Damon J. Gillespie – Rise

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How was your character Robbie originally described to you?

A) He was described to me as this kind of very stoic person who doesn’t let a lot of emotions show as he has a lot of personal issues he is dealing with. He is like your classic high school quarterback, star of the town. That’s kind of the description they gave me when we got the pilot and then we’ve just been building from there – like where does that person naturally go if they were to dabble in theater and have a good guide for him.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series?

A) Well, I needed a job so there was that. [laughs] Actually, I read the script and I had heard about the project a few months earlier because I read on theater news and they were talking about bringing a musical series to TV again. I thought, “Okay, cool.” When I read the script, I was like, “Wow! This is really good.” But it was one of those things where when you read a really good script and audition you kind of go, “Okay, good.” You try not to get too attached to them before you get the project. So, it was one of those things where I was like, “Let’s do it.” I read the script and then was very attached to it. I read it and found a lot of personal connections to it. So, I was like, “I would love to be a part of this show. I kind of have to be a part of this.”

Q) Have you always been musically inclined?

A) I definitely grew up in music and my grandfather that lived in North Carolina was an Elvis impersonator. My mom played the clarinet when I was a kid and she danced. I danced as a kid and went into musical theater. So, music has always been a part of my blood. I even went to school for musical theater.

Q) So this role was kind of “meant to be” for you?

A) Exactly! I grew up playing football and doing theater. I had to choose between the two and I wrote my own raps. So, Robbie and I are very close.

Q) It was almost like they wrote your life story.

A) [laughs] I know! If anything, I was more made at Jason [Katims]. I was like, “This is the second time you’ve walked into my life and put some stuff in front of me that is reflecting me and I don’t know how I feel about it.” It was borderline stalking, if anything. That’s how I felt. [laughs]

Q) As a theater child, how familiar were you with Spring Awakening?

A) I was very familiar. I actually did Spring Awakening at a local theater in my home town in 2013 while I was home from college for the summer. I actually met my fiancé there. So, I’m very familiar with SA and it’s very, very close to my heart. It’s one of my favorite shows. So, the fact I got to do it a second time was like amazing!

Q) Robbie and Lilette have a lot of chemistry! Did you and costar Auli’I Cravalho spend much time together to develop it?

A) Well, the first episode we didn’t get a lot of time because we were doing different scenes. Once we started filming the rest of the season outside of the pilot we were around each other a lot more and with the cast and everybody. So, she and I had a chance to build this really great friendship. She was teaching me about Hawaiian culture and I was teaching her about the South. We taught each other phrases from each of our different parts of the country use. We learned a lot from each other, but we also became really, really good friends. If you feel any kind of good connection on camera it’s because there is such a great friendship off chemistry between she and me.

Q) Talk about working alongside Josh Radnor and Rosie Perez.

A) Man, I get asked this a lot and I will 100% say every time that they are just amazing because they’re two people that I like. Rosie is someone I grew up watching since I was a kid and with Josh his show was the first show I ever watched when I came to New York. It was one of those things where you always dream about meeting these types of people that you look up to for so long, but you never imagine you are going to work with them. It’s so much better when they turn out to be everything you dreamed and then some. They have become such mentors and guides for us on set – at least for me. They’ve just been so incredible that I’m so happy and honored to get to work with them and get to learn from them as well.

Q) What can you tease is in store this season on “Rise?”

A) Well, we’ve been spending a lot of time in the theater, but Robbie doesn’t just do theater. We’re eventually going to have to see some football. We’re going to have to see that. We still have to find out after the last episode what happens with Simon (Ted Sutherland). We have to figure out if Gordy (Casey Johnson) is going to get better. We need to figure out what is happening between Jeremy (Sean Grandillo) and Simon. We’re shedding more light on Michael’s (Ellie Desautels) character. There is so much that is about to happen that I’m very, very excited to share.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you enjoying the instant fan feedback you have been receiving to episodes?

A) Oh my gosh, yes! I honestly did not expect it. I have seen different people like my friends and colleagues that I’ve worked with and they are very big in the Broadway community, especially with the shows that they have done. Their Instagram and Twitter kind of blew up over a period of time. I’m like, “Cool. I’ll get there one day. It’ll be a slow and steady pace.” But this has been two weeks and my profile shot up seven thousand followers and I was not ready for it! [laughs] I was really shocked and I, honestly, am so thankful and excited and happy. After everything that has happened, people are flocking to (selfishly) me and to the show. I’m just really honored and thankful. It’s just a really cool feeling that I didn’t expect to happen for a very long time – if at all.

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching “Rise?”

A) Theater changes lives and theater can save lives. That’s the message that I hope that they get, but I also hope they get inspired. I don’t say “follow your dreams” anymore. I say “lead your dreams” so I hope that this will inspire kids and adults of any age to say, “This show made me want to lead my dreams. So, I’m going to go and do it – whatever that may be.” If they want to go into arts, politics, business or something like that – I hope this will inspire them to continue with their dreams, but also I hope that it will shed some light on the arts and how important they are in our country, society and our school systems.

“Rise” airs Tuesdays at 9pm on NBC