Gavin MacIntosh is a guy’s guy. He is athletic, charming, and handsome. He is confident in the humble way you can’t help but love, and he’s passionate about LGBT rights. MacIntosh is all of these things, but he is also an actor to keep an eye out for. His role as Connor Stevens in Freeform’s The Fosters, opposite Hayden Byerly’s Jude Adams-Foster, showcases the maturity and talent that is making him a household name. Now, MacIntosh is spreading his wings and giving his fans new characters to fall in love with, and we couldn’t be more excited to watch him soar.
Cliché: Why do you love acting?
Gavin MacIntosh: I definitely love acting more and more as I mature. I’ve come to understand the subtle nuances and the research that goes into a character to really make it a compelling performance. The subtle body language, natural emotions—these things are all important. The artistic side of acting is addicting. Now that I’ve experienced being a part of a really great film and interesting character, I want to continue to challenge myself. Having to step into a character, sometimes 100 percent opposite of your actual self and portray that character so well that viewers actually believe you are that person, is an awesome experience.
What was your first job, and what didn’t it teach you?
My very first audition was also my first real job. What it didn’t teach me was most of the time, you have to audition a lot before even landing a job. At the time I thought, “Hey, this is easy. Just audition and get a job.” I quickly learned that is not how it always works. Hard work, lots of persistence, and the right timing is more like it. And lots and lots of auditions.
What is a cause that means something to you?
Definitely continuing the fight for LGBT rights and awareness and, in particular, helping to spread awareness to stop homophobia and accept people for who they are. Hating someone for their sexual orientation is just wrong, and when I read about stories that kids are beat up or kicked out for coming out, it really makes me want to help any way I can.
Can you tell us a little about your character, Parker Booth, on Bones?
Parker is the son of Booth. He lives in England with his mom and goes to school there. Since he is far away, he doesn’t get to spend very much time with his dad, but they Skype and spend the summers together. We will see Parker in Season 11. How much? I am still not sure.
You’ll be playing Martin in the movie American Fable. What is your favorite thing about him? What does it take to prepare for a “fairytale thriller?”
My favorite thing about Martin is he is a smart, cunning character with a strong physical presence. He’s also very diabolical. He is sinister yet caring, a scary combination depending on what he is trying to accomplish. The director, Anne Hamilton, had me prepare by watching several films and studying characters such as Hannibal Lector. But what was really cool about this film is it was set in the ‘80s, and the town we filmed in was very similar to the actual movie town. We filmed several scenes on a 100-year-old ranch, and we used an actual silo that wasn’t a prop. There were farms everywhere, and often, we had no phone service and definitely no Internet. There were also majestic horses on the ranch. The townspeople were so nice, and things were much slower; it was like stepping back in time. I think if we had filmed somewhere not so authentic, the outcome wouldn’t have been so dramatic or realistic.
On The Fosters last season, your character Connor moved in with his mom. How much of Connor will we see this season?
Unfortunately, Connor did move, and how much we will see him in the future all depends on the creative directors and producers.
What can we look forward to from you this year?
American Fable premiered on March 13 in Austin, Texas at SXSW, and it was really exciting. I am also working on several projects that are not quite ready to be released yet. I’m just super stoked for the future, since there are so many exciting things out there.
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Gavin MacIntosh Chats ‘The Fosters’ and ‘American Fable: Photographed by Sierra Prescott
