Acting career

Anthony Ghannam

What made you become an actor?
I’ve liked to act and entertain my family during holidays since I was little. I always wanted to be the centre of attention at parties and everyone always told me I should be an actor. So I started taking acting classes at age 9 and then I got discovered by an agent. She told me that I had a million dollar voice. I started working right away in voice over and commercials. I then was recommended to try my luck at pilot season down in LA. So we moved down there with my mum and started working down there on commercials and voice overs for feature films...

Was the move hard?
It was hard but after a while, it got really easy. I started enjoying LA and I liked the people over there. The whole thing was cool after a while.

Best parts/worst parts of acting
When you get a script and say you’re a comedian and it’s really funny, you can relate to it. I like scripts I can relate to. Also you get disappointed when you don’t make an audition. Everyone gets disappointed! You have to realize that you are not right for every part and everyone has their own part. Just keep going!

Favourite person you’ve met through acting.
I’ve met so many! Probably Ray Parks that was in the Star Wars movie, episode 1. He played Darth Maul. He was a really cool guy! Totally down to earth and everything!

Person you want to work with.
Steven Spielberg directing wise or George Lucas! Acting wise…probably someone like Jim Carrey! He’s cool!

Who are your role models and why?
My parents are! I know it sounds cheesy but they’re my role models! I also like James Cameron because he is a director and he made Titanic. They told him making the movie would be impossible but he did it. I was astonished by him because he did something even though people said he couldn’t. I’ve seen him before, didn’t get a chance to talk to him but I did see him!

How do you balance your acting career and your regular life?
Well I moved back to San Francisco after living in LA for 3 years. Moving back home, it isn’t that crazy. I don’t have to balance it, it balances itself. Usually if I get an audition, it’s after school so I do all my school time and afterwards if I want, I go to the audition. It is always good to have friends that support what you do. My best friends Brandon Davis and Allen Gaghinjian always support me at school and they help me out with my lines. Friends are a big help and I’m very fortunate to have amazing ones like them.

Are you concentrating more on school now?
Since I have returned to San Francisco, I am concentrating on my schooling right now. I am hoping to go to college in Los Angeles to be closer to the industry. My dream is to be a director. I do audition often and fly down back and forth to LA for auditions.

What’s your worst injury due to wrestling?
The basic story of is that I wrestled up a weight class and the guy illegally dropped me with a hard fall, causing me to get a concussion There was a professional photographer that captured the photo the instant that it happened. He sold it to Wrestling USA Magazine and I was featured on the cover.

Did you injury put you off wrestling?
That scared me but it made me improve. I was in junior varsity but my coach put me in varsity to see how I’d do. After the concussion, my coach made me take it easy. Since there were others wrestlers in my weight class I had to compete against them to earn my spot back. I did and I ended up having a great season. I went as far as to qualify at "Sections" for my division in the state of California! I’m hoping next year to make it to “State”.

What advice would you give upcoming actors?
I would say…when someone tells you not to do something, do it! When you tell your mind that you can’t do something, it automatically shuts off and says yeah okay I can’t do it. But if you tell your mind that you can do it, your mind and your body will believe you can do it! So with acting, you have to get in as many auditions as you can and keep striving for it! You have to want it 100% completely! If you’re auditioning for something and you don’t really want it, you’re not going to get it! The person that is going to get it, is the person that really wants it! You have to study the script for ages and you can’t be nervous, you have to have a lot of confidence! A LOT of confidence!!

What’s the key thing to success?
To go full out! You have to do more than what people know. If you want to cure cancer, you can’t assume that we can’t cure it and just listen to doctors. You have to get the full education you can get and you have to physically understand it! You have to devote your whole life towards it. The key to success is just to study it. Whatever you want to do, study what you want to do and just go for it 100%!

Films

Best moment
I have a lot of great moments like once, it was my first time going for a voice over and I was really nervous! So I go in and they’re just like, alright we’re going to do some things so you can just relax and go in the kitchen! They had a kitchen in the studio and they gave me a bunch of free ice cream and stuff and I was amazed! They treat you like royalty! Then talking to people and getting to know people is great! Also Bambi II was nominated and won the Annie Award this year which was awesome!

