By Jennifer Clay
Staff Writer
Have you seen Dr. Gerard Fasel roaming the Keck Science Center halls in between teaching his physics and math courses? Not sure? Catching a glimpse of him these days is as easy as turning on your TV.
A visiting professor of math and physics at Pepperdine, Fasel recently appeared on an episode of the CBS crime drama The District. The hit TV show, now in its third season, stars Craig T. Nelson (Coach) as Jack Mannion, Washington D.C. chief of police, and is inspired by the real-life experiences of former New York Deputy Police Commissioner Jack Maple. Fasel played Laslov Vasmiri, a Russian drug lord, in the episode that aired two weeks ago. The show has sometimes incorporated a Russian mafia theme.
“I’m one of the biggest drug dealers in the world basically,” Fasel said.
The District’s last season ended with the shooting of the character Putin, played by Michael Ironside. The episode featuring Fasel finds the main character Mannion searching for clues to Putin’s disappearance, which inevitably leads to confrontation with Fasel’s character, Vasmiri, as the character functioned as Putin’s protégé.
“They basically leave you hanging,” Fasel said. “What will they do with my character? Your guess is as good as mine.”
His students have reacted with “surprise and lots of interest. It was a very good reaction. Very positive response.”
His students aren’t his only fans. Fasel’s family has been supportive since day one.
“I’m fairly independent, so I follow my own path,” he said. “I basically let my passions drive my life, so my parents have always been supportive.”
Initially attracted to Pepperdine because of its proximity to his family, he turned down a position at John Hopkins University and “literally went up the coast looking for work.” He says he especially enjoys Pepperdine’s small classes, which allow ample time for student-professor interaction. He has now been with Pepperdine for more than five years.
It was upon his arrival at Pepperdine that Fasel decided to rekindle his dream of acting. “When I came here, I thought maybe I should pick up that other passion,” he said. “Pick up where I left off and start pursuing my acting career again.”
His previous ventures in theater included appearances in high school and college productions.
Since returning to the craft, Fasel has played a principal for the Aerosmith video “Jaded” (unfortunately, he was edited out of the final cut) and has filmed small parts in the feature films “Now You Know” and “American Crimes.” This past summer he traveled to Vancouver to work on a project for the Sci-fi channel.
How does he balance his two very different professions?
“How do you balance a day?” Fasel said. “A day is filled full of activities, and the activities I choose are teaching and acting. They complement each other. It’s worked out really well so far.”
He asserts both acting and teaching are “deep passions” and claims he does not prefer one above the other. He hopes to continue balancing the two well into the future. In addition to acting in feature films, he would like to continue his career in science, be it through teaching or his research in space physics.
“I’ve worked really hard to get my Ph.D. I just don’t want to let that fall away. I’ve always had two interests. One, I’ve always loved science, and the other thing is I love the theater.
“Like I said, I don’t see why I can’t have both,” he continued. “At least I’ll try.”
October 24, 2002