Today we’d like to introduce you to Horace Gold.
Hi Horace, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in LA and started performing original songs and cover music on the 3rd Street Promenade as a teenager. I went on American Idol in high school, and the first time I made it to the top 60, where they told me to “go get experience”. When I came back the next year, I was a full artist and almost too much of an artist for a TV show, and getting cut at the top 40 was a great experience because it showed me that I had an individual spark that I never wanted anyone to dim in me. After Idol, I got accepted into Berklee College of Music to study jazz vocal performance. I moved back home to LA to pursue music and fell into songwriting for others. At a songwriting event, I met a music video director who scouted me into acting in a project she was directing, which started my acting career because I then booked five music videos back to back, signed with a commercial and modeling agency, and booked three national commercials in my first year of acting. After joining SAG-AFTRA and taking acting classes, I’ve been cast in indie web series’ and short films and have shifted my focus from songwriting to acting professionally. I’ve greatly enjoyed the ride that being an artist allows us to experience. As a multi-hyphenated artist, I’m grateful to be able to express all aspects of my creativity through singing, acting, modeling, and songwriting, and being able to do each of those freely is a gift. I’m grateful for it all!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
NO! Hahaha. Comparison is evil. Growing up in elite art spaces, it’s not rare to see people you’ve known since you were a teenager get number 1 hits on Billboard, or star on Broadway, or win Grammy’s. It’s very hard to see someone achieve what you know you’re capable of and not respond with self-deprecation, self-doubt, or the worst: jealousy. I’ve found that a cure for those emotions is to listen to my best song, watch my reel, fall in love with my talent again. When I meet people who have what I want, I TELL THEM how cool I think they are and how much of a fan of their work I am. If someone brings out a feeling of comparison or jealousy, I try to befriend them, uplift them, send them love and light because if someone makes me feel even slightly insecure in what I’m doing, it means that they are DAMN good at what they’re doing, and they deserve respect, admiration, and support from their fellow artists. Social media does a really good job of making people think that artists with “success” don’t also face insecurities and the same emotions that other artists face, so approaching people who are doing what I want with kindness has allowed me to move past my feelings of insecurity and put positivity and love into the world, rather than allowing my own emotions to make someone else’s day worse when I might not know what they’re going through behind closed doors. We only get one life, and putting my head on the pillow at night, knowing that I’ve made someone else’s day better, feels a whole lot better than the opposite of that.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an actor, a songwriter, and a vocalist. I’m known in LA for great live shows, consistently strong vocal performances, and strong, charismatic acting. I have a unique set of influences, from classic vocalists like Stevie Wonder and Mariah Carey, to a deep love of pop music like the Spice Girls and N’Sync, to British indie rock/pop like Kate Nash, Eliza Doolittle, and The Kooks, to iconic jazz artists like Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughn, and Ella Fitzgerald. My favorite actor is Justin Kirk (Andy Botwin in Weeds, Prior in Angels in America) who brings a poignant sarcasm and intelligence to each of his projects. I am just a vessel of the work I’m apart of, and I think what sets me apart is the idea that we’re all a lot more similar than we think we are because if we weren’t, art such as 21 by Adele or the Devil Wears Prada, wouldn’t touch entire generations of artists and inspire us to create work. As an actor and songwriter, my sole intention is to speak to the human experience, and I think it requires humility and empathy to accept that at the end of the day, we’re all human beings. In my opinion, that knowledge is imperative to be able to make work that speaks to us all.
Any big plans?
Right now, I’m seeking representation for TV and Film so that your boy can become a Netflix STAR! I have been writing and producing demos in the quarantine that I’m looking to release as a project in the upcoming future, but my current focus is building my TV and Film resume, staying in class, and staying kind.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @horacegold
- Twitter: @hisnameishorace
- Youtube: youtube.com/brookscommaphil
Image Credits:
Headshot/Photos in pink turtleneck: Rob Flate Orange suit with flowers: Michael Newsted Black and white: Evan Ochs photo with white t shirt: Nico Bohorquez
