What He Does: One of the things you quickly learn about the movie industry here in Houston is that we do have a fair amount of working actors going out to do big name films on a regular basis. One of those is Deke Anderson, whose IMDM page hosts both an impressive list of solid parts in big budget productions, such as General Caven in Green Lantern, and upcoming local outings like Kerry Beyer's Deep Terror and Killing Mr. Right.
Personally, I'm just impressed that someone from the infamous Sega CD game Night Trap lives in Houston! As for Anderson, his favorite role of his career was as Randy in the Cheers episode "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," which followed Frasier and Lilith as they have their respective pre-wedding celebrations.
Anderson has one of the coolest got-into-Hollywood stories if you're a horror fan. He got started acting with the Nevada Opera Guild as a singer, but it was a co-worker at a gym he was employed at in Reno who encouraged him to pursued film (Anderson is actually a three-time state bodybuilding champ and his first role was as an uncredited bodybuilder in Hardbodies). That coworker was Kane Hodder, the definitive Jason Vorhees. Anderson took Hodder's advice, and has built a solid acting career.
His approach is very Stanislovski, and to prepare for a role he often will write upwards of 40 pages of character analysis to get into the proper mindset, everything from family history to hobbies to personal quirks.
Why He Likes It: "What I love about acting is it's really impossible to totally conquer. I was able to accomplish all of my goals when I was younger with hard work, determination and drive. Even applying all of that, acting is tough to conquer every goal. I think Hugh Jackman is one of the very few to have done this (Triple threat) and an awesome human being in a very difficult business to stay decent and kind."
What Inspires Him: One of Anderson's friends and personal mentors is Bruce Campbell. Anderson actually appeared in Campbell's Army of Darkness as one of the mini-Ashes that attack the hero in the windmill. Friendship and a willingness to help others is a huge part of Anderson's drive, and he laments that it can be rare in his industry.
If Not Here, Then Where: "I love Houston. My Family and I moved here seven years ago after living in LA for nearly 30 years - I LOVE IT HERE IN HOUSTON! I work in many of the surrounding states, but would not move from Houston."
If Not This, Then What: In addition to being a working actor, Anderson runs an acting school, Next Level Acting, that offers private instruction for both adults and youth. His students include Marco Kahn (10,000 B.C) and Vic Chao ("Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus).
Anderson inherited a love of teaching from his father, a teacher and athletics coach. He has a passionate connection to his students, and makes it a personal goal to prepare them for the difficulty of the movie industry. He draws on years of his own experience and continuing education to create lessons he most-wishes had been available to him. He tries to instill both humility and a willingness to die for what you believe in his students.
If the acting world worlds completely closed to him, though, Anderson says he would pursue church mission work.
What's Next: Well, Anderson is yet another person in the local movie scene I'm waiting to see in the frustratingly unreleased horror flick Doll Factory, so there's that. He's got his work with Beyer to look forward to, as well as a role in the upcoming existential thriller Flashes following a man simultaneously switching between three separate unconnected lives.
More Creatives for 2013 (In order of most recently published; click here for the full page).
Craig Cohen, hockey fan and host of Houston Matters Mauro Luna, Poe-Inspired photographer Trond Saeverud, Galveston Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor Khrystyna Balushka, paper flower child Christina Carfora, visual artist and world traveler Sara Kumar, artistic director for Shunya Theatre Kiki Maroon, burlesque clown Gin Martini, fashion designer Lacey Crawford, painter and sculptor Homer Starkey, novelist Jenn Fox, mixed media Shohei Iwahama, dancer Erica DelGardo, metalsmith Bob Clark, executive director Houston Family Arts Center Kerrelyn Sparks, bestselling romance author Lindsay Halpin, punk rock mad hatter Drake Simpson, actor Shelby Carter, Playboy model turned photographer David Matranga, actor Crystal Belcher, pole dancer Daniel Kramer, photographer Blue 130, pin-up explosion art Nina Godiwalla, author and TED speaker David Wilhem, light painter Tom Abrahams, author and newscaster Browncoat, pin-up pop artist Kris Becker, Nu-Classical composer and pianist Vincent Fink, science fashion Stephanie Saint Sanchez, Senorita Cinema founder Ned Gayle, thrift store painting defacer Sameera Faridi, fashion designer Greg Ruhe, The Human Puppet Sophia L. Torres, founder and co-artistic director of Psophonia Dance Company Maggie Lasher, dance professor and artistic director Jordan Jaffe, founder of Black Lab Theatre Outspoken Bean, performance poet Barry Moore, architect Josh Montoute, mobile gaming specialist Ty Doran, young actor Gwen Zepeda, Houston's first Poet Laureate Joseph Walsh, principal dancer at Houston Ballet Justin Garcia, artist Buck Ross, dilettante and director of Moores Opera Center Patrick Renner, sculptor of the abstract and the esoteric Tomas Glass, abstract artist and True Blood musician Ashley Stoker, painter, photographer and Tumblr muse Amy Llanes, artistic airector of Rednerrus Feil Dance Company Bevin Bering Dubrowski, executive director at the Houston Center for Photography Lydia Hance, founder and director of Frame Dance Productions Piyali Sen Dasgupta, mixed media artist and nature lover Dean James, New York Times bestselling mystery novelist Nicola Parente, abstract painter and photographer Cheryl Schulke, handmade leather pursemaker Anthony Rathbun, Alternative Lifestyle Photographer David Salinas, computer-less analog photographer Danielle Burns, art curator Alicia DiRago, Whimseybox founder Katia Zavistovski, contemporary art curator Ashley Horn, choreographer, filmmaker Amanda Stevens, scary book author Peter Lucas, film and video curator, music lover and self-described culture-slinger Ana MarÃa Otamendi, collaborative pianist and vocal coach Billy D. Washington, comedian Michele Brangwen, choreographer and dancer Kristin Warren, actress and choreographer Kelly Sears, animator and film maker Colton Berry, Bayou City Theatrics' artistic director jhon r. stronks,dance-maker Joe Grisaffi, actor, director, writer, cinematographer
