot of Heart, you can reach your goal. It’s never too late to make your dreams come true.

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

I had plans for my life but as they say, your plans are too small for God. I was recently out of the military doing MMA while going to college and working temp warehouse jobs. Until one day I got invited to do background on Teen Wolf, it wasn’t really for me, then I work as a dancer in a Tyler Perry Movie, paid well but it wasn’t for me. Then something cool happened, I got a stand in job on a show called The Originals, which turned into a recurring gig as well as recurring background gig. I learned to understand the industry this way. Until one day I ended up on Fast & Furies 7 I got to stand in for Vin Diesel and I even made Paul Walker laugh, it was unreal I had the time of life. Then they invited me back and this time I’m jumping out of speeding cars pulling assault rifles on Vin Diesel and chasing Jason Stathams stunt double and I was hooked. On that set I met my friend Carnell and I decided to make my first movie from the knowledge I acquired. I started as background, became a stand in did light stunts in Fast 7 and from there I became an Actor, Producer, Director, Writer and Stuntman and have never stopped since. I made my first film union with the help and knowledge I learned and became SAG Eligible after my first film. As well as all my lead cast and stuntmen. The film went semi viral and we toured all the comic conventions in the south gaining thousands of fans. Unfortunately Facebook tookdown our Fan Film page during the pandemic and we weren’t able to get it back losing thousands and fans and memories for no reason. But I’m proud of what my team was able to accomplish, we didn’t have very much money but alot of Heart and we changed things for the better. Goal now in life is to follow my dream and create bigger and better films while giving more and more people opportunities. For me success just means a bigger budget and I can’t wait to do more. If you’re a creative, you’ll never stop growing.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is the change the world for the better through film, that is my drive to reach higher heights so I can help more people. The more I accomplish the more I can help others. I’m a man of Faith, I don’t think God sent me here just to help myself. In every Heart you spark the light of hope that’s just little bit of change for the better.

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

I’ve been told no more times than you can imagine, people thought there was no way I could do what I do. People started taking credit for my work, even people flat out pretending to be me. Many local agents ignored my submissions or just didn’t acknowledge me at all, many stunt coordinators blew me off or thought I was lying about everything I had done. People thought I used others and took credit for their work or I was some mega rich guy, people lied about my sexuality to point I was harassed when I was just nice. Someone didn’t like me, and started a rumor I was homosexual and I began being harassed for years. But I didn’t let them change my heart, I stayed an ally in their cause and fight for equal rights. I was someone who found success very early in our industry but I wasn’t rich so I still did background work and such to make income. I had someone follow me home thinking I was rich and shot me in my driveway while making my second film, then I got out of my car everything went black. When I woke up they freaked and hopped in their get away car like I was suppose to be dead. The doctor put staples on the crown of my head not knowing what caused the wound, he then said I wouldn’t walk for six months to a year and I burst into tears because I wouldn’t be able to finish our film. I even called the casting company crying letting them know I wouldn’t make the booking Monday. But I was walking with a cane in a month the bone that was shattered by the bullet in my leg came back together by the end of the first month and I was doing stunts in 4 months and finished our film. After that I had to deal with people attacking me left and right, trying to get me kicked off set for no reason and I would never know. Basically the more I stood out, some people would harass and try to get rid of me. Something that never made sense to me because I’ve always been happy for others success. I never had any proof till a casting company finally researched the accusations made against me found out they weren’t true. After years someone thought I was worth protecting. It felt good, I finally knew the truth, I was vindicated. But through it all I never stopped creating, I directed and starred in several films, got my first agent booked show after show I never gave up. Someone finally did research and found out everything good they know about me was true and everything bad was a lie. They found out I really did write, produce, direct, act and do my owns stunts and everything else. Someone finally realized it was all true. And I realize I was dreaming too small for God, because no matter how hard things became, no matter how many people turned on me for no reason. I never lost Faith and the impossible became possible. But I will say this, actors I worked with at each stage of my life gave me advice watered me pushed me forward. It was always those where I wanted to go who always welcomed me with open arms and I’m thankful for every person that helped me on the way from PAs and Casting, to Directors and ADs. They knew they could count on me and I never let them down. I never gave up and when push came to shove I gave it my all. I didn’t become an actor the typical way, but I did it my way.

Contact Info:

• Website: IMDb.me/GarrettHD
• Instagram: GarrettShadow
• Facebook: @GarrettHD
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-dumas-52b85819
• Twitter: @GarrettHD
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/GarrettDumasDeadPool