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

Paul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The most unexpected problem I’ve ever faced as an actor was one that effected not only myself, but the entire world. I’m referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. I still remember seeing the headline “Final Film Production in the World Shut Down Today” and wondering how I was going to survive, let alone continue my young career as an actor. However, this was not my first time staring an unknown future in the face.

My journey actually originated much sooner.

Rewind to January 2009. Rural Michigan. The thermometer holding at 22 below zero and the glacial winds relentlessly cutting at any exposed skin. The ground frozen as hard as concrete. Bare limbs of trees painfully clattering against each other with each gust. Dull gray skies with clouds as far as the eye could see. No sunshine, no color, no mercy.

The big banks were getting bailed out by the government. Some of the automotive giants also. Yet at the same time, there I stood; on a rooftop, with a crew of hard men, repairing a damaged house that those same banks had foreclosed. One out of every four people in Michigan were unemployed. If you had a job, you were generally either a cashier at a fast food restaurant or working construction. The neighborhoods and cities were growing emptier with each passing day.

“Lunch Time!” — I pulled my scarf from my face and spit over the side of the roof, accidentally striking the metal ladder. I watched as it froze solid. In that moment I had an epiphany. All I wanted in life at this moment is to be able to support myself. I was fighting the elements, unable to afford anything, scratching and clawing to survive. I looked down at my old, stained, torn clothes and then out at the unforgiving environment, “I’m done with this,” I said to myself.

Since we couldn’t afford internet — let alone a computer, I went to the local library to do some research online. I searched the internet for “best economy in the United States” … The answer; Houston, Texas. Next I searched “lowest cost of living in the United States”… Also Houston, Texas.

Fast-forward a month. I arrived in Greenspoint, Texas. Unknown to me, this was the most notorious part of Houston. In fact it is nicknamed “Gunspoint” by locals. My next-door neighbor broke into my apartment and all I had to chase him out with, was a crow-bar! This prompted a move further north to The Woodlands. I began working three jobs. I would work as cashier at a barbeque restaurant, after that, head to a gym where I worked the overnight front desk. I would sleep a few hours and on my days off from the restaurant, I contracted as a graphic designer with a local business. It was a brutal schedule, but I am naturally extremely persistent.

After a while a friend offered to recommend me for a great position with the county as a first responder! I jumped at the chance, throwing myself into the work. I was able to quit the other jobs and focus on my performance. Working as a patrol unit for the Incident Response Team was exciting and adrenaline filled. When clocking-in, I never knew what the day would bring! I honestly never looked forward to my workday until this job. My supervisor Mike, was a breath of fresh air. He actually looked at his workers as human, and wasn’t afraid to jump into any situation shoulder-to-shoulder with his men. Because of the him and the nature of the work, I can honestly say it’s the best job — outside of acting — I’ve ever done.

After working there for a total of seven years, I had my second epiphany. I pulled my patrol truck to the shoulder of a section of road overlooking an open field. I got out and sat on my tailgate, with my lunch. It was warm, the birds were chirping, there wasn’t a single cloud in the big Texas sky. The realization struck me. I had achieved what I had set out to do that frigid michigan day! I now had my own apartment, owned a car, and had a little money saved in the bank. I looked around me. I did what I HAD to do…would I stick with this job (the first potential career, I’d ever experienced)? Or was there something else I WANTED to do?

I sat there, eating and thinking. I recalled my childhood dreams. Fighter Pilot; I didn’t have 20/20 vision, so that was out. Race car driver; that takes a massive financial investment and the risk/reward wasn’t great. Movie star…I guess I could start small with that. See where it goes.

They say in your first year, if you book 2-3 jobs as an actor/model, that you’re doing really well. I booked 11 jobs in my first year! This was only possible, because my supervisor Mike bent over backwards to help me. Looking back, family aside, he’s the first person that believed in me. I’ll never forget that.

