
Gia Marie Barbera

GET UPDATES FROM Gia Marie Barbera


Posted: 04/08/2012 19:20


Having already worked with the likes of Tinie Tempah, and being signed to Parlophone Records there seems to be no end to the South Londoners talents. G Frsh ever open to new ideas and experiences stars alongside Joe Cole, Vas Blackwood (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and Scorcher (Top Boy) in the film OFFENDER (release date 8th August 2012).

After a few minutes in, G Frsh's company I notice he has an easy charm and is a natural raconteur. Over the next hour or so, I find myself nodding and laughing as he tells me of his passion for music, film and books. He is articulate and his recall is excellent.

G Frsh plays career criminal, Angel Face in the movie OFFENDER he says " Angel Face is someone who was built to survive in that environment that is the best way to describe him. He someone who is down for the cause or whatever the cause is, he is very much lead by jake who is his friend, and pretty much the leader of the gang. So he is down to do whatever is necessary to survive and further his own agenda."

I want the general public to be entertained. I want them to understand the message in the film like with the thing of revenge and all the rest of it who really wins when we get so called retribution?
Who really comes out on top? Do you really win by acting upon something that has happened to you? There is definitely a political element to the film, and looking at the system as a whole. When you watch the film you ask yourself if the main character actually comes out on top or he does not and also in terms of revenge the theme if you look at the crime and punishment element of the film, is it right to punish young kids in that way do we gain from it? Do they gain from it? Do we as a society gain from it? It's like do we force people now to be career criminals because it is hard to get jobs and all the rest of it. And how much control do we have over our decision making at such a young age, if you don't let someone vote but they have the capacity to make decisions between right and wrong in every way to then be able to punish them for what they've done. I don't know how hard it is for some people. I think prison is both a place for rehabilitation and punishment and there is no clear cut answer. We would love for everybody to come out rehabilitated. Forgiveness is god like but we're only human".

G Frsh continues "I was attracted to the role because it was the opportunity to try something new. To explore different sides to my personality, and be something thats very far away from what I am like. I am nothing like my character I am a placid calm person but he is extreme".

On his acting debut he says Director Ron Scapello, was a massive support whilst filming "Ron was the key to me being able to play the role properly, in a sense that he brought out what was necessary in me. As I said I am a placid guy, finding those extremes in my personality is not the easiest thing. So he kept pushing to get the right emotions out. This is my first film that I have ever acted in before. I've obviously acted in music videos but this was very different because I had to convey dialogue in a realistic way. I got into acting from having a call up for this film. Acting is something I am interested in now. I never imagined when I was growing up that I would be in a film. I was always in my school plays but that was about it. I started in music I did an economics degree at UCL and essentially I wanted to be a Stock Broker. I was a straight A student. I just found that one day there was a creative side to me that I wanted to explore. When I was younger my favourite actor was Eddie Murphy I just wanted to be him. I wanted his laugh and I wanted a
moustache so badly after Beverly Hill Cops. He was my guy that was me that was it. Then as I got a bit older Will Smith when he was in Fresh Prince of Bell Air. They were my guys"

On preparing for the role, he smiles and says "For my role I did not really prepare that much because I did not really know how to. I just made sure i knew what we were doing as far as the film was concerned and learnt my lines for each scene we are shooting. Then practice scenes when I got on set with the other actors so that we could make sure we could get it right on camera."

With endorsement from the likes of Tinie Tempah there seems to be no stopping him "Me and Tinie Tempah are friends foremost and now we share management (Disturbing London) and record label Parlaphone. Basically musically we have always made songs together and we have
been on tour together. I think him as a person he is very inspiring and he made it on a big level. So it shows us that we can all do it, regardless of your background or where you are brought up, as long as you work hard. I used to see Tinie in a studio on a sunny day and he would just be grafting and grafting away, so hard work pays off. Growing up I did not really listen to rap I used to listen to Tracy Chapman a lot because my mum always played it in the car but apart from that I was not really a music person. I was more of a nerd, just about my books, I was just a learner".

G Frsh is looking forward to his new mix tape coming out "Music wise I have a new mix tape coming out called Lego Man 2. Then I've got singles coming out towards the end of the year and an album next year. I still release music independently, because I did not want to hand all of me over so to speak."

And I am happy to report that when we say goodbye it is with a gentle fist punch rather than a handshake. OFFENDER is out on August 8th 2012.



Follow Gia Marie Barbera on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@giamariebarber