Folsom-trained actor shooting for stars after film debut

A Folsom-trained actor is shooting for the stars after making his film debut. Gavin Alton-James Bailey, 20 years old and a Shingle Springs native, trains at Studio 24 in Folsom, a place he credits with giving him his start in a craft he loves. Gavin recently appeared in the film "Double Trouble," which was featured at the Sacramento Film Festival on Dec. 11; it was his first time appearing on the big screen. And while his early days may not have suggested a career in acting was in his future, Gavin says his life's path and purpose is now crystal clear. Gavin is a self-described late bloomer in the acting world: It wasn't until after high school that he got the itch to study acting seriously. Gavin was always interested in the arts and was set to pursue an education in fashion design, yet when he was accepted into the Studio 24 program, he immersed himself in the craft and worked hard to catch up with his peers, which was no easy feat. "I love it here, I've been thriving … but it definitely was difficult starting out because a lot of my peers had so many years of experience, they had been doing it since they were kids. … There's a prerequisite course you have to pass to be accepted into the program and I barely passed because I'd never done it before," explained Gavin. "I had to overcome a lot of challenges in the beginning because it was very anxiety-inducing coming to class knowing I was behind my peers and didn't have much experience or a lot of times I didn't know what they were talking about, I had to go home and research." Like any industry, acting has its own lingo and vocabulary, of which Gavin knew none. Gavin wasted no time immersing himself in his studies, quickly catching himself up, studying his craft. "There's a recommended reading list we have here at the studio, and it's about 12 books, and I finished it in about the first six months of school here because I was so determined to gain knowledge," explained Gavin. At current count, Gavin estimates he has finished 35 books on the art and mechanics of acting, written by teachers, fellow actors and more. While acting is his passion, Gavin is also enrolled in an online program with Cornell University studying fashion design management. To pay for his schooling, he works as a line cook at Cold Springs Country Club in Placerville. He also devotes hours of his week to athletics, from taekwondo to kick boxing and running. He estimates he has run about 500 miles this year alone. "You should see my schedule," laughs Gavin. Getting the role in Double Trouble was certainly a breakthrough for Gavin, in more ways than one. He said he heard about the job through a friend and sent in some of his work. He was told the producers were so impressed with what they saw they created a new character just for him. Gavin describes Double Trouble as a story about addiction, with thriller and horror elements mixed in. His character is a college student who is struggling with internal issues and partying to excess. "I had a wonderful time working on set, and it was crazy to see myself on the big screen; that was the first time I had ever seen myself on the big screen in the Crest Theater," exclaimed Gavin. "I'm even more addicted. It's like adding more fuel to the fire." For the small-town boy who grew up playing in the woods in the Camino area when he visited his grandparents and always thought he would live in Shingle Springs, Gavin is ready to spread his wings and hit the big time. It's a rare and unique dream with a path that is not as clear as the traditional trajectory; but Gavin said he just knows … this is what's right for him, regardless of how unpredictable the ride will be. "This is not something where you go to college, you get a degree, you intern someplace, you get the job and you're going to work your way up the ranks and then you retire," said Gavin. "Here, I don't see the next step in front of me. Now I do a little more, like where my path is, but especially at the beginning I was like, I don't even know how to read a script." Gavin said his parents are always his great supporters, but when you announce to people you want to be a movie actor, you're bound to have cynics and naysayers. Gavin admits he has had plenty of days when he wondered if his aspirations were just pipe dreams, but ultimately, his focus has remained clear and positive. "There were a lot of days when I had a lot of doubt and I had to rely on self-belief and show up anyways," explained Gavin. "I love it though. … You have to be a little overconfident and believe when there's no reason to believe. And I think that's the only way to keep going. Because there's so many days the reasons to not keep going outnumber the reasons to keep going." Gavin achieved his SAG-AFTRA eligibility last summer, which he explained that in the acting profession is an accomplishment in itself. Gavin's next goal is to continue his training and learning. In the near future, Gavin hopes to be signed by an agency in Sacramento or San Francisco with a longer-term goal of moving to Los Angeles, signing with a bigger agency and working full time as a film and TV actor. It's a challenging road which will bring both success and disappointment, but Gavin said his work ethic and faith in himself will fuel him through whatever life throws his way. Yet no matter how bright his star shines in the future, Gavin said he will always cherish where he came from: a small-town boy from Shingle Springs who earned his very first acting chops in Folsom. "I have so many good memories," Gavin said with nostalgia. "When I was a kid, I said, 'Oh, I'll never move to the city.' But now that I'm an actor, that's all I'm about is I want to go to LA. I want to be an actor."