Sound Bites - Jason Gray-Stanford
Already a shimmering, glowing star in the anime-in-English firmament for his portrayals of action heroes and tragic figures (see Animerica Vol. 4 No. 2 for a more extensive interview), [1] Jason Gray-Stanford tackles his first really big romantic leading role as the reluctant ronin Yusaku Godai in Maison Ikkoku. Interview by Toshifumi Yoshida.
Previous roles (animation): Fatal Fury, Green Legend Ran, Ogre Slayer, Please Save My Earth, Ranma 1/2, Ronin Warriors.
(live action TV/movies) The Commish, Hawkeye, The Heist, Highlander, The Outer Limits, Macguyver, M.A.N.T.I.S, The Marshal, Robin's Hoods, Sliders, Strange Luck, The X-Files [2]
Vital Statistics: Born: May 19 Star Sign: Taurus Height: 5'10" Weight: 160 lbs. Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue
What's your favorite movie or movies of all time?
Oh, now this could go on forever, but I'm gonna try and keep it short. Definitely
Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies in the sci-fi genre. It's just a great movie that was way ahead of its time, with a great director, and a great star. What else? Another movie I really, really enjoyed was
Dead Poets Society, because it was kinda my generation, growing up, so... there's two. I have many, I have thousands- but there's two.
What's your favorite color?
It's gotta be blue. Definitely.
What was your favorite cartoon when you were growing up?
My favorite cartoon right now is
X-Men, but when I was growing up, it would have been in the
Spider-Man vein, definitely. The action-y ones. Oh, and
Popeye, The Sailor Man.
Who was your childhood hero?
Oh, gee. Well, I'd have to say probably my parents, 'cause they were always there... just because they always supported me in everything I did, and that's great.
Aww... (LAUGHS) What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a lawyer, and then I kinda wanted to be a policeman, and then when I realized that I could act all these people, and not have to actually do the job, I decided I wanted to be an actor.
Do you have any hobbies?
Oh, I've got lots of hobbies, I'm a basketball fanatic. I play a lot of tennis, sports, anything sport-oriented- that's what I like to do.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
I definitely believe in love at first sight.
Do you ever watch soap operas?
Yeah, I've seen a few soaps. I used to watch
Days of Our Lives all the time. I have to save I haven't seen too many recently.
What do you most remember about your first love?
I'm gonna have to say that it was probably one of the weirdest experiences of my life, because it was the first time that I actually fell in love, and I didn't know what was happening to me when I was tripping over myself, falling head over heels.
How old were you?
I'm gonna have to put that somewhere in high school- let's say 15 or 16.
What kind of person would you say is your ideal "dream date"?
Oh, my ideal dream date? Someone who is funny. Someone who is funny and intelligent, someone who can crack me up and keep me laughin'. I think that's the most important thing. Definitely. Humor and intelligence.
New Address! Fan mail for Jason Gray-Stanford can be sent care of:
Northern Exposure Talent Management Group
Suit 6, 1155 Melville Street
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6E 4C4
Footnotes
- [1]Yoshida, Toshifumi. "Sound Bites - Jason Gray-Stanford." Animerica Volume 4, Issue 2, 1996, 26-27. Archived: http://www.furinkan.com /features/interviews/jasongraystanford.html.
- [2] While this is nominally a promotional interview for the beginning of the Maison Ikkoku anime production and his role as Yusaku Godai from Maison Ikkoku, Jason Gray-Stanford's other roles included: Joe Higashi from Fatal Fury, "Ran," Green Legend Ran, Yuta, Mermaid's Scar, Ogre Slayer, Ogre Slayer, Haruhiko Kazama, Please Save My Earth, Shinnosuke, Ranma 1/2, and Kento of Hardrock from Ronin Warriors.
