Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Archambault
Hi Gabrielle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I spent my childhood in various places in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and for three years, in Saudi Arabia as my Dad’s work took us overseas. We spent a lot of time traveling Europe as well, and all these experiences made me fascinated by all the unique places and people the world had to offer.
As a child, I was very energetic, as I think many people who are drawn to theater are, but also quite shy. I wanted to throw myself into performing when asked to read aloud in class, but the attention also made me nervous so I threw myself into writing for a long time before I got the courage to perform in front of people. One of my first roles was in a 5th grade children’s production of A (significantly abridged) Midsummer Night’s Dream, where I had hardly any of my own lines as Robin Starveling holding the “bush of thorns with the lantern”, but I had memorized the entire script so whenever any of my castmates forgot a line, I was “planted” to whisper their lines to them.
Due to my avoidance of wanting to be the center of attention, for most of my childhood, I had channeled my energy into athletics. It wasn’t until a sports injury forced me to try something new that I really took a try with athletics. My mother encouraged me to audition for the musical and once I started there was no looking back. The first full length show I ever did was the musical Carousel, and I challenged myself to learn juggling for our carnival preshow. Though I was only in the ensemble, I learned about the process of creating and working on a character, but more importantly the world of community and possibility that the arts provide. I realized that it was an outlet to become whoever and whatever I could imagine. Slowly, I began to diverge from athletics and more and more into theater, music and dance.
Against my family’s wishes, I went to college for musical theater at the University of New Hampshire, and dove full on into my performing arts training. Their hopes of my choosing a sensible career were dashed.
After graduating college I booked my first film, a short called, In a Quiet Woods, which was an avant garde piece where I played a bird witch hunting a small chipmunk creature. This film set me up for an interesting lineup of films after, which have all been predominantly in the world of horror, sci fi or abstract art films. I’ve played perhaps an abnormally large portion of characters who are part human part creature, and many with a sinister edge.
For a few years I stuck close to home but eventually the urge to branch out of my comfort zone overtook me and I moved first to New York City for musicals, and then on to Los Angeles as my focus moved more towards tv and film.
Recently, I returned back to my roots on the stage playing the role of Jess in Ugly Lies the Bone for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. This is one of the hardest and most rewarding roles I have ever gotten to embody, and I am so grateful to have been able to bring her to life for one month this summer. Her story is so powerful, and I highly recommend the play to anyone who is able to see it or read it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Sure, I think I struggle with many of the same things others do, getting notice in my work, keeping up with good training in order to continue to bring that good work to whatever auditions may come my way during this slow time. But, I find that most of the challenges and obstacles, other than the obvious ones that any actor starting out without connections goes through, are mainly internal. Struggling against my own expectations, desires and sometimes maybe too much of a rush to get to a finish line which in reality does not exist. Trying to balance making a living through a full-time day job with having energy and emotional life left over to pursue my art. And reminding myself not to let my impatience get in the way of enjoying the journey.
If the me from that first photo in my first musical could see where I am now, she would be so happy. I remember the time I dreamed of getting my first tv audition, booking my first film. But then the milestones pass, and it’s sometimes hard to remember everything that has been achieved and to be grateful for that while having the thirst and desire for the next thing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The thing I am probably most known for now, is work in horror films. Which is funny because back where I grew up, everyone knew me as the singer who was in the musicals, and did comedy. I do find myself drawn to the darker materials, though I enjoy comedy as well. There is something about representing the stories of the worst thing that can happen, and overcoming them, or maybe not, which gets me excited about a role. Not sure what that says about me.
In my writing as well, I tend to air on the darker side of things, something twisted or ambivalent in nature. I’m interested in the idea that nothing is either good or bad, and many people do bad things with good intentions, or be the only thing they know how to do at that moment. And in my work I think about how I can represent that. I am really proud of the work I’ve done over the last couple of years in film and tv, and I really look forward to those shows coming out so others can see them as well and share in the stories.
The feature film No Tears in Hell is slated to come out early 2025 and I had such a wonderful time working on that film, despite the very dark subject matter, It was such an incredible learning experience and I made some amazing friends on set. That script drew me in from the first time I read the audition sides and I am so looking forward to being able to have others see the work as well.
I think that this loving approach to the darkness, to turmoil, sets me apart. Creating stories and characters that are complex and sometimes represent the things people don’t want to admit or face about themselves.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Strangely, I remember very little of my childhood. Which always makes a question like this quite interesting to answer. When I think of the things I most enjoyed as a child, it is probably being alone in the forest, and just imagining things. Making up stories in my head. I was always imagining something or creating a story, daydreams that were built upon every day with the same characters like an episodic show. So maybe the stories I made up in my mind are my favorite memories more than anything real that happened to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grimabbeyproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabby.archambault
Image Credits
Chris Jon Photography, Gevorg Gev Juguryan
