Gabriel Darku Interview by Carol Wright Photos by Megan Vincent
Before you had the opportunity to be in the McDonald’s commercial did you have any interest in acting?
Reboot: The Guardian Code was your first major role. Do you have a favorite episode from the series?
Almost none! There was a point in high school where I expressed an interest in taking drama, but I was already so busy with music and athletics, and those were my real passions at the time. I didn’t want to overload myself or take time away from what I already knew I enjoyed doing.
“Mainframe Mayhem” was definitely my favorite episode to watch. We get to see characters from the original series make cameos, and Hexadecimal is thrown into the mix as well. It was cool to actually see the characters I watched as a kid join us on the screen!
Your acting career is still in its early stages considering you started in 2012. What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in these formative years? Oh man, I’ve definitely learned a lot in the relatively short amount of time I’ve been in the industry. One of the biggest lessons you learn is that rejection is unavoidable, and so you have to find a way to deal with that. Everybody is different and it affects everyone differently, but what we all have in common is our passion for what we do and allowing that to continue driving us forward. On a more personal note, acting has taught me how to open up and further understand not only my own emotions but the emotions of others. It’s taught me what true empathy feels like, and it’s taught me to always take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You can’t possibly know what’s happening in someone else’s life or how certain things make them feel unless you truly step into their shoes. 49
Your newest project is October Faction. How did you find out about the project? Via audition notice! The typical process; my agent received the breakdown and submitted me for the audition. I didn’t know about it until I got that email saying I had the audition. That’s usually how it works unless you’re involved in the earlier stages of pre-production, or if you’re an actor getting offers instead of auditions. Although the show takes place in a universe where monster hunting is a normal occurrence, it still manages to touch on real-life topics such as identity, family and not fitting in. Did the mix between fantasy and reality interest you? Without a doubt. In my opinion, this is what makes the show so intriguing. I think when you start watching something in the realm of sci-fi and fantasy, you don’t always expect to see the kind of grounded and socially relevant material that you’ll see in October
