Craig B. Warmsley [Interview]

Today’s interview subject is a one of a kind class act type of gentlemen, that I have to admit…I wasn’t entirely aware of until recently. Or maybe I was, but hadn’t really put the pieces together to truly figure it out. I was simply scrolling around and trying to find the end of IMDb one day when I stumbled across a man who had worked in some capacity on a couple of classic Sega released video game adaptations of two of my favorite films from the early 90’s, which would be Aladdin and Demolition Man, and a guy who also happens to be a star in a little indie-gem of a film that had crossed my radar in the last year or so entitled Stronghold. The latter is a film that I am very intrigued to get to check out and eventually share with you fine folks. The first two, well, wade your way through the sea of nostalgia and check that shit out!

That man is Craig B. Warmsley, and I will be damned if he didn’t turn out to be an extremely intriguing individual with some pretty incredible stories to tell. He has been in and around the world of show business in one capacity or another, and is a prime example of the type of person we are so fortunate to get featured on TWS. So Ladies and Gentlemen, please gear up for some pretty amazing words from the insanely multi-talented individual, Craig B. Warmsley!

In doing a bit of research, I have noticed that you were involved in the world of Sega Genesis in the 90’s, including one of my favorite games from the time, the video game adaptation of Demolition Man. So, what were you doing with Sega at the time?

Great question! Actually, I was working for Virgin Interactive Entertainment (VIE) as an Assistant Producer, VIE was a subsidiary of Virgin Enterprises. VIE functioned as an in-house video game Developer and Publisher, Demolition Man was developed and published by VIE for the 3DO video game system, but was released on several platforms including the Sega Genesis under a different Publisher. In 1993, I had a video game idea Bionic Diva which I pitched to several developers in Southern California, I left a copy of Bionic Diva with a Producer at VIE and received a call from the Executive Producer later that night. The Executive Producer said during our conversation (I’m paraphrasing) “I think your game idea is shit, but I like your initiative and knowledge of the gaming industry. We have an opening for an Assistant Producer. Would you like the job?” And the rest is history. I was 19 y/o at the time and remember having trouble renting a car to present games at Comic Con, so the Accounting department had to act as my “Guardian”, it was hilarious. As you can imagine, this was a dream job for me, and I had to grow up fast and learn how the business world functioned.  My creativity really blossomed during my time at Quicksilver Software in the mid-nineties. Quicksilver was a Computer Game developer and didn’t have the financial prowess of VIE, so they gave their employees freedom and autonomy to learn many different things in regard to game development. Quicksilver is where I learned Sound Design and Multimedia.

When did you first discover that you had a passion for the world of the arts? What made you want to join this world?

I’ve always been a creative person since I was young. In Junior High School, I played the Trumpet and had an interest in Music. The contrast is that I am a very large and physical guy, so my interest in the Arts always was in conflict with my physical interest, for example; (Music / Football) and (Multimedia / Security). At the moment, the same contrast exists as I am ending my career as a Protection Specialist / Bodyguard of 17 years and going back into the Arts as an Actor. The Security industry is the antithesis of creativity; so the Arts called me back! I have a mind that is filled with ideas and concepts, and the Arts / Entertainment industry is the perfect vehicle to express myself.

I’ve noticed that you have recently appeared in some music videos for artists like Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. I don’t believe we have spoken with anyone who has worked in the world of music videos, in front of the camera anyway. So, how is this experience as an actor? How does it differ from working on a film? Considering the time constraints and what not?

In my experience, the energy on a Music Video set is more intense due to the time constraints that you’ve mentioned. The sense of urgency is much greater and the budgets are a lot smaller, so I have a responsibility as an Actor to understand my role and stay focused since there aren’t a lot of takes. I really enjoy the diversity on Music Video sets! Because the Music Video has to tell a story in a short period of time, you get Actors and Actresses from different scenes crammed into a single area. I’ve met people from all over the globe and had some interesting conversations.

Can you tell us a bit about one of your recent projects, Stronghold, that recently appeared at the Las Vegas Black Film Festival. What can we expect to see you doing in this film? What is the film about overall? What was the on set life like on a project like this?

In Stronghold, I am playing the role of “OG (Original Gangster) Fat Rat” who is in an opposing gang to “Rooster”, the protagonist of the story. Rooster has done something against my gang that requires retaliation, and as an “OG” of my gang, I must test a younger member “heart” by giving him an order he cannot turn his back on. Stronghold is the story about Rooster, a gang affiliated young man from Compton who is a major money maker for his gang set. Rooster will come to a crossroad in his life after he meets “Tisha” a beautiful witty lady who introduces him to a new lifestyle as a Christian. Now Rooster has to make a decision to follow God or the Hood. What impressed me most about Stronghold is the realistic portrayal of gang life from the fast money and women to the hardcore daily violence and stress. Some “religious” based movies take a puritan approach to making movies where the language and content is censored to reflect their allegiance to a new found faith. Stronghold doesn’t take the puritan approach and instead tell the hardcore truth about the realities of gang life. I believe this movie will change a lot of lives because those involved in gangs will respect the sincerity of the movie and be willing to change for the better.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to share with our readers?

The future is looking pretty bright for me at moment. I was recently cast as Eric Garner in a politically charged music video for a major Hip Hop Group. And I’ve been busy putting together a trailer for an animated short I’m creating called Desires of the Fallen™. My name is getting out there, and I’m excited about the opportunities coming my way.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I’m sure it was a meme on Instagram. I’m officially addicted to it.