Gross Domestic Product
“You’ll have to move to Israel.”
This was the advice I received from Paul Gross on advancing my career as an actor. And I’m giving it serious thought. It comes from the man whose own career reads like the Actor’s Guide to Thriving in the Canadian Film Industry, In Spite of the Canadian Film Industry. A comparison that makes the star of the ‘gone but not forgotten’ Due South chuckle.
“It’s hard,” he says about working in our film industry. “It’s a screwy system. It’s really Byzantine.”
I’m talking with him about the upcoming western Gunless. We talk a bit about the movie. Working with the horses. The cast who were “a great bunch of people, everybody was really committed and inventive and smart and fun and funny.” Indeed, having seen a preview screening, it looks like it was a riot to be on set. Why does Paul think people should see Gunless?
“It’s really good, and it’s balanced and it’s beautiful, and I’m now an expert with a Colt .45, and it’s full of full frontal nudity.” Official words from Gross himself. Although I must have missed the nudity part ...
The other thing Paul loved was how simple it was to be ‘just an actor’ in this production, after writing, producing, directing and starring in 2008’s Passchendaele.
“Gunless was a holiday. I didn’t have to worry about how the day was going, or if the camera truck would show up, or if the sun was going down. Hard to shut (that part of my brain) off though ... I get a certain mental set that comes over me. Like Pavlov’s dog I start thinking about those things. ‘We’re a little bit behind, we won’t get this scene before lunch.’ I’m like ‘Shut up, it’s not your thing to worry about.’”
Passchendaele is more than just a feather in Gross’ cap. It’s an example of what decades of hard work and dedication can do, even in an industry-crippled province like Alberta. Over 10 years in the making, Passchendaele was shot for $20 million, $16 million of which was spent here in Alberta. On Albertans. A fact which seems to fly right under the radar of our politicians.
“Alberta faces a particular problem in that its governmental support is eroded badly. It’s a very competitive world out there, the whole world is open for business. Alberta’s going to fall by the wayside if they don’t do something about it.” Gross believes that a united front from Alberta filmmakers, to lobby for government support of the industry is necessary. “It’s an enormously profitable, sensible industry to be engaged in.” The Herculean challenge, however, is getting the government to see that. This means that doing the work is disproportionately difficult. “I mean I hate to say it but probably Alberta right now is not the place to be working because there’s not enough of it.”
So who is Paul Gross? An actor, a writer, a director, a producer? He’s a jack of all trades, which he says is essential to getting anything done. Without the critical mass of work that a location like Hollywood has, you can’t simply be just a director or just an actor and ‘make it.’
“Producing is not a job I enjoy doing, I hate producing, but ... if I wanted to do a story about political intrigue in Ottawa with prime ministers, (speaking about the series H20) I had to produce it. Someone wasn’t going to bring me that script so I had to write it.”
Writing and acting started to grow as separate, though compatible, interests for Gross, while he was here in Edmonton taking his acting training at the University of Alberta. The logic of putting it all together started to dawn on him, even then.
“Fairly early on I thought, I needed to have some outlet, some way of determining my own path in things, more than I could possibly have as just an actor. And in order to do the kinds of things I wanted to do as an actor, I had to produce.”
It’s been a worthwhile journey. He calls himself exceptionally lucky, though no one who has worked with him would say that he has simply ridden on that luck. He has the reputation of being one of the hardest working professionals in the industry. And contrary to popular belief, gruelling work doesn’t necessarily age you prematurely. Gross is about to celebrate his 51st birthday at the end of the month. Hard to believe if you’ve seen him recently. What does he want for his birthday? “Just a really nice dinner. And world peace.”
He’s had plenty of other presents, one of which was the opportunity to work with Callum Keith Rennie again. Since meeting on Due South they’ve only worked together on that series about political intrigue in Ottawa, H20.
“It was fantastic to hang out with Callum again. One of the great drives of my life was with Callum in his crazy hot rod. Driving in the middle of the night from Banff to Osoyoos (the location for Gunless). It was absolutely spectacular, he is such a great guy.”
That’s a fact I can attest to. Although the interview didn’t quite work out, I did have the absolute treat of seeing my cellphone ring, answering it and hearing, “Hey Randy, it’s Callum.” Coolest conversational moment of my life.
So how do we all get to be as successful and famous as Paul Gross? “Producing in general is not easy and in Canada it seems to be uniquely difficult. The most important thing is keep trying to make stuff, by hook or by crook, you gotta make films, make’em on the weekends, figure out some way to get short films made.”
So should we be focus on our own projects or trying to get involved in what’s already going on?
“I would say you gotta do both, you sort of have to try and do it all. Keep making pictures. Start working on TV series.”
Keep at it. Sure. But what about the money?
“The whole financing paradigm is going through a sea-change.” He says there was a time when the CBC would provide 75 per cent of the budget if they thought the project was worthwhile. That time is long past. Without seeking foreign co-producers, the backing just doesn’t exist. His next project is a series set in Jerusalem, and will probably be a co-production of four or five different partners, including the U.S. and Israel. “We just can’t fund movies the way we used to.”
So my career as an actor? How do I get involved in his next production? Gross tells me I have to move to Israel. I tell him I’ll be the one standing there with a resumé in my hand looking out of place.
“Okay great, we’ll see you there.”
Sweet. Anyone want to teach me some Hebrew?
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