In celebration of the release of the romantic dramedy Queen Bees, Old Sport recently had the opportunity to chat with Courtney Gains about his career in film, music and more.

by Rosalie Kicks ,Editor in Chief, Old Sport

Courtney Gains is like the “Where’s Waldo?” in terms of movies and television, as ya just never know where he is gonna show up and occasionally steal the show. I’ve decided that Courtney’s existence gives this specific picture much purpose:

With one hundred and thirty-one credits to his name, I feel its safe to say that before one closes the coffin on life, they’ll most likely see a motion picture or TV show that features Courtney Gains. Whether you remember him as the guy (apparently the character’s name is Dixon) that picks on George McFly in Back to the Future, Malachai in Children of the Corn (1984) or Sheriff Wade in Sweet Home Alabama, one thing is for sure: Courtney always leaves an impression.

As a small child, I recall first encountering him in the 1989 flick, The ‘Burbs. This was a videocasette that would be on heavy rotation in the Yurasits household and has now become a staple in the Kicks residence as well. The scene in which the group of suburbanites infiltrate the Klopek home and Mark Rumsfield (Bruce Dern) asks Hans Klopek (Courtney Gains) about the picture of the “Pretty girl!” and Hans nervously responds “It came with the frame,” is a classic cinematic moment seared into my brain. While recently speaking with Courtney, it came as no surprise to me to learn that when he attends fan conventions people inform him that they watch The ‘Burbs once a month, having it serve like comfort food for when they find themselves a resident of bummer town. However, there’s more to Courtney than the guy who offered a sardine to Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) or drove his garbage to the end of the driveway and beat it with a stick.

Still from The ‘Burbs — *Still from* The ‘Burbs

Courtney started performing at a young age. “According to my father, when I was six he asked, ‘So you want to be a fireman when you grow up?’ and I responded, no I am going to be an actor.”.

He remembers officially catching the acting bug in an after school program in which a teacher of his had a bunch of the rowdy kids participate in a production of Snow White and The Seven Dwarves. He was initially cast as one of the dwarves, but after the prince dropped out, he was given a major promotion. Having the chance to save the princess and hear the crowd applaud, made him feel at home on the stage. From that moment on he was hooked. Since then, he has worked with many Hollywood Legends, either in front of or behind the camera. Although, when asked what his top three favorite projects were over the years, I was a bit surprised to hear that it has mainly been from his work on television. Specifically the work he did on the series Diagnosis Murder in 1997, when he played a character that had various physical impediments and a role on the show Criminal Minds in 2016 in which he played a mentally ill character, Todd Burton. Courtney found that he enjoyed the challenges of these roles along with the collaborative, yet hasty environment. It is these experiences in particular that have shaped his mindset in terms of selecting future roles saying, “What I am looking for now are characters that champion the marginalized, overlooked and challenge the status quo. That is why I like a character, like in Criminal Minds - you think he is one thing but ends up being an odd hero protecting someone else.”

Having the opportunity to portray a unique or eccentric people is a highlight of being a character actor (learn more about character actors on my podcast, Cinematic Crypt) such as Courtney generally plays. He has a chameleon-like ability which makes him so successful at performing such a variety of roles that may leave one double taking whether they just witnessed him on screen or not. Courtney says, “I take that as a compliment - if what I’m doing is so different and someone doesn’t realize it is me.”.

Often, it is those with the smallest part that leave the biggest impression. Granted, not every role can be scene-stealing worthy, but there are times when other advantages are presented. “Going on location for acting; to a town I have not been - it is kind of like a circus. Everyone bonds together and you do this thing… it is a fun, intense moment in which you will create something,” explains, Courtney.

Still from Queen Bees. — *Still from* Queen Bees.

Much like what came of his cameo in his most recent film release, the romantic comedy of sorts, Queen Bees. Directed by Michael Lembeck, this is a story about a reluctant elderly woman, Helen (Ellen Burstyn) that is forced to move into a senior living facility after a fiery mishap in her own home. Upon her arrival, she is introduced to a group of women described as “mean girls with medical bracelets”.

Courtney’s participation in the flick may have been brief, but the benefit of taking a job like this gave him an opportunity of a lifetime. It meant he got to spend the day on set with: Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Ann-Margret, and Loretta Devine. Credited as “biker”, I think it is safe to say Courtney was not expecting any depth to the character, but being a self described “student of the game” he was not going to turn down the chance to work with these silver screen legends. “The scene I’m in is at a restaurant. They are sitting in another booth and I got to watch them work, see their methods and techniques.” states, Courtney.

His character steals Helen’s purse from the restaurant, which leads to a face off in the parking lot with the spry quartet. There may be moments in which the movie is reminiscent of a made for TV type sort of affair but overall, is quite fun. Fans of retirement home set movies (YES! these people exist! I am one of them) will be especially fond of some of the senior citizen antics such as a self defense class with CANES - where do I sign up? Queen Bees manages to touch on some heavy subjects like the inability to continue your independence while at the same time delivers some amusing moments that may even leave you smiling.

What’s next for Courtney?

I got the impression the guy is always on the move, looking for his next project to get involved in and not always in the acting capacity. Beyond his career as an actor, he also has found time produce a few films. “As a producer you’re involved and responsible for everyone and everything that is going on. You have a huge hand in putting the crew and cast together - shaping the movie. This can be gratifying to see it come together,” says, Courtney.

In addition to producing, he has also taken a spin in the director’s chair when he helmed the short comedy film, Symptoms (2019) written by Karen DeGennaro. The flick tells the story of a hypochondriac and is presently on the festival circuit with a planned online release soon. Until then, watch out for the sci-fi thriller River written and directed by Emily Skye. Courtney plays a doctor that serves as the town shrink who helps a young woman that was a victim of missing time. It is set to release on July 13 and with Courtney’s insider information that it is a small indie film that does not contain CGI - a selling point that he also used regarding another picture that he stars in, The Bleeding Dark. I gotta say, he’s not wrong with his tactics… the lack of CGI does quite interest me, as it often means the possibility of practical effects is high.

And if making movies wasn’t enough, Courtney also spends his time creating music. Much like his acting career, his musical endeavors also dabble in various worlds. He recently released a solo acoustic record entitled, Acoustic Gains Volume 1 which he described as “harkening back to the seventies”. While his other work with the band Ripple Street is more a grunge rock style. Acoustic really isn’t my thing, but it is always fun to chat with someone that is so enthusiastic about what they are doing. Courtney has that type of personality that even if you might only have a slight interest in what he is saying, by the end of the conversation you’ll find yourself listening to Ripple Street - and who knows you might even end up like me: bobbing your head to the sweet sounds of “Slab City” and finally feel free.

PS: Hey Courtney, if you read down this far… I chickened out and didn’t ask on the phone: wanna be in my amusement park slasher flick?