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Meet and Greet – Armen Garo

September 26, 2012

It’s that time of the month again, for another Meet and Greet post. A couple of months ago I commented with my friend Linda that I had watched the whole Sopranos series back to back and enjoyed it a lot. Linda said that her friend and neighbour Armen is an actor and had been in a few episodes. A few days later Linda had worked her magic and told me Armen had agreed to do a little interview for the blog, so here it is, hope you enjoy it.

Hi Armen, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview.

I understand you work for cinema, television, advertising and theatre. What is your favourite and why?

 I tend to favor working in both television and cinema. Both provide an outlet for creativity that reaches the most people in a short period of time and then repeats in re-broadcasts and in consumer requests such as Pay Per View, On Demand, and digital reproduction.

Did you always want to be an actor since you were a child or was it something that just happened?

 It is something I always dreamned of but never had the ability to pursue in a practical manner.As I became older, it became clear that in order that my dream become a reality, I had to actively pursue it.

Who or what inspires you the most?

I’m inspired by animals. Their responses and actions are completely without an agenda or affectation. Pure. So many of us are so full of shit.

What would be your dream project to work on?

A dream project is whatever is the present one at hand. If I am not working, I become my own project in preparation for the next project. I feel so blessed when I have an opportunity to work.

What was your most memorable moment or scene as an actor?

My most memorable moment came when I wrapped on The Sopranos. We were in John’s restaurant down on East 12th Street and Tim Van Patten, the director, announced that I had wrapped and all the cast and crew started applauding me, including Jimmy Gandolfini. I began to cry as I thanked everyone for making me feel part of the team. It was how Georgianne Walken, the casting director, told me I had booked the role. She said, “Welcome to the team”. I hugged Jimmy and kissed him on the cheek as I thanked him for the great job he did in our scene. What a great team of professionals! This took me completely by surprise. 

And the funniest?

My perceptions of humor are a bit outside accepted norms. Let’s just leave it at that.

When you are not working, what do you enjoy doing?

I love to putter around the house and work on my grape vines. I also like to work on my lawn. Other than that, sittups, pushups, run a granite staircase in Riverside Park, read the paper, do the Word Jumble, Crossword puzzle, bycicle along the Hudson River, and nurse my Starbucks!

You currently live in NYC, is it your hometown?

I was born and raised in Troy, New York. New York is my home. It is the greatest place in the world.

What do you like the most about NYC?

What I like most is the artistic and aesthetic endlessness of it.

And the least?

What I like least is some of the mind numbing acts of violence that are perpetrated by some people here. But it’s still the greatest place to live and work. The NYPD, the NY State Police, and all the federal agencies have their collective business together.No nonsense. Good bunch of people.

Is personal style something that concerns you – do you pay much attention to what you wear?

 I pay no attention to personal style. I just wear clothes

Tell me one thing that was fashionable at the time but you now regret wearing.

I can’t think of anything I regret wearing because I don’t know if something is fashionable or not. I just want to be comfortable. I can tell you that I once wore a rooster outfit to help promote a waterfront nightclub called Roosters back in the early eighties. I broke out in a terrible rash and had to soak in a tub with hot water and epsen salts while I chugged down some antihistomines. Nasty! I guess you can say I regretted that!

What is your favourite item of clothing?

I’d have to say that my favorite article of clothing is my hat. I wear a hat for warmth in the winter and protection against the sun in the summer. My dad was a hat guy. I guess I inherited that from him. Also a necktie. Winsor knot, of course!There is something about a necktie and a hat that says…..well, I don’t know WHAT it says but I like it.

Any upcoming gigs we will be seeing you in?

 Fake, Mulberry Tree, Under Jakob’s Ladder, and Whaling City are all independent films that I have just worked on during the last couple of years.

All photos by Deborah Lopez of Deborah Lopez Studios

Also check out Armen Garo’s page here and IMDB profile here, for more photos, videos and details of his acting work.

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3 Comments

  • Reply The Fashion Milkshake September 26, 2012 at 13:02

    Great Interview!

    3 words LOVE YOUR STYLE 🙂

    I'm an instant follower of you now 🙂

    Please feel free to check out my blog if you have the time

    Love,

    Janice
    the-fashion-milkshake.blogspot.nl

  • Reply SACRAMENTO September 26, 2012 at 15:20

    Brilliant, dear Rose.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  • Reply Andrea Deal September 27, 2012 at 14:02

    I love an interview with someone like Armen who has achieved success in something that was always a dream but not something they pursued until later in life. I guess it's because I haven't always pursued the things I dreamed of when I was younger and so for people like us (I know you're included in this lot, Sara) life is a bit of a winding road- exciting but never clear and that can be disheartening. Thanks for introducing me to Armen. I've never seen the Sopranos, I really should watch it sometime…

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