By Nick Smith
Noel Gugliemi is an actor best known for portraying tough guys and ne’er-do-wells. But he’s also a producer, mentor and a man of faith, applying his wealth of experience to a prolific career playing everything from cops to criminals to cartoon characters.
Gugliemi – who often goes by the name of Noel G. – is instantly recognizable thanks to the hundreds of roles he’s played on the big and small screen. You might have caught him in a blockbuster movie (The Fast and the Furious, The Dark Knight Rises), a sitcom (Fresh off the Boat), a cop show (Training Day – the movie and the TV series) or even a soap opera (The Young and the Restless). Wherever you see him, he is sure to make an impression.
‘A lot of parts I play are parts I’ve experienced in real life,’ says Noel G. ‘I’m prepared because it’s life. You cannot teach what you’ve lived.’ When he plays a character that’s outside the realm of his experience, ‘that’s when I study, focus and close myself off. I’m laser focused.’
This dedication has helped Noel G. to build his career over the years, enabling him to fill large, challenging roles as well as smaller but still memorable parts. That career didn’t start overnight, though. ‘It took me eight years to get my first movie,’ he says. He kept pushing. ‘A reason why people fail in life is because they have no plan, or no commitment to the plan. They lose focus and move too slow. If you stay committed and move fast, you’re going to make that dream a reality. You have to ask yourself, how much fight do you have in you? Are you going to tire out, or is your dream going to tire you out?’
If Noel G. sounds like a motivational speaker, that’s because he is devoted to mentoring, coaching actors, talking to at-risk youth and promoting diversity in the movies. ‘Acting gives me a platform to be heard,’ he says, ‘but if you can’t give a positive message to two people, you shouldn’t be talking to 1000 people.’
Noel G’s eventful life has provided him with plenty of wisdom to pass on to people. Born in Santa Monica, CA, his parents abandoned him, leaving him homeless. A criminal life was tempting but he sought something greater. ‘When I was 15 years old,’ he recalls, ‘I saw God demonstrated to me through a family who served Him in their home. I saw how much order that family was in, as opposed to my family. We were doing it our way, not God’s way. I saw a big difference.’
When his Hollywood career kicked off, ‘I said God, I don’t need you no more.’ His whole life was a party for the next 20 years. ‘The wilin’ out, the girls in short skirts, the clubs… I had the money and the free time to do it.’ In 2008, the actor’s life took another turn. ‘I met this guy, David, who was truly a light in the Church.’ David gave Noel G. good wisdom and was a man of his word. ‘He proved God in his lifestyle,’ the actor says. ‘He motivated me to changed my life and be better.’
Now Noel G’s focus is not just on acting and encouraging others but also on making his own films with his production company, Entangled Entertainment. ‘If no-one’s going to give you an opportunity, give it to yourself,’ he says. Entangled has given him the chance to branch out and play different roles he’s never played before. ‘I can do things I prefer and give myself my own opportunities.’
Whether he’s appearing in one of his own movies, such as A Psycho’s Path, or appearing in star vehicles like Replica with Mickey Rourke or Paradise City with John Travolta, Noel Gugliemi brings a thoughtfulness and high quality to his work that has inspired many people. That helps him to stay motivated too. ‘There’s only one way you can fail in life,’ he says, ‘and that is to quit. Keep on fighting the good fight.’
