Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
George is no stranger to the spotlight. You might recognize him as Arty from Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, where he starred alongside Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks, and Molly Shannon. He can also be seen in Adult Interference and has guest-starred on hit shows such as Two Broke Girls, PoliKidz, and Teachers. George’s talents don’t stop at film and TV; he’s also a theatre fanatic, having directed Spring Awakening at the Stella Adler Theater and performed in productions including Little Women, Into the Woods, and Legally Blonde.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, George now splits his time between Savannah and Nashville with his adorable Pomeranian and bunny, while attending SCAD for college. His hobbies include writing, visiting historical sites, watching underground films, and interestingly he loves exploring graveyards. Passionate about environmental issues, George is also deeply involved in advocating for Queer youth and supporting underprivileged young filmmakers.
George Baron is full of creativity and passion, not just in the film industry but also within his community. Whether he’s creating a thrilling new movie or advocating for important causes, George brings his unique flair to everything he does. Don’t miss The Blue Rose—it promises to keep you entertained and on your toes from start to finish!
George welcome to OLC! “The Blue Rose” is your feature directorial debut. What inspired you to take on the roles of writer, director, and star in this film?
My Gen-Z narcissism.
Can you share more about the Immersive Theater Art Show you directed in 2020 and how it influenced “The Blue Rose”?
Yes! My childhood best friend, Sophia Victoria Frizzell is a very talented self-taught artist who paints very beautiful pop-surrealism works. We had wanted to do a project together where we both combined our expertise, mine being performance art and directing, and hers being painting and world building. We got a few friends together as our cast and and put together a show in literally less than a week. It was a one night only event, and we (the actors) dressed up as the paintings and moved about an “asylum” having audience members choose their own adventure in a free-roaming immersive experience. I fell in love with the characters we created that night (Rose, Daphne, Kiyo, Sophie and another character who I’m not going to spoil until you watch the movie). I knew I wanted to write something more thorough with those characters and wanted to explore the mystery behind them, so I inserted the two detective characters to move the story along in a palatable way.
Your film blends horror with “pastel-noir” aesthetics. What drew you to combine these genres, and how did the golden age of Hollywood influence your vision?
I have definitely coined the term “pastel-noir”, but it’s not a real genre, I just completely made it up haha. I’ve always been a big fan of horror since I was small, I always wrote horror stories when I was a kid and always wanted to make slashers and ghost stories. As I got older, I fell in love with classic films and became enthralled by their Technicolor wonder. In addition to that, I’ve always been super inspired by pop surrealism artists like Mark Ryden and Nicoletta Ceccoli who almost exclusively work in pastel colors. I wanted to see how I could transport that color pallet and vibe to film and I think I did that pretty successfully.
“The Blue Rose” explores themes of gender fluidity and facing fears in a repressive universe. Why are these themes important to you, and how do you hope they resonate with audiences?
It’s not that those themes are necessarily “important” to me, what’s important to me is showcasing queer stories through a lens that doesn’t feel like it’s pushing an agenda or being forceful. I think my generation is super tired of that. Not everything has to be so on-the-nose. There’s room for nuance in queer cinema and I think that room should be explored more often.
What was it like to have “The Blue Rose” premiere at the 2023 FrightFest Film Festival and be screened at other international festivals?
It was f*cking incredible. I love the UK and FrightFest treated me like an absolute princess. I had the best time. Big shout of to FogFest in St Johns, Newfoundland. It’s a relatively new festival, but it’s really special and I hope they continue to grow bigger and bigger, because they are absolutely FANTASTIC. I cannot speak more highly of them.
You’ve had a diverse career, from acting in “Wet Hot American Summer” to directing theater productions like “Spring Awakening.” How do these experiences shape your approach to filmmaking?
Oh lord, not my child acting career. I think that was definitely a huge learning experience for me and informed set-etiquette and the inner workings of a film set and I’m super grateful for that. Theatre is where my heart is. It always has been. If I could just make live art for the rest of my life, I would be more than happy. I think that translates a lot into The Blue Rose, as it’s very theatrical. It feels like a musical to me.
As a passionate advocate for Queer youth and underprivileged filmmakers, how do you incorporate your advocacy into your creative work?
I’m still just starting out, and I’m only one person. As I continue to grow and get more support, I hope I am able to really put in the work to give opportunities to young filmmakers who were the same age as when I started, because I know how fortunate I was to get this opportunity and how rare it really is. I’d really like to start a non-profit or something one day, but I don’t want to rush anything until I’m significantly more seasoned, I fear it would be all in vain if I didn’t really dedicate a lot of time to it.
What upcoming projects do you have in the works for 2024?
My mental health, my schoolwork and my happiness.
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