GQ (actor)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Born: | February 7, 1976 Chicago, Illinois, USA |
|---|---|
| Occupation: | Actor, Writer, MC |
Gregory J. Qaiyum, better known by his initials, GQ, is an actor, writer and MC.
A product of a German mother and Pakistani father, GQ was raised in Chicago, where he attended Loyola Academy (high school), and later studied at New York University's (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. Before graduating from the Experimental Theatre Wing of NYU, he put some friends together to create his senior project n merging hip-hop and theater n combining two of his passions, rapping and acting. The result is the "add-rap-tation" known as the hit off-Broadway production The Bomb-itty of Errors, in which GQ is actor, rapper, co-writer and original producer. The show won the jury prize for Best Show at the 2001 HBO/Aspen Comedy Festival.
GQ's first professional acting job was at the Manhattan Theatre Club in the hit London play, East is East. His film credits include What's the Worst That Could Happen? for MGM and director Sam Weisman, On the Line for Miramax, and Drumline for Fox and director Charles Stone. Most recently, G completed a Fox feature film called Taxi for Tim Story.
After his experience in theater, GQ turned his attention to television n a musical sketch/comedy series for MTV called Scratch & Burn. He and the other members of the Bomb-itty crew, including his little brother, JAQ (who also wrote and produced all of the music for the show), created, wrote and starred in the series.
GQ's next project was his directorial debut for a film for Showtime called Just Another Story, which he wrote and starred in as well. GQ also guest-starred on Fox's Boston Public, writing his own rhymes for a role as a delinquent student in a Shakespeare class who brought the material to life for the other bored students by rapping it.
GQ currently lives in Los Angeles. Along side JAQ, the two have created Q Brothers Productions and are working on working on an album together entitled, The Feel Good Album Of The Year, a mix of jazz, rock, R&B and electronica.
The name "GQ" comes from his own initials, but is also a reference to GQ magazine, which itself has become somewhat of a colloquialism referring to stylish males.
[edit] Selected filmography
| Rescue Dawn (2006) | Farkas | |
| Jonny Zero | Random | |
| Taxi (2004) | Stopwatch Messenger | |
| Man with a Van (2004) | Keith | |
| Boston Public (2003) | Daryl | |
| Just Another Story (2003) | Director/Stix | |
| Scratch & Burn (2002) | Himself | |
| Drumline (2002) | Jayson | |
| On the Line (2001) | Eric | |
| What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) | Shelly Nix | |
| Perfume (2001) | Charlie |
