Sometimes life takes interesting routes, especially when it comes to individuals that pursue careers in the arts. For one such young man, the path began in the world of hardcore and punk rock music, before he embarked on a serious acting career that has entailed both stage and independent film. Steve Guynn, of Lexington, Kentucky, is one of the more active individuals in his home region. When he isn't doing something like jumping out of planes (he is an active skydiver), he is working on projects, rehearsing, and honing his craft. A self-motivated individual, a necessity in the indie film world, Steve has actively toured in professional theater. In today's IMM interview, we will be visiting with Steve Guynn as he takes us into his world, from his music roots, to stage and film (with his thoughts on the two mediums), and his plans for the future. As intense as he was during his punk rock days towards his music, so is he towards his film and theater endeavors. Without a doubt, Steve Guynn is well on his way towards a successful acting and production career. -Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters Blog, September 21st, 2009 SZ: You have a music, theater and film background. Let's briefly touch on your music career. Tell us about the bands you've been in. SG: I played guitar and sang backing vocals in a hardcore band called Ungrateful. We played shows in Lexington, Louisville, Somerset, Berea and so on. We were banned from most places we played in Lexington including The Wrocklage and Alcoholics Anonymous. The Dame wouldn’t even let us in their doors. It was hard to find a venue or club we were in good standing with, though Rock Haven was one such a place, not too dirty, not too clean, just right like Baby Bear’s soup. We released an album worldwide in 1996 titled ‘Southside Lexington Hardcore’ on Sound Pollution Records. I played guitar and sang backing vocals for Retribution, though I am not the guitarist on their EP recording. Retribution, The Infected, Brassknuckle Boys and other ‘back in the day’ punk bands thank Steve Ungrateful in the thanks section of their record sleeve or cd insert. That’s me. This is strange to me because no one called me Steve Ungrateful to my face, most people on the street called me ‘Hardcore Steve’. I guess it is worth mentioning that I also played in several bands (one called Ghetto Blasters for example) that did not release any recordings. I experienced so many good and bad times during those years. The Lexington KY Punk Scene will always be a family to me. SZ: Did your years as a touring and recording musician help in any way when you went full time into theater and acting? SG: Yes definitely. I can always look back on all the fights (literally) and problems with the police and just know that my problems now aren’t really that bad. At least I’m not in jail for a victimless crime you know. All that I went through just to perform the music I love makes me realize that I enjoy performing for people and getting ideas out there. No matter what I am doing to put a roof over my head or food on my plate, if I am not performing, I feel like I am not contributing to the world. SZ: What has your formal training been in terms of acting and theater? SG: I graduated May 2007 with a BA in Theatre at the University of Kentucky. I worked full-time as a maintenance man at a private school while attending classes at UK. Russell Henderson taught me vocal production; Margo Buchanan was my acting instructor; I took a playwriting class with Herman Farrell III. It was a real honor studying under Herman Farrell III. He was the kind of professor that really cared about his students and would make time for them. That’s it for formal training. I strongly feel that every time I take a theatre contract or work on a film set I am perpetually learning about acting and the entertainment industry as a whole. SZ: What were your experiences in professional theater like? (touring, acting multiple roles in children's theater, etc) S