‘Slow and steady wins the race’ is a motto that we’ve all heard before and for Gil Birmingham it’s a great way to describe his rise in the entertainment industry. After being discovered in the early 80s, it took him more than a decade to get his first major break. Since the late 90s, however, Gil has had a constant on screen presence. Although he hasn’t always had the biggest roles, Gil always makes the most of every opportunity he’s gotten. Over the last few years, he has become known for his roles in shows like Yellowstone, Siren, and Animal Kingdom. Gil also has a role in an upcoming film called Cosmic Radio. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Gil Birmingham.
1. He Ran Away From Home A Lot When He Was Younger
Gil had a very interesting upbringing. He was born in San Antonio but moved around a lot due to his father’s career in the military. In an interview with Cowboys Indians he said, “When I was young, I ran away from home about six or seven times. And the court always just returned me back to my parents. And I remember one time in particular, when I was getting less and less able to tolerate things at home, I ran away.”
2. He Was A Body Builder
Gil has always been a very active person and in his younger days he spent a lot of time pumping iron at the gym. He eventually became a competitive body builder during the 80s. Little did he know that his love for body building would be what ended up getting him into acting.
3. He Got His Start In A Diana Ross Video
Most people who enter the entertainment industry have to go out of their way to do it, but that wasn’t what happened with Gil. He was actually discovered while working out at a local gym. He was then cast to be in the music video for Diana Ross’ 1982 single “Muscles“. From there, his acting career began to take off.
4. He Is A Musician
Gil has had lots of interests over the course of his life, but music was his first love. He told Cowboys Indians, “At first, it was music. When I picked up a guitar, I thought, This is me. This is what my expression is.” It doesn’t appear that Gil has ever pursued music at the professional level.
5. He Was In A Video Game
Unless you’ve been following Gil closely throughout his career, you may not know that he is also a talented voice actor. In 1999, he voiced a character in the video game Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. He has also voiced characters in several animated movies/TV shows including The Legend of Calamity Jane, Rango, and The Wild Thornberries.
6. He Is An Award Winner
In many ways Gil hasn’t always gotten the attention he deserves. He is definitely an actor that lots of people would consider underrated, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t gotten some shine here and there. Gil has won a few awards over the years including a American Indian LA Film and Television Award for Outstanding Supporting Role in 2005.
7. He Is A Private Person
If there’s one person whose name you probably won’t see caught up in any gossip or drama, it’s Gil Birmingham. Although he has spent more than 30 years working in the entertainment industry, he has managed to keep his personal life away from the spotlight.
8. He Worked At Universal Studios
Everybody has to start somewhere. Before Gil really started getting big on screen opportunities he worked at Universal Studios Hollywood where he played Conan the Barbarian at an attraction in the park. While the job certainly wasn’t glamorous it was a great stepping stone for the things that came later.
9. He Hopes To Spread Positivity Through His Work
One of the best things about being an artist is that your work can live on forever after you’re gone. When it’s all said and done, Gil wants to leave behind a legacy that uplifts the stories that are important to him and the people who those stories are about. So far, it seems like he is on the right track to achieve all of that and then some.
10. He Has A Large Social Media Following
At nearly 70-years-old, Gil isn’t really your average social media user, but hasn’t stopped him from being fairly active. He has a large following on both Instagram and Twitter. He currently has more than 19,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 152,000 followers on Twitter.
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