Annette E Alvarez (NY, March 4th, 2022)
The SAG-AFTRA Awards last Sunday always takes Germar T Gardner back to seven years ago and the night the cast of Orange Is the New Black won The Actor for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble ina Comedy Series. Germar was Correction Officer Charles Ford at Litchfield Penitentiary for 18 episodes.
"I was watching this past weekend. Just a little bit; I caught it late. Had to say, 'Wow, I was there once on that stage!' Can't beat that," Germar said. "Well, yea ya can . But still. What an experience."
For me, every time I see a salad bar, I am taken back to 11 years ago and when I first met Germar. Well, not met, but was told about him. Let's tackle this one degree of separation, first. A salad bar randomly opened in my Central Harlem neighborhood. I found it, well, optimistic but I was pessimistic about its chances for survival and I was right.That space is still haunted by Caesar salads that were never made.
It didn't stop there for me: I wanted to find out who financed this salad all-the-time and only salad, always eatery. I was in the middle of another business -- food related -- and, well, I wanted to know the secret of the salad money.
About an hour of Internet surfing, I found the a press release announcing its Central Harlem grand opening. I called the number on the release. Then another number. I kept calling until someone picked up who was able to answer all my questions. FINALLY! The voice was open and sweet and we got to talking. She told me what she did and about the salad bar. I told her what I did and about how I managed diverse actors. And in between those bookends she said "I know someone who's an actor."
That would be Germar.
But unlike the now defunct Island Salad, Germar has survived a business harder than getting a neighborhood used to Sylvia's and Melba's and even Red Rooster to eat salads. He's had a few crowning achievements along the way: Adam Sandler's Happy Madison considers him part of the family. He worked with Marhershala Ali in Roxanne, Roxanne before Marhershala would go on to win his Moonlight Oscar. There's Vampires vs The Bronx with Jaden Michael, the Young Colin Kaepernick in Colin in Black & White: The Path is Power. And of course, The Many Saints of Newark. David Chase was so happy with his work, he was told there would be a surprise awaiting for him when he saw the film. And there was: His name -- Germar Terrell Gardner: End Titles. Shared Card. WOW!
Currently check Germar on Manifest. As Donovan. They love him there too! Maybe it is because Germar is the Hallmark of GIFs. He has a GIF for everything. Text him and you will get a totally appropriate GIF. His breath and scope of the GIF word is mind-boggling.
Or maybe it's because Germar Terrell Gardner is as nice as his name is long. And Terrell is NEVER ABBREVIATED!
PICTURE COURTESY OF ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES
From left, actors Kimiko Glenn, Germar Terrell Gardner, Catherine Curtin, and Joel Marsh Garland, winners of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Orange Is the New Black.
Germar Terrrell Gardner is repped by Jay Schacter of Stewart Talent Agent