Most embarrassing moment
Summer can be a name for people but it’s a season. In the script, they were referring to a girl called summer and I thought it was a season the whole time. Basically I mixed up words and you think of things backwards and act it out, it looks stupid! Everyone was laughing because I thought it was the season till they explained it was a girl! I looked really stupid!

Ever had a crush on someone on set?
It was Oliver Beene and I think everyone had a crush on her! AJ Michalka. She was in the show with me. When I went in, I saw her and was talking to her and I was just like wow, she’s pretty! We just talked but she was pretty and that’s probably my “crush” on set.

Ever played a character that’s similar to you?
No not really. There are not many characters like me. I’m not like your average, ordinary person. I’m different; I’m unique in a way. Usually when they make actors and they create them, they’re your every day person so I haven’t really found anyone that is my kind of style. I’m funny, nice and I’m different. So no, I haven’t.

Favorites

Car: Lexus SD4-30
Colour: blue
Food: that’s hard! Hmm…dolmadakia! [Vine leaves wrapped around rice…it’s a Greek food]
Soda: Mountain Dew 100%!!
Candy: War Heads!
Chocolate: snickers
Ice cream: rainbow sherbet
TV show: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Website: myspace
Book: the series of unfortunate events part 1
Movie: titanic
Male actor: Jim Carrey
Female actress: Kate Winslet
Band: Journey
Fast food Restaurant: taco bell
Karaoke Song: don’t stop believing-journey
Joke: the long and pointless ones that have a lot of explaining and basically there’s no ending…it’s stupid but funny!
Cereal: apple jacks
Jam flavour: blueberry!

This or That

McDonalds or Burger King
McDonalds

Blue or Green
Blue

Computer or TV
Computer

Books or magazines
Books

PC’s or Macs
Macs

Burgers or Fries
Burgers

Coke or Pepsi
Pepsi

Beach or mountain
Mountain

Forest or field
Forest

Dogs or cats
Cats!

Surfing or water skiing?
Water skiing

Sky diving or bungee jumping
Sky diving

Internet Explorer or FireFox?
Internet explorer

Solitaire or Backgammon?
Solitaire

AIM or Msn?
AIM

Dating

What do you look for in a girl?
Obviously I look for personality. If she has really good looks but not a very good personality, I won’t be attracted to her. Honestly just personality. But she has to look pretty.

Best date
I just had a date recently. We ate, went to a movie, went to the mall…it was a good day!

Ideal date
I’m not sure…it would have to be romantic though!

Worst date
My first date! I don’t even remember it but I just remember the girl…let’s not go into details

Who would be your perfect date?
Jojo!

Random/Personal

If you were a super hero, who would you be?
No doubt, spider man!

If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?
Probably Sonic the Hedgehog

Describe best Holiday Ever
Christmas! I love Christmas! We all get together as a family and we bond! It’s a happy time and I love happiness!

What has been the best present you have received?
This past Christmas I got a piano! I’ve been playing the piano for 10 years.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Greece! I really want to go to Greece!

If you could do anything, what would you do?
I would make a movie! Or save the world!

What are your hobbies?
Working out!! I love working out!! I work out every day! Also solving a Ruben’s Cube. It takes me a minute and 10 seconds…I also am involved with many charities.

Are you home schooled?
I was homeschooled for a year. Then I went to a private professional school in LA while working for Disney and when I returned to SF I started at public school because I wanted to wrestle...

Daily routine
Go to school, after school go to wrestling practice, work out, after that do my homework and on the weekends I hang out with my friends…a lot! We play basketball, see movies, we bowl and lots of other things! I also go to the recording studio 3 times a week for voice overs.

If you were stuck on a desert island with only three things, what would they be and why?
Jennifer Lopez, a Ruben’s cube and a computer

Tell me a secret!
I can do a back hand spring

Favourite quote
If you’re afraid to die, you’re afraid to live- Jeremy Grant [Anthony’s friend]

Best piece of advice
Women are always right! No arguments…they’re always right!

Do you have a myspace? If yes, what is it?
www.myspace.com/ghannam

How can fans contact you?
Through my myspace or my official website www.anthonyghannam.com