012 - Joe Alone

Two heads are better than one - or so the popular phrase states.  But, are two Gaudets better than one?  By Gaudets, I'm referring to the Gaudet twins - Joe and Charlie.  On the day of our photoshoot, I was hoping that Charlie would be able to join Joe and me for a few photos.  Charlie, unfortunately, was out of town but based on the energy that Joe alone had, this Joe thinks that it was probably for the best.  

By day, Joseph Jonathan Gaudet is an analyst for John Hancock but is "constantly thinking about acting and being creative."  He is a self taught sleight of hand artist.  Joe studied acting at Keene State College [Keene, New Hampshire] and also studied Criminal Justice at North Shore Community College in Massachusetts.  He has worked on many independent films and is currently the voice of many characters on "Fizzy's Lunch Lab," a web series for PBS Kids Go.

Joe explains: "Fizzy's Lunch Lab is a fun educational show that teaches parents and kids about nutrition in a fun way. It's very funny and entertaining even for adults. I voice Marty the Muscle (which is spin off on Arnold Schwarzenegger) Natural Nut (which is basically Ice T the rapper) and Candy Roll (a Bobcat Goldthwait hyper kind of character). It was a great experience getting into the booth and doing the sessions."

Joe is 25 and was born at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital on March 27, 1984 or perhaps I should say on 3/27, a number with special significance to him beyond just being his birthday.

"Michael Jackson has been a huge influence on me growing up. I was a HORRIBLE dancer when I was younger. I couldn't dance to save my life. Then one day in middle school/high school I got rhythm. I would watch Michael Jackson or similar artists and play their videos in slow motion until I learned them." he continued "Billie Jean is my favorite song. So I've noticed that at the 3:27 mark in the song and in his Motown 25 performance of Billie Jean, he starts his infamous moonwalk sequence. Now my birthday is Marc 27th. 3/27. I'm not an extremely superstitious person but I noticed a connection and thought it was cool. So now, I can dance and spin just like the man. [he laughs] I'm proud of that one. Whenever I hear a bass line or a song you can move to, I'm forced to dance."

Though a fan of the late, gloved, King of Pop, Joe was never a member of the Michael Jackson fan club.  However, as a child, he was a member of the Macauly Culkin fan club.  I asked Joe about influences and inspirations and he told me there are many "...but the ones who always stuck with me were Michael J. Fox. Jim Varney and Michael Jackson. They'll always be the top three."

Joe shared a story of a jacket he once owned: "Michael J Fox is the biggest inspiration in acting for me. I've always wanted the jacket his character wore in "Back to the Future 2". I tried to make it out of old jackets in my parents basement when I was like 10, but it didn't go too well. So after I graduated high school in 2002, I took the money that I received from my graduation and found the jacket on eBay. I HAD to have it. and I got it! It was a replica and it talked and could fit by itself (you had to hook it up to wires and pull them but that's how it was done in the film so I was cool with it) I also bought the exact holographic hat he wore in part 2 and the clocktower flyer and other props. Like a dork, I wore the jacket to the mall and other places and pretended to be Marty McFly. The only thing I was missing was the DeLorean. Long story short, I had to sell the jacket and do the cliche starving actor thing and sold it for rent money. I had my fun and almost broke even. I'll get another one someday."

These days, Joe's analyst job takes care of the rent.  He is not in that "cliche starving actor" mode either thanks to his girlfriend Anna.  "She's an excellent cook. She's Polish and can bribe me with Polish food any day."  Joe's love of food is not limited to Anna's Polish cooking.  He had New Year's Eve dinner at a Japanese steakhouse.  He and Anna were joined by Joe's twin Charlie, Charlie's fiance, and another couple.before parting ways to celebrate the beginning of the new decade.  Sounds like a nice night but it is also quite different from Joe's initial idea.
 
"We originally planned to go to Montreal, but couldn't get my passport fast enough (shame on me) and also that night we planned to go to a strip club for some laughs and some chesticles. We decided to just save our money. I had to save my ones for something more practical in this economy. Like vending machines and tolls or something." [laughs]

As for how 2009 ended and 2010 began for Joe - "me and Anna rang in the new year quietly on the couch with some bubbly. It was perfect."  And so an evening that began in 2009 with six people ended in 2010 with Anna and Joe, alone.  Alone, plus a cat named Jane, that is.

http://www.bostoncasting.com/joegaudet
http://www.youtube.com/joegaudet