Meet George C Welder

Today we’d like to introduce you to George C Welder.

George, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Let me start by saying thank you for this opportunity. Each of us has a story that is unique, and I am grateful to share mine. I was extremely fortunate to grow up in a loving, supportive family in North Dakota and was always encouraged to pursue my interests. Music grabbed me at an early age and has been a part of my life since starting piano lessons at age six.

I played in the school bands all the way through my college career, which was cut short by my budding rock and roll career, and didn’t think about anything else other than playing music. I worked for an agency that provides residential and vocational services for people with developmental disabilities for 25 years until moving to the DFW area. There I learned an awful lot about living life one day at a time and being grateful for what you have. Whenever I’d start to feel discouraged or sorry for myself, I saw people who found joy and happiness in the things I was taking for granted. It was an extremely rewarding job that had helped me as much as I had helped any of the residents.

Working there also afforded me the time to play and travel with different bands. While playing Bike Week in Daytona Florida, the band I was in was offered the opportunity to be the subject of a documentary. That sparked the interest in acting and I fell in love with the craft. My friend and acting mentor, Amber Rae Bernhardt, opened up the world of theater and acting and set me on a path that would lead me to Texas.

I’ve been married to my beautiful and supportive wife Kimberly for 26 years and after our two children went off to college, Kimberly and I thought it was the perfect time to try something new. I had had some stops in DFW while out on tour and everyone was nice, the winter was much more mild than North Dakota, and it had roughly ten times as many people than the entire state of North Dakota. Surely it would have the opportunities I was looking for. We arrived one year ago and Dallas-Fort Worth has not disappointed. I am playing bass in a Tom Petty tribute band called American Petty, teach drums at the School of Rock in Dallas and in Frisco, and study acting at Michele Condrey’s REACT acting studio in Dallas. I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot numerous short films, do some commercials and work with some wonderfully talented people.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t believe life is meant to be a smooth road. Without challenges, adversity, and failure we don’t grow. I have been extremely fortunate throughout my life, and the challenges I have faced don’t compare to what I have seen others face and conquer. As a recovering alcoholic, I thank God everyday for sobriety.

My biggest challenge professionally was living in a geographical location as far away from either coast as one can get. To play music meant a lot of traveling and being away from my family. In 2006 I made the decision to slow down a bit from music and be home, where I need to be. I still played locally and it afforded me the opportunity to pursue acting. Now, if pursuing a music career in North Dakota seems tough, acting is a true labor of love. Again, I was extremely fortunate to do theater as well as some commercial work. I would be recommended for a commercial and that director would cast me in something else and so on. I had a nice network of creative people to work with.

Before moving to Dallas, I had never had a resume or headshots and I knew a total of one person here. My dear friend and mentor from ND helped me put together a resume, told me to find a photographer and get some pictures, find a studio to do some studying and get out there and do it. So that’s what I’ve done.

George C Welder – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am an actor, musician, in a unique position to pursue the interests that I am passionate about. I don’t worry about being the best, only doing my best.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
What I am most proud of is being married to my best friend and raising two amazing children in the same loving and supportive family as I had.

Contact Info:

• Website: georgecwelder.com
• Phone: 214-432-6122 ext303
• Email: jkolinofsky@callidusagency.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1459131180

Image Credit:
Gregg Gannon, Ward Meeker, Kevin Porter, Stacy Bogan

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