Photography by Valheria Rocha
We had the amazing opportunity to speak with actor Parker Wierling about “Greyhound” and his upcoming projects.
Parker has been performing for audiences since he was 8 years old when he discovered his passion for performing in school and community theater. Beyond acting, he has spent time cultivating his musical talent and writes, records and produces his own music. He is a founding member of two bands, “The Foes” and “Three For Nothing”. Parker plays bass guitar, drums and shares lead vocals with bandmates. Parker will be releasing new music in the coming months and his new single “TailorMade” released on November 9, 2018.
Hi, Parker! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role Tom Hank’s “Greyhound.” What should the audience expect to see?
Thank you for having me! When the audience watches Greyhound, they can expect to be on the edge of their seats the whole time. It’s a very intensely real World War II navy film. You’re going to come out of this movie having a good understanding of what it was like to be in the middle of the North Atlantic ocean fighting for your life and the lives of your crew.
Tell us about your role in “Greyhound.”
I played a messenger on the ship! His job is to send and receive messages to and from his ship to the others in the fleet.
How was it working with Tom Hanks?
Working with Tom was a dream come true! He’s a lovely person. I learned a lot by watching him work and how he handles the pressure of a large set. Keeping focused is so key when you have long days.
You also have the indie film “Yes, God, Yes” coming out next year. What is the film about and what character do you play in the film?
Yes, God, Yes is a great indie style film that takes place in an early 2000’s Christian school retreat. I play a character named Wade, a wiry kid just trying to fit in, even if that means not being quite honest.
You have worked on a wide range of projects so far. What has been your favorite to do thus far?
It’s definitely hard to pick my favorite filming experience, but the last two films mentioned allowed me to really grow close with my cast members! Yes, God, Yes had such a family-like bond between the cast and crew. And being on Greyhound was amazing because I got to live on location in Baton Rouge for a couple months with some really great people!
What’s your favorite genre in film / TV?
I’ve always had a soft spot for comedy! Specifically, mockumentaries are totally underrated. I love everything Christopher Guest does. (Spinal Tap, Best In Show, etc.) And Documentary Now! is one of my favorite TV shows of all time!
What actor or director would you like to work with next?
Working with Christopher Nolan, director of Inception, The Prestige, and Memento, would be an amazing experience. His films really transformed how I watched movies. He’s so innovative. Working with such a forward-thinking director like him would be life changing!
You also write, produce and perform music. How did you get started in music?
I’ve always loved listening to music with my parents when I was younger. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I started getting interested in playing music. I got my first guitar and started learning the basics. I joined my first band my freshman year of high school and learned how to play both drums and bass guitar. I played in various bands over the years with my friends but it wasn’t until I got back from filming Greyhound this year that I started really focusing on writing, recording, and producing my own music.
You recently released your single “TailorMade”. What inspired this song and where can fans hear it?
Writing “TailorMade” was really different for me because I had just gotten done filming for two and a half months on the two biggest projects of my career. It was sort of a summing up of how I was feeling at the time, all my experiences rolled into one tune. You can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Soundcloud under the project name Focal Feature!
When not acting or making music, what other things do you like to do?
My friends and I love getting together and just doing anything creative that we can. If any of us have an idea we need assistance with, we all pitch in and help out, whether its making music, short films, photography projects, fashion designs, or whatever else! We try not to sit still. Always keep moving and creating! I’ve also recently started getting more into cooking more at home!
Share your social links!
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter with @parkerwierling and you can find my music on @FocalFeature.
Connect with Parker:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkerwierling
Featured Image Credit: Photography by Valheria Rocha.
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