Days of the Dead Chicago 2023
Bob Gunton is an actor with well over 100 credits on screen, not including his stage work. He’s probably best known for his role in the award-winning 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption, but, even if you’ve never seen that, you’ve probably seen him in something.
To listen to the interview with Bob Gunton, click the play button below (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
You can meet Bob Gunton, as well as other guests, at Days of the Dead Chicago.
Days of the Dead Chicago is being held at the at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare in Rosemont, Ill. on November 17 through November 19.
Tickets and more information are available on the Days of the Dead Chicago website.
Mike Reflects
I really enjoyed getting to talk to Bob, as I’ve been a fan of his since he did Royal Pains on USA.
In keeping with his usual casting, he played a no-nonsense general-turned-politician with that very strict, commanding presence he’s known for.
I’m glad he laughed when I asked if fans sometimes shy away from him, because, I’ll be honest: I was kind of afraid of him myself. At first.
While some of that fear was certainly that he’s such a legendary actor of screen and stage (yes, I do still get star-struck doing what I do), I’d be lying if I said part of it wasn’t also that carryover we discussed from the character he’s so famously portrayed.
I recently watched an interview with a performer who mentioned that they find it a lot easier to embody a character when they can draw on their actual, real life emotions. I’m sure a lot of actors would agree with that sentiment in varying degrees.
After all, in simplistic terms, it’s certainly easier to act happy when you are, in fact, happy.
While the mark of a skilled actor is how convincingly they can be happy when they’re anything but—and Bob is certainly a skilled actor, no questions or doubts about that—one generally wonders if the actor constantly playing “that guy” is constantly playing “that guy” because he has at least a kernel of that guy in him.
But, like Bob said, I was quickly disabused of that notion as we talked. The sheer number of times you can hear him laugh was more than enough evidence that he’s very little, if anything, like “that guy” who commonly shares his visage on screen.
While strict authoritarian is certainly a role Bob plays quite well (and iconically), having talked to him and seen his actual personality, it would be nice to see him on screen in more lighthearted, comedic roles.
Maybe then, folks like me (and anyone going to see him at “Days of the Dead”, or any other convention) will only be intimidated to be in the presence of such an iconic actor, and not because they’re also worried that they’re about to interact with the general from Royal Pains or the warden from The Shawshank Redemption.