Drew Harwood. Photo Credit: Brad Everett Young
Actor Drew Harwood chatted about his film “Rebel, Rebel” and being an actor in the digital age.
It just won “Best Film” at the Silicon Beach Film Festival and the SOHO Film Festival.
On his new movie “Rebel, Rebel,” Harwood said, “Well, I wrote it, produced it, directed it, and acted in it, so I’m very close to it. Our film was the second feature to begin filming in the greater Cincinnati area since the pandemic began. It was so nice to see people back on set, all working towards the same goal, helping each other out, and having a great time doing what we love again. They prove, even when times are tough, you can do anything you want if you really want it.”
Regarding his inspirations as an actor, he said, ” think my inspiration comes from many different places. My family, my colorful teenage years, but really, I just like telling stories. Whether that be with writing, directing, or acting. It’s a process, with valid learnings and realizations daily. I love what I do, it’s great fun.”
“Expectations or pressure don’t inspire me to wake up and create, ideas do. The ideas take me to people and people take me to places. I think the biggest thing that gets me going every day is, I want to improve my technique, I want to grow and evolve,” he added.
He shared some of his future plans. “A series and a horror film are in the works,” he said. “As for anything else in the future, I like doing things I fear. So I’m always drawn to taking risks. Anything I do, I always want to feel like maybe I can’t do it, it forces me to work hard in order to come out on the other side. I believe if you choose to do things that are easy, you never change.”
On being an actor in the digital age, Harwood said, “I think being an actor in the digital age is great. It opens up opportunities to explore things we’re interested in. People no longer have to “wait” for the perfect role to come along. Create what you want to see, create what you want to be. Take what’s available.”
For Harwood, it was a “fun” experience being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign. “It was fun. That’s the best way to describe working with Brad. I believe what he’s doing with his Dream Loud Campaign is incredible. Bringing awareness to help save art and music programs in schools, I’m all for that. Dream Loud and take a chance,” he exclaimed.
When asked about his dream acting partners, he responded, “There are a lot of actors I would love to work with, but as long as I’m working with people who push me to grow and evolve as an artist, that’s what matters most to me.”
On his definition of the word success, Harwood said, “I think success is doing what you love. Waking up daily with a grateful heart.”
Harwood remarked about “Rebel, Rebel,” “I wanted to make a film about motion, a group of young adults trying to break free. We all remember those years when we couldn’t sit still – when hormones, ambition, and just the desire to see what was around the next corner kept us unsettled and needing to move.”
“My whole point in telling this story is to show that we are who we are in the moment. There isn’t a beginning or end to someone’s story. There are moments in time, and these moments can occasionally be life-changing, most of the time being. There is no yesterday, there is no today, there is only moving forward to tomorrow,” he concluded.
To learn more about Drew Harwood, follow him on Instagram.