Movies & TV / Columns
G. Anthony Joseph On Starring In President Down, Working With Tubi & The Asylum
Image Credit: Ben Wilson
The 411 Interview: G. Anthony Joseph
G. Anthony Joseph is an actor, writer, and producer that has been appearing in TV and movies, according to his IMDb page, since at least 1990. Joseph has appeared in such TV shows as American Family (2002), The District (2002), JAG (2002), and Pledge: Change is Good (2023), and such movies as Men of Gray (1990), The Eliminator (2004), Backlash (2006), Contract Killers (2008), 2025 Armageddon (2022), Abduction: The Harvesting (2024), and Ballerina Assassin (2025). Joseph’s latest movie is the action thriller President Down, a Tubi Original produced by The Asylum, directed by Nick Lyon, and now available to watch for free on the Tubi streaming platform (you can watch President Down here). In this interview, Joseph talks with this writer about making President Down, how he approached his character Dr. Walsh, working with the cast and director Nick Lyon, and more.
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Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved with President Down?
G. Anthony Joseph: Mr. Kristopowitz, first of all it’s an absolute honor to be interviewed by you :). Your reputation precedes you and by the list of questions I can tell you did your homework. I really thought journalists like you simply did not exist anymore in the entertainment space. Okay, onto the answers. Like most other actors, I auditioned for President Down through the Hollywood Breakdown Services re Actors Access. I never thought, as I do with most roles I audition for, that I would get a call back or a booking but, when the wonderful casting director Darya Balyura of Darya Casting sent over the offer and deal memo, I was stunned. I always resort to (inside my own head, of course) “Why me?” However, to this day, it still feels like the first time every time I walk onto a film set. It really is, put simply, still a magical experience.
BK: How did you approach your character Dr. Walsh?
GAJ: First of all I read the script from top to bottom at least 3 or 4 times, never memorizing but attempting to understand the world the writer created for Dr. Walsh to live in and, like a detective, digging in and finding as many clues as possible as to why he is doing what he is doing. Then immediately afterwards, I tend to find a clear pathway into becoming the character (within reason) i.e. how he dresses, how he walks, his eating and fitness habits and what does he actually do every day that eventually leads up to him heading to set to do the assignment he was hired to do. So, for instance, if the next scene coming up is Dr. Walsh storming onto a plane then all the days leading up to that, I am doing what Dr. Walsh would be doing to prepare for that moment. I do this so that I mentally and physically get to the point where my character, in this case Dr. Walsh, forgets that he’s in a movie. That, to me, is the ultimate in becoming Dr. Walsh. So I trash words early on like acting and I replace the word script with, “This is someone’s life I am reading about and dissecting.” The main question I keep at the forefront of my mind is, if I was this character being thrown into this situation / world that’s written in the script, I ask myself constantly, “What would I be doing every day as this character?,” because that, to me, is the only way to show up on set and be that character, not act like that character. I want the audience to lean into their movie screens. On set, I want the director, Nick Lyon, to feel he is watching a real life person and the camera just happens to be there capturing what Dr. Walsh is doing. I take Aristotle’s statement quite seriously and I do my best to get as close as possible to “art imitating life.”
BK: Is Dr. Walsh a villain or just misunderstood?
GAJ: I looked at Dr. Walsh like this: a bug has no idea whether it is misunderstood or not, it’s just a bug that moves around and acts like a bug every day doing what’s necessary to survive and moves in accordance to its very nature, that of being a bug. Dr. Walsh saw the world a certain way since he was in his teens and every action he has taken since then was to support what and how he believed the world should be. So, to him, what he is doing is as simple as when he sits down in the morning, reads the papers and has an egg omelet. It’s what he does with no thought of whether it’s right or wrong. By his nature as a man and his health, he has to eat, so by the nature of his mind and his beliefs he has to stop the President and anything that gets in the way of that is going to be wiped away. He so believes in what he is doing that if the plane has to go down with him in it to get his way, he will not hesitate to make that happen. He does not sit at a table and discuss this with others and that’s the feeling / vibe I wanted my body and mind to absorb and transfer to the screen so the audience feels that also. He is a man of action because he believes a man is who he is in how he behaves and what he does, not in what he says.
BK: Describe your working relationship with President Down director Nick Lyon.
