Santa Clarita native pursues his creativity

Santa Clarita native Connor Garelick. Courtesy
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Santa Clarita native Connor Garelick wasn’t one of those kids who grew up dreaming of entering the entertainment industry, rather as someone who simply loved to create.

While Garelick took a couple of acting classes as an elective in high school, he still was more interested in baseball, going on to play at Pepperdine in college.

It was after starring in “Decommissioned” in 2015 that he really delved into acting, as he found the commonalities between baseball and filmmaking, both of which he said require teamwork.

“You all have a common goal … it felt parallel to me,” he said, adding that whether it was making a movie or winning, it required every piece of the puzzle to succeed.

Santa Clarita native Connor Garelick, center, on set. Courtesy

With a master’s degree in finance, Garelick started acting as more of a hobby. That is until it became more than that.

“It went to another level,” he said, adding that it’s the opportunity for creativity that drew him in, as he began to commit himself to the arts.

For Garelick, films are like a portal into another world, where he can not only learn about himself, but also the world around him.

“I like bringing something from the page to real life,” he added. “I just enjoy the process of storytelling, filmmaking and making sounds — it’s something I’m very passionate about — and been blessed to be able to do that.”

Santa Clarita native Connor Garelick performing. Courtesy

After his role in “Elyse” alongside Anthony Hopkins, he then got a full-ride scholarship to train at Lee Strasberg, a method acting school, where he discovered his passion for music.

Since then, Garelick’s gotten the opportunity to pursue both acting and singing, appearing in six feature films thus far and releasing his first songs just last month.

Along the way, many advised him against delving into the entertainment industry, as nothing is guaranteed or promised, including himself.

“It’s not like, ‘Oh, go to this acting school, and then you will make it.’ No, it’s not like that — there’s not a set path,” Garelick added. “There’s this voice in our heads from childhood that says, ‘You’re not good enough’ … ‘You haven’t worked hard enough.’”

Santa Clarita native Connor Garelick on set. Courtesy

It’s for these reasons he wants to motivate other aspiring artists, who he said should never give up.

“If you really want to do something, do it,” he said. “Never give up, always be training and be an optimist. Optimism is a superpower. Being positive is a superpower in this day and age. Curiosity is a superpower.”

Though Garelick didn’t dream of pursuing the arts, he certainly loves it, adding, “I’m very thankful for the opportunities that I’ve gotten, and the people that have believed in me … and I’m very excited for what’s to come.”

For more information, visit connorgarelick.com. 

Santa Clarita native Connor Garelick. Courtesy

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