Questions & Answers

I receive many questions from fans on MySpace and Facebook. Here are answers to some of the most often asked questions.

Q. Where did you grow up? What about your family? Are you married?
A. I was born in San Antonio, Texas, but I lived in many states because my father was in the military. I have two brothers and two sisters. I am not married. I’m currently living in Los Angeles, although with my travel schedule lately, I’m spending less and less time there.

Q. How did you go from graduating cum laude from USC with an administration degree and work in the field of petrochemical engineering to becoming an actor?
A. I actually fell into acting during my bodybuilding days. I was asked to appear in a Diana Ross music video for her song, "Muscles," which was written by Michael Jackson. It was my first acting experience in front of a camera, and I was hooked. After that, I threw myself into acting and began training with instructors such as Larry Moss and Charles Conrad. And let’s face it, I really wasn’t cut out for a 9-to-5 desk job.

Q. How tall are you? How old are you?
A. 6’ 2". Timeless.

Q. Do you prefer drama or comedy, stage, television or film?
A. I enjoy them all. I enjoy the immediacy of stage acting and energy exchange of live theater. TV has a faster pace, and film allows more time to develop characters, but is much more technical. They are all exciting in different ways.

Q. Do you have a favorite type of role or dream role you’d like to play?
A. In a broad context, I enjoy roles that both entertain and provoke thought about how similar we all are. It’s the diversity of roles I enjoy the most. I recently did a TV episode of 10 Items or Less, an improvisational comedy. The pace and spontaneity of improvisation is very different than traditional drama. It was a lot of fun, especially after coming off of several serious films. In general, I look for roles that will challenge me as an actor.

Q. What kind of music do you like? What are your favorite bands or songs?
A. I grew up with the old school music - Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton. Since then, my taste in music is all over the place, as you can see by my selection of tunes on MySpace.

Q. You played the guitar and sang at Accio-Con. Are you in a band or do you have an album out? A. I’ve been playing the guitar since I was 10 years old. Next to acting, music is my greatest passion - it’s in my blood. I’ve played in a number of bands over the years, and I have several songs that I’ve been working on, but I haven’t produced an album yet. I’m working on a few tunes now that I hope to put on my web site sometime soon - but with my crazy schedule, it keeps getting pushed to the backburner.

Q. What is the most memorable acting experience you’ve had to date?
A.Twilight was certainly the most memorable film I’ve done recently. The youthful energy, the director’s vision and sheer scope of the film made it a unique project. Love Ranch also was great film. I had the opportunity to work with award-winning actress Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci, who both are extremely talented individuals. I was able to watch how they approached their roles. It was an honor to work with them.

Q. What was it like working on Twilight?
A. Twilight was an incredible experience, both on and off the set. We had a group of actors who had not worked together before, yet everyone came together like a family. The closeness and the chemistry came through on the screen and helped make Twilight the blockbuster hit it is today.

Q. How did you first hear about the movie Twilight, and what was the audition process for the role of Billy Black like?
A. My agent brought me the script. At that time, I knew little about the Twilight books, but I knew that the character had a unique story to tell and that the vampire/werewolf romance genre had great appeal. I felt very connected with the character, which apparently showed during the audition process.

Q. What was it like filming New Moon?
A. New Moon was a tremendous experience for me. It was great to be back working with Rob, Kristen, Taylor and the rest of the cast. With the addition of the werewolf clan cast members, the energy on the set was at a whole new level. Filming New Moon, like Twilight, wasn’t easy. We spent long hours on location, in cold damp weather, sometimes well into the morning. What impressed me the most was the many dedicated fans who camped out in the cold all night while we were on the set. They were amazing!

Q. What are Rob, Taylor and Kristen really like?
A.They are wonderful human beings who work hard and have tremendous talent. I have great respect for all the talented cast members.

Q. Describe the first time you met Taylor Lautner. Did you two connect on a deeper father/son level or strictly on a professional level?
A. There was an instant connection between us when we met, which comes through on film. When it comes to Taylor, you have to like him. He is so young, yet he is such a talented and well-grounded young man. I hope we can work together again in movies outside of Twilight.

Q. You were a bodybuilder, and you look like you still work out regularly. Did you help Taylor train for New Moon?
A. I try to get to the gym every day, but as my schedule becomes more hectic, sometimes it’s difficult. Taylor needs no workout tips from me. He had a trainer and worked tremendously hard between Twilight and New Moon to bulk up, and it paid off. I’m impressed by the discipline and commitment that Taylor has to acting and to his work at such a young age. He will have a long and successful career.

Q. You’ve been in countless roles and have been involved with TV, animation, stage, and movies - how do you go about choosing your roles? Is there any role you’ve done that stands out in your mind as being your favorite?
A. The first thing that draws me to a role is a well-written and compelling script. I look for characters with complexity, who have something to say and who will challenge me as an actor. Each role that I’ve done has challenged me in different ways. One of my favorite performances was that of Dogstar in Stephen Spielberg’s six-part TV miniseries, Into the West. Through the eyes of Dogstar, viewers were able to witness the atrocities and devastation of Wounded Knee and its affect on Native Americans. It was a challenge to "age" with the character as he went from a young warrior to a tribal elder.

Q. Has the Twilight hype affected you in anyway? Has your life changed at all since doing the film?
A. The whole Twilight experience has been truly amazing. I am constantly in awe of the love and support that Twilight fans all over the world continue to give me. The downside is that I have less time now to communicate directly with my fans, but I hope they know that I feel truly blessed to be a part of this thing called Twilight. I’m at the point in my life where I can appreciate all the adoration from fans, but not get swept up in all the hype. I’m still the same Gil Birmingham I was before Twilight.

Q. Why does Billy Black drive the truck in Twilight when he’s in a wheelchair and couldn’t drive?
A. I get this question a lot, and I’m always amazed by it. There are many individuals in wheelchairs who drive cars every day. They have specially equipped steering wheels that allow them to accelerate and brake with their hands. There is nothing out of the ordinary about having Billy behind the wheel. It also allowed for a better visual view of the "stare" that I give to Edward during the scene.

Q. How is it to work with Graham Greene?
A. Graham Greene and I go way back. I’ve had the privilege of working with Graham in many films, and I find him to be a talented actor and a great guy.

Q. How was it to work with the new wolf pack actors - Chaske Spencer, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Spencer and the others?
A. Chaske and I were in Skins and other films, so we’ve worked together before. They are all so young and so talented. New Moon was a physically challenging role for all of them with long hours and cold weather. They, along with Taylor, worked really hard on the set and the result will be really impressive performances from the wolves.

Q. When does Eclipse begin filming?
A. Eclipse is scheduled to begin filming in August of 2009.

Q. Which Twilight cast MySpace sites are real?
A. Most of them are not real sites. You’ll have to determine the real ones as best you can. My real sites are listed on my website. These are the only sites that are monitored and run by me.