Stephen Kramer Glickman is a man of many talents. A successful actor, comedian, music artist and host, Stephen has approached the entertainment industry from a multitude of angles and has found success across the board. Perhaps best known for his role as Gustavo in Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush, he has used the acclaim he garnered in his acting career to move into other avenues that he feels passion for.
Last year saw the talent unveil his debut album, entitled The Moving Company, a series of well worked covers which feature reinventions of tracks by seminal acts such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Radiohead and Billie Eilish. Last month saw him return to the release stratosphere, sharing a cover of Lil Nas X’s hit track “Montero” [Call Me by Your Name]”, which was accompanied by a cinematic spaghetti western inspired music video.
Stephen’s latest creative endeavour comes in the form of an all new variety show. Heralded The Guest List with Stephen Kramer, the show is filmed entirely in his living room, and sees celebrity guests such as Haley Reinhart, Hayley Orrantia, Lisa Loeb and Edwin McCain appearing. Stephan and his guests cover an array of topics during their conversations, discussing the likes of heartbreak, falling in love, family and self care. The show is set to premiere on the 20th July.
We connected with the multi-talented entertainer to discuss his love of performance, his musical and acting pursuits, the forthcoming show, and his goals for the future.
Watch the visuals for “Montero” [Call Me by Your Name]”
Read the full interview…
Who and what influences you in your creativity?
My biggest influence is Matthew McConaughey. Every day I strive to be less and less like Matthew McConaughey. I’m almost there.
Where does your love for performing stem from?
My mom used to let me perform in lieu of doing the dishes. I have been using my talents to circumvent the natural order of life ever since.
How do you juggle so many creative interests?
I have a group of elderly Russian men that come to my house and slap me every time I don’t follow through on an idea. It’s very expensive.
What’s been your biggest achievement to date?
In 2020, I went through a catastrophic breakup after eight years with the same partner. The thing I am the proudest of is not just picking up the pieces of my life and putting them back together after the breakup, but moving to a more outlandish realm of existence where I can live my life out loud.
How did you first become involved in Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush?
I went to an audition to be a cartoon voice actor at Nickelodeon, and when they couldn’t find someone to play Gustavo, they called me in. I auditioned on Friday, got cast on Saturday, got fitted on Sunday, started on Monday, and never stopped for five years.
How did you find the character of Gustavo?
I met with a few big music producers, including the Rza from the Wu Tang clan, Barbara Streisand producer Jay Landers, and had a very awkward run in with Shge Knight at Mel’s Diner on Sunset. A combination of those three led to the creation of the iconic Gustavo Rocque.
Last year’s cover album was spectacular! How did you pinpoint the tracks you wanted to include, and what was the creative process around the project?
I got started recording the album because my girlfriend left me and I was very depressed, so I used singing as a form of therapy. As for which tracks, I recorded five or six songs every time I went into the studio and it took my producer, who also happens to be my sister, to help me narrow down which ones were good and which ones were album worthy.
We love your cover of Lil Nas X’s “Montero”, why did you choose to revamp that song?
I love Lil Nas X and I love what the song is saying. I relate to it really hard. There were times during the pandemic where I just wanted to go out on a date with someone because I hadn’t been out in the world in a while, and that led to me going on 54 dates in three months at one point. I went out with so many women with face tattoos, I lost count…of the tattoos. This song really hit home with me, and once I started singing it, I knew I had to find an interesting way of covering it. I brought it to Buddy Gibbons, my music producer, and we started flirting with the idea of making it an Old West Johnny Cash song. Once I heard a first cut, I knew we should lean in as hard as possible and really go for it. This is what we came up with.
What is to come from you as a music artist? Can we expect original music?
I have four covers in the cannon getting final polish that I’ll be dropping throughout the rest of the year: “Matilda” by Harry Styles, “Stay” by Rihanna, “Fields of Gold” by Sting, and “Raining in Baltimore” by the Counting Crows.
Talk us through the idea behind your new variety show, The Guest List with Stephen Kramer Glickman?
Hitkor produced four episodes of my dream show and I can’t wait for everyone to see it. It’s a variety show that takes place in my “living room” that is packed full of celebrity guests who sing, do magic, and provide some much-needed laughs to a party of my friends and family…and you’re invited!
What can listeners expect when they tune in to watch?
The four episodes are about heartbreak, falling in love, family, and self-care. So, expect to learn something about yourself and learn way too much about me.
What are you hoping to achieve with the show?
I like the idea of a variety show that lets me show off the talents of my favuorite people. Some of these folks have won Grammy awards, some of them have hundreds of millions of views on social media, but all-in-all, it’s talented people that I love and am looking forward to sharing with the rest of the world.
What are your career goals?
I have three goals: #1 run a motion picture studio, #2 create jobs for people I am a fan of, and #3 reverse my lactose intolerance.