GAJ: First of all, allow me to answer this question simply by Nick’s behavior and actions because that to me is a measure of a man, not by what he says but by what he does. Once I was booked in the part and realized the extent of Nick’s accomplishments I was hesitant to bug him but then I decided to reach out by email to ask him some creative questions about my character, Dr. Walsh. I could not believe Nick answered me almost right away. It was at that point I knew I was in the presence of someone special who not only cared about the project but he cared about me as a human being. I don’t say that lightly. The second thing he did, and I remember this so clearly, we had a big scene coming up and time was not on our side. As busy as Nick was he called all the main actors together in a corner. We sat on chairs, couches, desks etc. (we were on a sound stage) and he said “Okay let’s go through all these scenes by the numbers.” For the next hour we hammered out so many scenes so that by the time we got to the set they were building, we all knew exactly what we were going to be doing. The reason why I felt so much at home in that moment with Nick was because it reminded me of the days and months I would be touring live performing Shakespeare on stage with the famous Shakespeare by the Sea company and the kind of camaraderie you build with round table creative discussions after a performance, which is exactly what Nick did on the film set of President Down. Those kinds of moments stay with you for life. So, what I now call the “Nick round table moment” solidified my relationship with him and I said to myself, I have to work with him again.
BK: What was it like working with your fellow cast members on President Down?
GAJ: Whew! That’s a loaded question, Bryan. First of all, working with two time Emmy nominee (she told me something really funny about that once but I won’t repeat it) Gail O’Grady, who portrayed the President, was an unexpected surprise. Why? Because she was so giving and so down to Earth. Even when I was standing around she would sometimes say “G, come sit here”. When lunch came I saw Gail get up and go help make the meal spread for the actors and crew to eat. I mean, what star of her caliber does that? To me, her humanity is what caught me off guard for such a big star because I have learned in the past to keep my distance because you simply never know. Then, during our scenes together she whispered some gems to me that lit a fire inside of me because I realized, after she did that, I was feeling a tad intimidated to be in her presence but once those whispers went into one ear I took off like a rocket. Then working with the other lead actor, Jesse Kove, was like, “Wow!” This guy went with everything I threw at him unexpectedly and, believe me, I really threw the kitchen sink at Jesse in our scenes together and he was right there coming back at me on fire. Then there was the beautiful Gina Vitori, who played the President’s daughter, and I threw more than the kitchen sink at her. Our super intense scenes together were beyond frenetic but she made it so easy for me because her reactions to my crazed character actions were just so perfect, so natural, so on point. Then there is the legend Lorenzo Lamas. What a down to Earth human being he was but I can’t give away what happens between us in the movie. I do remember asking him, hey Lorenzo, can I do the star struck thing and take a picture with you? And he said, “Of course, G.” Finally, I run into another super talented legend, David Chokachi. I knew we would get along because the moment before the director yelled action, David was focused and ready. He was so good I actually forgot I was in the movie and I was just staring at him, watching him work. I had to catch myself and say, “G! Focus! You are in the movie with David and the camera is running!” In short, it was like star overload for me being on that set and I am so very, very hard on myself. “G, what are you doing here?” “G you don’t belong here.” “G you don’t watch much TV so why did you look them up?” “That was not smart, G!”
BK: What was the hardest part of making President Down for you as an actor?
GAJ: There is really no hard part. I know that sounds very fairytale-ish but I say that because of my history. I produced and starred in a movie in the Caribbean in 1995 and it was supposed to be a two week schedule. That two weeks turned into three-and-a-half months. There was no end in sight. I got so sick and had a doctor on set that had to inject me when it was time for my action scenes then I would lay right back down, dead as a doornail after the scene was over. It was hot as hot can be and humid. It was the Caribbean, after all. It was the worst movie experience I ever had and my second producing effort. I bring that up because I realized that there is nothing any production can throw at me now as a thespian that I cannot handle, knowing they will never surpass that war of a production I went through in 1995. Plus the late, great acting coach Ivan Markota of the Van Mar Academy used to tell the actors, “Stop complaining!!! Stop whining & stop believing your own press! You are not curing cancer! The producers and production crew have all the hard work and all you have to do as an actor is show up and talk!” So, no matter what set I walk onto and no matter how long the hours, I appreciate every moment. I make no plans and I have nowhere to go but to be on set. What we as thespians do when “action!” is called is going to be on film forever so, my job as a thespian, is to show up and get it right no matter how long it takes. I stay 150% focused. All of the time. I make sure the producers and director know where I am all the time and when they call for me I am usually standing right behind them. I keep track of everything. Here is a perfect example: on my last day of President Down, my name was shouted out by the first AD that, ”That’s a wrap for G. Anthony Joseph!” and applause was given. Well, what they did not know was about an hour before that, I was standing behind director Nick Lyon and he turned to me and said “G., I want to write you into the opening scene of the movie, would you be okay if we added another day?” And before he was finished I said “You do what’s best for the story and I will be there.” So, there I was again on set days later, so they had two applaud wraps for me!
