Meet Greg Wave

Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Wave.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Greg. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Greg Wave, I’m an actor, producer, writer, oh and I’m a canvassing manager for an energy company, and that’s what actually pays the bills 😉

My start in the film industry was very different from most. I didn’t think I wanted to be an actor when I was three years old, I wasn’t a theater standout, in fact before age 21, I never had any true involvement in anything film-related. I stumbled into a film career one day in Savannah, GA. I was visiting my parents who live on Hilton Head Island which is about 30 minutes away from Savannah. My cousin was staying with them at the time, and she was going to be an extra on the set of Baywatch, she told me she could get me on as an extra as well, and I thought “Hey, being on a movie would be fun” so I signed up to be an extra, and there I was with my first film credit! Or so I thought. Anyways. I show up on set and within about 5 minutes of me being there, the assistant director walks up to me and goes “Hey, are you athletic and in good shape?” I, of course, said yes to both just out of sheer curiosity to what he would say next, he says great, throws me a speedo and says you just got upgraded, you’ll be running around with The Rock and his lifeguards for the day. I was thrilled out of my mind, and completely careless to the fact that my paperwhite thighs were going to be exposed in a blockbuster film. Unfortunately all my scenes were cut, and there’s barely a trace of me in the film, but it sparked something in me, and I realized that I was going to be an actor, and I didn’t care how much sacrifice It would take. I ended up quitting my job, moving cities and driving a hideous amount of Uber and Lyft to make my newfound dream happen.

Fast forward to today, two years later, and I’ve been in a few TV pilots, two feature-length films, a plethora of shorts films, web series, and student films, and I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve written, produced, and acted in two of my own films.

Apart from film, I run a sales/canvassing team here in Phoenix, we offer an alternate solution to solar energy and save homeowners in the valley a ton of money each year.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I believe that any journey is as smooth as your perspective. The hardest part about pursuing a dream in the arts is the financial toll it takes on your life. When I first started driving for Uber and Lyft, I was working upwards of 60-80 hours every single week, while learning how to be an actor.

That would be a tougher part of my journey, but I was so hungry that the crazy hours didn’t even phase me. When I was in the car, I would listen to podcasts and Youtube videos about acting, and I felt like I was getting an education on acting while I worked because of how much content I absorbed.

I had numerous times where I barely made rent (or didn’t), days on end of barely eating, sometimes finding enough change to buy a gas station hot dog, and that was all I ate for the day.

My point is I don’t ever remember feeling like I was in a tough season because I was so fueled by passion, and I knew going through times like those we’re necessary, to get to where I wanted to be. I love what I do. Sometimes I made some questionable financial decisions, like driving all the way to Miami from North Carolina for a short film when I was nearly broke and had no money anywhere, but to me, if it meant I got to be an actor for a day, I didn’t care, I wanted to do it, and I did not care about the consequences.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m most proud of a few different things, the latest would be a short film that I produced and acted in was picked up by PBS and screened nationwide for a few days, that was an unbelievable feeling knowing that my work as an actor and producer was being seen all over the nation. The film is called “Reverie” and can still be found on the PBS website I believe.

Another project I’m extremely proud of is a 15-minute short film I just finished up producing and acting in called “Into the Fray” this project means so much to me because of what a few of my friends and I had to go through to make it. It was a large financial investment, one that we funded ourselves. We filmed almost the entire project with only external locations, specifically trying to capture the absolute beauty that Arizona offers. We filmed the bulk of the film in Yuma, Az. Specifically using a mountain called “Kofa” that has only been hiked by a few hundred confirmed people since 2001. The hike itself was a monster, it’s such a steep climb that sometimes you’re crawling vs. hiking, it also has no clear path, and there were some extremely dangerous parts of the hike that I’m not sure again. Keep in mind we did this entire hike with film equipment, and then had to do the entire hike down, and it was completely dark out.

What are you striving for, what criteria or markers have you set as indicators of success?
I see success as happiness, and what happiness actually means for you. I have never questioned my work ethic because my work ethic is there. The only thing I ever question is if I’m truly happy with what I’m doing. To me, If I know I’m working hard, and I’m happy, doing what I love, I see that as something most people never actually find in their life, and that is success. Some people would only see an acting career as a success if they were in blockbuster films making millions, but for me, If I’m able to act in anything, I’m over the moon happy, and that’s the success I live for.

Contact Info:

• Address: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9032834/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregwave/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.wave

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