After a year, I realized acting and modeling was where I found meaning. I intentionally quit my job with the county in a manner that would prevent me from ever returning and dove full time into acting/modeling.

That’s when covid hit.

I know this has been a very long answer, and I’ll summarize.

Standing there looking at that headline “Final Film Production in the World Shut Down Today”, I thought about everything I’ve been through to get to this point. And I knew, I would not be stopped.

Paul, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Film/TV actor.

I began this journey with a chance occurrence. After responding to a wanted ad on craigslist for actors and models. I was pleasantly surprised to walk on set of a national ACE Hardware commercial! My wife, Alexis came with me and we sat in the hair/makeup trailer for 10 hours waiting for my turn to be on camera. Looking back, I tease her about how much she complained, saying it wasn’t worth sitting there the entire day.

I was on camera for about 20 minutes and that was a wrap. They paid me a couple hundred for the day, and I thought that was it. Months went by. A letter arrived in the mail. It was a check for residuals from my commercial. The amount was in the thousands! Alexis saw the check and her outlook immediately changed. She said “That commercial was great! You should do more of them!”

After that I began to find and apply for local short films, student films, commercials and modeling photoshoots. A few highlights include; Modeling for KIA Motors (Automotive Manufacturer), Appearing on Empire (TV Show), Modeling for Connaisseur Paris (High-End Custom Suit Brand), and writing/producing/playing lead in my own award-winning short film!

When it comes to genres, I always prefer action. The physicality of it. I love weapons/tactics and even train regularly with combat veterans and prior law enforcement. My next goal is to go through a stunt driving and racing school for film. I want to do all my own stunts. This combined with my intense training, lends a realism that is satisfying. It also sets me apart from a lot of other actors.

My favorite quote of all time is: “Amat Victoria Curam.” Which translates to “Victory loves preparation.”

To sum up, I don’t want viewers to say “He’s a great actor!” I don’t want them to think of me in that moment as an actor. I want them to say “I love/hate this guy!” because they are not able to differentiate the actor from the character. And that is my motivation to put in hours, days, weeks, months, even years of discipline, exercise, and training; into preparing for a role.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

On a personal level, the greatest support I can receive from anyone isn’t the encouraging words, but their presence. Show up. When there is an event where I am competing or showcasing my creative work, there is absolutely no substitute for having someone come shake your hand, look you in the eyes, and say “That was awesome!”. Showing up is saying “I support you” without even speaking.

On a societal level, I believe the most effective form of support for filmmaking would be to offer internships, apprenticeships, and work studies where mentorship can take place. There is no substitute for hands-on experience. Wether it’s a short film, or a massive studio production, having the opportunity to learn with actual current equipment and the guidance of an experienced individual offers an immediate advantage over classroom settings. I personally know an individual who worked on set for a week, and stated “I’ve learned more in this one week, than my entire film school.” This individual didn’t even know how to turn a camera on.

As a creative, I think it’s imperative to look for every opportunity to collaborate with other creatives. Not only does this offer different perspectives that might never occur to us on our own, but it lends way to creative solutions when combining resources and brainstorming.

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

One of the goals I have is quite simple. I will buy my mom a house. It doesn’t have to be big, it doesn’t have to be fancy. But it will be hers. She is the woman who brought me into this world. She taught me kindness, love, respect, just how to be a good person in general. I have six siblings and we were very poor growing up, although we didn’t realize it until we were older. That is because my mother taught us to be grateful for what we had, and to focus on celebrating moments instead of possessions. She had several sayings, but my favorite was “You don’t have to have new things, If you take care of what you have, you’ll have nice things the rest of your life.”

It would make me so happy to be able to give back to the person who had such a tremendous role in shaping the man I have become.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drum.io/PaulBlain
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/PaulBlainOfficial
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Blain.PJ
• Other: www.IMDb.me/PaulBlain

Image Credits
Alex Biserchich, Vic Clarke, Chris Hernandez, Tony Phan, Brandon Brumfield, TJ Boyce, Connaisseur Paris