BK: What was the easiest?
GAJ: “It’s all easy, baby,” as my drama coach Ivan Markota used to say. All we thespians have to do is show up and talk. He passed away a long while ago and I miss him so much. He would have loved to see how far I have come.
BK: Is it better to refer to President Down as an action movie or is it more appropriate to call it a thriller?
GAJ: I would say thriller because there is this unnerving thing happening to the President that my character, Dr. Walsh, is causing and no one knows how to control it or stop it. It’s like a monster attacking a city but you can’t see the monster, only the pieces of smashed building and people flying all over the place.
BK: According to IMDb you’ve produced nine movies. How did you get into movie producing?
GAJ: I produced and starred in a school graduation project called Men of Gray that was 90 minutes long instead of the usual 5 or 10 minute short that students do. I thought early on that the same amount of energy you inject into producing a short is the same amount that goes into producing a feature length film so I made an entire movie as my graduation project that took off in the Caribbean where I filmed it. I came back to LA, graduated, and then I was called to do Men of Gray 2 – Flight of the Ibis back in my homeland of Trinidad. That was the horror story producing effort I mentioned above. So, rather than waiting for the phone to ring as an actor I went off producing but, I originally came to Hollywood to be a thespian on screen, not a producer. One day, right before Covid (sometime in 2019) I got up from my bed and it was a night and day decision. I turned to my wife and I said, “I am done producing. I am going back full time as a thespian in front of the camera.” She has always been so supportive and she said, “Okay.” So, if you look at my IMDb you will see from 2019 onwards how my on camera movies and shows just kept growing and growing again and here we are.
BK: How did you get involved with the 2008 action flick Contract Killers?
GAJ: That’s just me still on my producing streak. I took a chance and hired a first time director right out of AFI and he really knocked that movie out of the park. Many folks thought I made that movie for millions but I shot that in the Caribbean and in Orlando for about 350K. It’s a film that really cleaned up on the festival circuit and to this day it can still be seen on Amazon and on FOX / Tubi. It was originally picked up by First Look Pictures, which I believe then became Millennium Films. It was also on Netflix early on before Netflix became the powerhouse it is today.
BK: You were also the fight choreographer on Contract Killers. How did you get involved with fight choreography and stunt work?
GAJ: When I was 9 years old in 1970, my mother moved us from the Caribbean to Baltimore and I used to get bullied. A lot. She then enrolled me in a martial arts school and little did I know I hit lighting in a bottle with a special unique system that I still practice to this day called TCF: The System. So at 20 years old I went back to the Caribbean and opened a school that I ran for over 20 years. During that time the thespian bug hit me. So martial arts is first in my blood but I did not want to be type cast as a martial arts thespian in Hollywood so, after I choreographed all the fight scenes in Men of Gray 2: Flight of the Ibis, then in The Eliminator with Bas Rutten, Marco Ruas and Michael Rooker, the final one was in Contract Killers. Since then, I have kept that part of me hidden unless someone discovers it (like you) and asks me to do it for their show.
BK: What was it like working on TV shows like JAG and The District?
GAJ: Oh, gosh, those were my first bookings so long after I came off the boat from the Caribbean to Hollywood in 1987. It took me over 14 years to get to that point. I remember my Dad used to watch JAG in the Caribbean all of the time so when I told him I was going to be on JAG I think he told that entire Caribbean island. He was so proud of me. Then I booked The District with Craig T Nelson then American Family with Esai Morales and imagine all those fantastic actors are still around today. I remember walking on the set of JAG and when David James Elliott and Catherine Bell walked onto the set, they literally towered over me. I had no idea they were so tall! Craig T. Nelson on The District was quiet and intense and Esai Morales on American Family was very, very laser focused. That entire episode was shot in one continuous shot so it was like rehearsing for a play so that when that camera came through the door from the past location we had to be ready to go go go with no cutting. I was literally thrown into real Hollywood like being thrown into a fire.
BK: What’s it like working with The Asylum and Tubi?
GAJ: Perfect, actually. I don’t know how true it is but I was told by a little bird behind the scenes that Tubi literally handpicked me to play the role of Dr. Walsh but, as you know, I never believe my own press so I am not sure if that’s true but I was told that’s what happened from an insider. I still had to audition, of course. David Latt and David Rimawii at The Asylum have treated me so well beyond measure and as busy as they are, they sometimes take the time to send me a message saying how happy they are with my portrayal / performance of Dr. Walsh. I don’t need compliments to drive me but coming from both of them I will take that to the bank, as they say.
