Gavin Houston – The Have and the Have Nots

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) You have been pretty busy filming “The Have and the Have Nots!”

A) We did forty-four episodes in about twenty-seven or twenty-eight actual shoot days. We had two and a half months, but the actual shoot days were twenty-seven. We were shooting scenes from multiple episodes all at once. It was pretty wild! It’s funny because it’s that feeling after you have taken the ACT or SATs and you feel like you should be studying again.

Q) What is new this season on the series and with your character Jeffery?

A) My character has been primarily dealing with his sexuality and coming out and being open about it. He’s kind of living the way he wants to live his own life while at the same time dealing with the love of his parents and their acceptance because his mom is not accepting of his sexuality. So, this season there is much more resistance and much more of him owning his own life, so to speak, and owning who he sees himself being. He’s going to get more involved in some toxic relationships. I don’t know if the show would be the same without toxic behavior and toxic relationships, but I definitely feel he is starting to come into his own, so to speak, and start to explore relationships that might or might not backfire on him.

Q) There is such a ride with this series that is an adrenaline rush going from sane to crazy so quickly.

A) You know what is crazy? That’s the show. It’s like zero to sixty. Sometimes there are tender moments. And the crazy thing is my character is a therapist, of all things. But there is still so much emotional ineptitude that he gives up with himself. To think this person is supposed to be helping other people. It’s like a rollercoaster with this show because there is a lot of calm and then storms. This season it does the same. It comes quick at you, it gets you and then doesn’t let go. It’s like that long drop on a rollercoaster. I think fans are going to be on the edge of their seats.

Q) Is that part of the writing and cinematography or the acting and show depth?

A) I think it is definitely the writing. I think now after doing our sixth season we definitely know our characters and we kind of know what he wants. Even though it is scripted a certain way because Tyler [Perry] is directing and is very hands on, he’ll change scenes on the spot with the dialogue and everything. So, it just makes it even more clear. You go in thinking it is going to go one way and then it completely goes in the opposite. So, I attribute it to Tyler knowing what he wants, writing what he wants and also being open to change it when he sees something organic happening right on the spot.

Q) OWN is great with helping to push boundaries and creating dynamic characters. What do you think it is about the network that helps set the standard?

A) I think the network itself has always been about expansion to some degree in terms of expanding and evolving. I think more so evolving because our society has so much going on right now. With social media and if you look at how it has been in years past versus how things are now even dealing with sexuality and gay marriage or transgender and politics…So, I feel like OWN helps us find our best self in the midst of whatever the changes are in our society. OWN has kind of shown what is out there so even though our show goes to the extreme there are people like this that are out there. It’s imaginative stories, but with real actors living the souls of these real people that are out there. So, I think that the network has always been attune to what is going on in society and what we struggle with day to day. It embraces those challenges. We are an extreme of that, but I think it also has that element to that.

Q) With your character’s journey, what have you learned through your portrayal?

A) The first challenge was being a heterosexual male playing a homosexual male. I’m glad that I took on this role because it taught me certain things about myself. I’m a student of this art and give everything to this craft. I had my own fears because it was a character that I’ve never traveled. So, that’s what made me want to do it even more because it made me push myself. Now, I feel l can do anything. Also, the fans having a story that needs to be told and embracing that responsibility. So, what I think I have learned about myself is not to let my fears get the best of me. When I see the feedback and response from the fans and the viewers, that makes it all worth it and is why we do it. I think I’ve grown personally, as well as an actor by taking on this challenge by playing a character that is so opposite of me.

Q) What kind of fan reaction have you gotten to Jeffery?

A) The response has been nothing been good. I’ve never received anything negative. It’s all been positive! From the gay community and the heterosexual community – and also people knowing who I am – they just respect the fact that I took on this role. They respect the way I chose to play this role and keeping the integrity of the role. So, it’s been nothing but positivity. I think it is respect for the work as well the challenges that I must have had to take on this character. And they just love the story that we tell. What I do get all the time it is “When are you going to stand up to your bully,” which is his mom in this situation since she is not accepting of his sexuality. I get that all the time! So, finally in a lot of way he is having his day and it’s going to play out pretty, pretty crazy.

Q) Who are some of the guest stars upcoming that you can tease?

A) It’s so funny because I’m in the mindset of the last forty-four episodes that we shot. I’m just going to say that someone from Jeffery’s past is going to come back into his life and it is going to turn everything on its head.

Q) Are there any other projects you have been busy working on?

A) We have been shooting for a while so I’ve been flying back and forth. There were things coming up that I couldn’t do because we were continuing our season, but right now I’m going on vacation for a little bit and then it is back to the hustle and grind. I’ll be auditioning and seeing what is out there. I look forward to it as an athlete because I love competition of reading new scripts, plays, etc. There is nothing right now, but I love it so I can finally get a vacation yet then it is right back to work.

Q) In this current political climate where do you hope arts, entertainment, etc. begin to push the envelope?

A) I just hope that things don’t go too far. It still leaves certain things to the imagination. As a parent, as a father, I feel like there is so much content now that you have to be careful with children since it is now just regular programming. I just hope things are done for the art first and not for the value of shock or going there. I hope that we still do things tastefully and let the audience use their own imagination so we don’t have to go all the way. I just hope that there are more positive stories of survival through adversity and not just debauchery. Right now we’re in a day and age where there is still a lot of reality TV that shows people instigating things and catfighting. These are adults and that is what kids are seeing. I hope we just tell really well written and well executed deep meaty stories. What I do like is the diversity continues and I hope that things are just colorless. It’s just good stories and good characters. At the end of the day, that’s all people want.

Q) What else would you like to say to fans of “The Have and the Have Nots?”

A) There is so much going on, not just with my character, but with everyone on the show. All I have is a recommendation – and that’s you don’t want to miss a single episode!