David Gere – Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

I heard about David James Gere shortly after I interviewed his partner in crime, Tommy DeNucci. These two frequently work together, and let’s just say they create waves in the movie world. And, um, he’s not too shabby in the art, wrestling and night life world.

I met Gere on the set of Blue Line, a story about a master thief who pulls off the heist of a lifetime with a jaded police detective hot on her trail. (Hell, yeah – women with firepower!) The film stars veteran actor Tom Sizemore and wrestling legend Kevin Nash. Gere is producing this film with Richard Switzer, the youngest producer in all of filmdom, recently featured on “Entertainment Tonight.” Gere also plays the role of Declan in Blue Line. In addition, he can be seen opposite Jamie Kennedy in Buddy Hutchins, a story about a regular guy pushed to the edge, (DVD and VOD) and Pinwheel, a horror flick to be released later this year.

Things weren’t always so rosy for Gere. As a young boy in his hometown of Cromwell, Conn, he arrived home one day to find that his mother and sister were tragically killed in a mysterious drowning accident. His father, James, an educator, later married Veronica Gere, who raised him. Gere acknowledges that this tragedy may account for his reflective artistry and intense performances.

He has a need to be on the move most of the time – he’s known as “The Man Who Never Sleeps,” after all. Gere attended college at PC, and excelled in athletics, but an injury forced him to rethink how he would spend his time. A film course, which he thought would be an easy ride, turned out to be the turning point in his life. At the insistence of one of his professors, he met with Peter Farrelly (yes, of the brothers Farrelly) and interned for the famous duo for some time. He worked on some big film sets, and gained and even bigger knowledge of the industry. He appeared in Outside Providence, a quirky indie film starring Alec Baldwin. After auditioning for and appearing in many indie films in New England, David’s break came through “Gossip Girl” where he played a character called Frank Meltzer.

Around this time, enter Tommy DeNucci. They knew each other but hadn’t partnered as they are now on many productions. They got together first on Infected, a creepy zombie movie where David had a small role. Tommy later called David and wanted him to act in the film he was writing and directing for Woodhaven Production Company, called Self Storage, starring Eric Roberts, Michael Berryman and others. David knew that he wanted to run with this up-and-comer; he had paid his dues, working for Woodhaven right out of New England Tech, and started at the very bottom of Chad Verdi’s company. Tommy later introduced Gere to Verdi and they’ve made many films since – Army of the Damned, Almost Mercy, and now, we fast forward to Blue Line, with Gere and DeNucci starring and producing the film. Oh, those bad boys. As Tommy puts it, “It’s interesting playing a villain. They’re always so sure of themselves. They have so much confidence; they truly believe that what they’re doing is right, which you don’t find in other characters the way you do with a bad guy.” No wonder these guys have so much fun!

Enter a new chapter in DG’s life – a partnership with the West Coast-based Switzer Entertainment Group, and a valuable connection for him and most of the New England film community. Why? Because these guys plan on bringing more films out to New England, with Blue Line being the first. “We could do two films a year in CT/RI area, and keep our people working. The possibilities are endless and very exciting,” he said. DG also does some producing for Synthetic Cinema, a production house based in Conn, responsible for such films as Dark Haul, Animal and the recently released Wishin and Hopin’.

All this, and we haven’t even touched upon the wrestling persona, his mixed media art, his lounge and nightclub business or his new movie projects. Now I understand why he’s called the “Man Who Never Sleeps.” DG is known for portraying the bad guy “DG Haven” at several pro wrestling organizations, including Revival Pro Wrestling, New England’s premier pro wrestling promotion. “It’s based in Chicopee, Mass. We do a lot of charity work for Special Olympians in Chicopee and the Boys & Girls Club there,” he says proudly.

When he’s not making a film or portraying the villainous DG Haven, he’s creating mixed media art, with abstract portraits being among some of his favorite types of work. You can see DG’s work soon in his upcoming show at his club, Electric Company in Hartford, Conn, which is a slick velvety lounge that attracts artists, writers, actors and celebs. Then you’ve got his nightclub in Meriden, Conn, the Reserve, where movies have been shot, among them Sensory Perception, a sci-fi thriller that he produced and appeared in. Talk about ambition!

DG recently celebrated his 40^th  birthday. He’s accomplished more in four decades than most people do in their entire lives. With all his projects in tow, he remains a staunch supporter of New England filmmaking, showing the industry that we got what it takes on this side of the Mississippi.

I look forward to seeing what’s coming next from DG.  Whatever it is, it’ll shine brightly just like the star he is.

Follow DG on Twitter to keep up with his films, appearances, and art show:  @DAVID_GERE

FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/david.gere.58?fref=ts  (he may need several, he is a popular guy)