BK: According to IMDb you’ve been acting in movies and TV since at least 1990. How has the movie and TV business changed since you started?
GAJ: In short, it has not really changed that much, at least for what it takes to become a working thespian in Hollywood. You still have to practice and train like an Olympian. You still have to audition. You still have to be selected and sometimes do call backs and, most important, you are still up against hundreds, sometimes thousands of other thespians for a role so you have to be freaking darn good and sharp as a tack. You have to be the best not try your best. So, in that aspect it has not changed. Yes, the “self-tape” that Covid brought on made things much more challenging for thespians like me who love to walk into a room, meet people, audition live, etc., but all Covid did was accelerate that process of self-taping because the industry was heading in that direction anyway. I know for producers (which I am not doing anymore) the streaming services have drastically changed the market, distribution set ups, output deals etc., but the final product still has to be good to get a decent distribution deal and, of course, these days, if you are not happy with the deal you can go open your own streaming platform. That’s one of the biggest changes I have seen that can put full control of everything in the producer’s hands. I can now touch on verticals, but that’s a whole article by itself.
BK: Any movie making heroes?
GAJ: Not really. I tend to study real people and real situations when prepping for a role rather than watching other actors, plus I love my wife (married for over 38 years), my kids, and my grandkids so much that they are truly my heroes. Now, when I am dead and gone I would hope that I affected other actors when I am on set and they talk about me the way actors talk about John Cazale (Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather 1 and 2, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter) and how much of a true, real artist he was.
BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
GAJ: Well, I just found out that a series I am in titled Pledge- Change is Good, where I star as a vampire named Dean Prichard, was picked up by Tubi and is streaming now. It was directed by the wonderful Ariel K Harris.
Then about a week ago a featured article appeared in Deadline on a new movie I star in called On Paper where I portray a struggling screenwriter who takes extreme measures to make a comeback in Hollywood. Directed by Amanda Niqole, produced by Jaqueline Fleming (River Runs Red, Atone, Stronghold, Scandalous Moves, Deadfall), and executive produced by T. Bankole (Dutchman starring Andre Holland, Zazie Beetz, Aldis Hodge, and produced by Chris Beale).
Then the fascinating book series The Oracle (episode one is in the can) where I portray one of the main leads Mr. Coy. The Oracle is executive produced by the author C.W. Trisef, directed by Isabella Dominguez, and produced by Sofia Moreno Lima and Luna Madia.
Then finally there is the series The Fiesta. The pilot episode is completed where I portray the lead mercenary called “Milky Eye.” Think “Die Hard– with-a-slight-comedic-edge- happening-at-a-children’s-backyard-party.” That is directed by Greg Perez and produced by Will Truong
BK: What do you hope audiences get out of President Down ?
GAJ: Bryan, I love this country more than anyone would ever know. Every so often, my mind would trail off on set and even while going through so much research I realized that most citizens of this great nation go through life clueless as to how many threats our country faces daily and the kind of pressure the men and women who are put there to protect us and what they have to deal with on a daily basis. So, my wish is that for any US resident and citizen watching President Down, they give a moment of pause to think about how many situations like the one the writers of President Down put us in are happening, even as I write these answers. We are currently free because we are protected by these brave men and women every day.
BK: Any interest in appearing in a potential President Down 2?
GAJ: Well, since I can’t give away the ending, if the writers believe they can justify bringing me back and it’s best for the overall movie, then absolutely.
BK: If you had Secret Service protection, what would you want your code name to be?
GAJ: “I’m Done”. It’s the same two words I want engraved on my tombstone when I am dead (ha). I can hear you laughing, Bryan, all the way from my side of town. I am also cracking up because I did not even have to think about it or hesitate. I wrote “I’m Done” before I even got to the end of your question. That’s kind of scary and funny all at once. Thank you so very, very much for this honor, Bryan. There isn’t a moment that goes by that I don’t appreciate the part we all play in this wonderful business we call “show business.”
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A very special thanks to G. Anthony Joseph for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.
President Down is available to watch for free on the Tubi streaming platform (check it out here)!
Check out my review of President Down here!
Check out G. Anthony Joseph’s official Facebook page here!
Check out G. Anthony Joseph’s IMDb page here!
G. Anthony Joseph headshot image courtesy of Filip Shobot. President Down poster image courtesy of Tubi. Image of G. Anthony Joseph, Nick Lyon, and Gail O’Grady courtesy of G. Anthony Joseph. All other images courtesy of Ben Wilson.
