Young Katy Actor Builds Feature Film Resume During Pandemic

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

March 17, 2021

By Natalie Cook Clark

While the entertainment industry suffered this past year, a young Katy actor still worked hard on his craft - even through shutdowns, routine COVID tests, and heightened safety protocols. Gavin Warren continues his rise to Hollywood stardom while representing his hometown of Katy with grace and that good ol’ boy smile.

Gavin Warren, Katy actor, Photo: Nikki Guest

Gavin Warren, 12, may enjoy downtime on his iPad or making Tik Toks, but he’s not your ordinary sixth grader. To date, he’s been in 9 feature films, two TV shows, and two short films.

"When I was seven, I decided I wanted to be an actor," says Gavin Warren. "Actually, my brother and I loved Adam Sandler movies and I wanted to be like Adam Sandler."

Gavin has strong support from his parents Nicole and Brett Warren, and his older brothers, Austin and Blake.

"Being a mom of a child actor is way harder than I anticipated," says Nicole Warren. "It comes with so many highs and lows.

Gavin’s mom says they often find out the day before that he’s booked a job.

“Suddenly it’s a whirlwind,” says Nicole. “We are expected to drop everything, pack for months and leave the rest of the family behind. Luckily they are all supportive and understand that I will do anything for all of them."

In 2018, Gavin appeared in his first movie, “First Man,” a film about astronaut Neil Armstrong. He played little Rick Armstrong (Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy's son).

Working through the Pandemic

During COVID, Gavin still managed to work on several projects. In March 2020, he landed the lead in “Geechee,” a film produced by Jamie Foxx. Gavin had been rehearsing for a week in the Dominican Republic when production shut down and the cast and crew were sent home.

In September, Gavin returned to resume filming just to be sent home again. He hopes that production will start back up on the project this fall.

The COVID-19 safety and testing protocols were particularly challenging. Actors had to quarantine for up to two weeks before any interaction with the cast and crew.

“For 12-year-old Gavin, it seemed like he was on house arrest for two weeks, which none of us are used to doing,” says Nicole. “During the entire production period, Gavin suffered the tickle-your-brain COVID tests every other day. That was probably the hardest part.”

The actors and crew were also required to social distance, wear masks while not acting, and follow other safety procedures that made the experience more difficult.

Katy Boy at Heart

When he’s not on location, Gavin loves to be home in Katy. His favorite places to eat are Snooze and Yen and his favorite local hangouts are Main Event for bowling and laser tag, and Altitude.

While many Katy families have adapted to a new way of learning through the pandemic, Gavin follows a more unconventional path to learning. He follows a virtual curriculum to accommodate his acting schedule when on set and traveling.

His favorite subjects are art and athletics. Although he loves to play soccer and gymnastics, and enjoys playing around with his own stunts, Gavin doesn’t have time to play competitively.

“Gavin attends a very small private school in Katy that focuses on helping you find your strengths and become an entrepreneur,” says Nicole.

School hasn’t been easy for Gavin, especially with dyslexia. However, acting has helped him to see things differently and think outside the box.

“We have always taught him not to let anything hold him back from his dreams,” says Nicole, who explains that his personal slogan is “No obstacles only opportunities.”

Memorizing is difficult for dyslexics, so Gavin would often use his love for art to sketch the scenes to help learn his lines.

“Gavin has benefited greatly from this strategy that has also helped him with his memory overall and reading skills,” explains his mom.

Recently, Gavin launched his own business, “Fidgeties,” through his school and has entered an entrepreneur contest. Watch one of his pitch videos here:

Sharing the Screen with Hollywood Stars

Gavin recently filmed “Unbreakable Boy,” with Patricia Heaton and Zachary Levi, about an autistic boy named Austin who has a rare bone disease. Gavin plays Austin’s little brother who is the glue that keeps the family together.

Pictured, from "Unbreakable Boy": Patricia Heaton, Meghann Fayhy, Gavin, Warren, Zachary Levi, Jacob Laval, Todd Terry, and director Jon Dunn. Photo: Lionsgate

Gavin is known for playing dramatic characters. But he got to stretch his comedic muscles in “#FBF,” which he just finished filming with Golden Globe nominee Ashley Judd.

In the upcoming film “12 Mighty Orphans,” Gavin plays the flashback of Luke Wilson’s lead character. This production also experienced significant delays due to the pandemic.

“We hope to see Gavin in his first lead role this year, in a scary movie,” says Nicole. “I can’t say the name just yet.”

Gavin’s dream role would be to be in the next “Deadpool” film, and he says if any actor could play him in a movie one day, that would have to be Ryan Reynolds.

“I love to act,” says Gavin. “It’s fun and will bring me far in life. I love having the experience on set and meeting all kinds of people and learning about their job on set.”

Fans can follow Gavin on Instagram @gavindaguy.