The Bronx has born another actor, this time hailing from Co-op City. Brian Gilbert, 15, has a passion for acting that started at the age of 9. That passion is sprouting into a career as Gilbert made his silver screen debut in “The Son of No One,” starring Al Pacino, also a Bronx native. Gilbert sat down with us to discuss how he got started, his favorite Bronx spot, and playing a young Jim Jones in the rapper’s debut play. 

This is the first in a series focusing on exemplary Bronx youth. If you know of a young person in the borough you think deserves recognition or you are that young person, send us an e-mail at norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org.

The character that you play in “A Son of No One,” Vinnie Carter, seems like a troubled boy with a lot of problems, was it a difficult role to get into?

This is what I had been waiting for. I was so hungry and intent on playing him that I just turned myself into a different person. When the director said “cut,” I was still in it, but me and Vinnie are nothing alike. I like to help my friends out, and that’s how we’re alike, but I don’t get sexually abused and I don’t live in the projects. I’m not in the mindset of looking over my shoulder and the paranoia that’s he’s in.

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I used to watch the “behind the scenes” [features] on DVDs, I remember wanting to be a part of the whole process; I loved it. I started acting when I was 6 and I was in “Madea” when I was 9 at the Classical Theater of Harlem. I enjoy doing film and television more than plays. In film, it’s more realistic.

What actors do you look up to?

Robert Downey Jr., Joe Pesci, Adam Sandler, Al Pacino. As soon as Will Smith comes out with another film I’ll be a fan of him again.

Is there any role that you are more interested in playing?

I always liked action comedies. I love comedy, but as it turns out nothing that I’ve done has been comedy, except for the “Perfect Holiday,” but I had one line in that. I just love all kinds of acting.

How was it working with Al Pacino?

I was on set 26 out of the 28 days that it filmed. I saw Al Pacino, I spoke with Al Pacino, but I didn’t really have a scene with Al Pacino. He’s a really nice guy. For a lot of my scenes, I was playing off of Jake Cherry. It was nice to have another kid to work with. We had school and we were doing hours and hours worth of school work in the production office. I probably had the best grades when I was filming because I was just so excited and happy to be in that film.  When I was filming the movie, I was also coaching two little league teams and I also played in one.  I always ask myself, how did I do that?  I went from filming in Queens to running all the way back to Co-Op City, I would even call in to check who was at bat when I wasn’t there.

You are also interested in screenwriting?

I’m in the middle of writing one now. The first one I wrote would have added up to an hour and 40 minutes acted out. I remember it was the last day of school and I stayed up all night to finish it. I went in to get my diploma the next day and then slept for 13 hours. It was a high jinx comedy about teenagers that worked at a video store  and about the drug-related things that they got involved with.

Tell me about your role in the Jim Jones produced “Hip Hop Monologues” and playing young Jim Jones.

It was a very different experience and I loved it. I met a whole lot of rappers. It was a great experience to be in. It ran for two days in November, and then five shows the following year in March before his album was released. They had 12-hour rehearsals and Jim Jones was there every day.

I became more of a fan of his music after the play. He’s an extremely down to earth guy. I remember we were in rehearsals the day Obama got elected and they were all looking at the ballots, and when he won they all popped champagne, but they didn’t let me have any.

Where’s your favorite place in the Bronx?

Tosca, I get the veal parmigiana every time.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.