Interview with Ian Gomez

We got the opportunity to do an interview with Ian Gomez, the former star of "Felicity". He talks about his last project, his time on "Felicity" and his decision to become an actor.

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The interview is (c) myFanbase 2007. Please do not copy it to other websites or messageboards.

1. There are rumors that you will play in a new show called "The Beast" and in a movie called "Love Shack". Are these rumors true? If they are can you tell us something about these projects and the roles you play in them?

The Beast was a pilot for Fox TV here in the states. It starred Steve Howey from the show "Reba". I'm not sure if you got that one. Anyway, it took place in a veterinary office and I played his partner. It was very funny but not a lot of comedies were picked up last season.

Love Shack is an independent movie being made by my friend Michael Silver. It's a mockumentary about the adult film industry. I play a legendary adult film maker from the '60's, '70's and '80's who has passed away and all his friends come back to make one last film in his honor. I have only seen a trailer of it and it looks great. I think he's almost ready to show the first cut to the cast and crew.

2. You were a guest-star in two very popular shows: "Heroes" (#1.18 Parasite) and "Lost" (#3.04 Every Man for Himself). Do you watch these shows? And how was working on these shows?

I watched "Lost" for the first season and then I missed a couple of episodes and all this stuff happened on the show and I felt like it would take awhile to catch up. So I never got back to it. Working on it was fun and it shoots in Hawaii, which is nice. I was there for seven days but only worked three. My skin was three shades darker from the first scene we shot to the last. Oops.

I never watched "Heroes". Working on it was fun and everyone was nice, but it's always more difficult to come in as a guest player because the show is not about your character at all, you're just there to move the story forward. And if you're to be funny, you can't be funnier than the regular cast. Which is fine. It's apart of the job of being an actor that works on TV. I'd just rather be on my own show. Oh, and I was almost impaled by Hiro's sword. Thank goodness it was fake.

3. What kind of scripts are you interested in? What must a script be like to appeal to you and make you want to immediately work with it?

I like funny scripts with a good character for me to play. If I know right away how I'd do it, that's a good sign. If I have to work too hard at it, then it becomes work and I started acting to have fun. Otherwise, I never would have left the restaurant business.

4. Is there any director you’d like to do a movie with? If there is why?

I like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, etc. The guys from the '70's. It seems like they let their actors act.

5. When and why did you decide that you want to be an actor?

Since I was young, I had taken a few weeks of acting classes every year or so. Once it got to a point where I didn't understand something, I quit. Then, in my 20's, I was working in a restaurant in New York, and a friend there told me about this class and maybe I should check it out. I did and was there for two years. After that, I was too intimidated to start my career in NY, so I moved to Chicago and got involved with The Second City. I spent seven years there, working as a bartender and doing touring shows and got a regular spot on one of the smaller stages. I met my wife there, Nia Vardalos, and we decided to move to Los Angeles to give it a shot. That was thirteen years ago.

I started acting because it was the only thing I could do that didn't seem like a job. Every time I went to work at the restaurant, I wanted to leave the minute I got there. It was good money, but I hated it, and I wasn't very good at it, either.

Of course we can’t ignore the fact you starred in "Felicity" that’s why we’ve got some questions about this time, too:


6. Your accent on the show was faked but you did it so well, everybody could think it was real. Did the fact that it wasn't real lead to any complications while you were shooting an episode?

Sometimes I couldn't get it right. It would slip in and out. Usually in the early morning or late at night. Also, it would get to the point where no one could understand what I was saying.

7. Have you kept any "Felicity" mementos?

I have the glasses. The originals were stolen after the first season. They were my personal glasses and they didn't make them anymore. They got some that were similar and I kept them. I wish I had all of Keri Russell's hair after she cut it off. I'd make a wig and dance around in it all day, singing "Benjamin or Noel, Benjamin or Noel" . . . I lead a lonely life.

8. Are still in contact with some of the cast members from "Felicity"?

I bump into them occasionally. We're all pretty busy and lead our separate lives, so it's hard to stay in touch. They're all really nice though and we're all civil to each other, which I understand is rare.

9. Since myFanbase is an online magazine about TV Series do you have a favorite one?

There's a show on now called "Rescue Me" which I like a lot. It's about firemen in NY. Very funny and a harsh drama at the same time. And I'm a sucker for "Project Runway" which is a competition reality show about fashion designers. I don't like most reality shows, but this one is about people with talent.

I hope I answered these well and that there weren't too many typos. I had a great time answering them. Take care!

Annika Leichner - myFanbase