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Andre Gower

Andre Gower has spent much of his life around movies and television, first as a young performer and later as a director, screenwriter and acting coach. Born in Los Angeles on April 27, 1973, into a family of actors, he began working at the age of five. His first substantial television role came as Brooks Prentiss on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, where he appeared from 1981 to 1982. Gower continued to build his career through television, including a guest appearance in the 1986 Twilight Zone episode “The Burning Man,” opposite Piper Laurie. He later spent two seasons on the Fox comedy Mr. President and held a recurring role on The Hogan Family from 1988 to 1989. These parts gave him a steady presence on American television, but one movie would become the lasting center of his screen career. In 1987, Gower starred in the comedy-horror film The Monster Squad. Its life extended well beyond its original release, developing a cult following and keeping Gower connected with fans through conventions, conversations and new projects. Since 2016, he and fellow cast member Ryan Lambert have co-hosted Squadcast w/Ryan & Andre, a podcast covering The Monster Squad, other films and their convention appearances. Gower explored that enduring connection from behind the camera with Wolfman’s Got Nards, the 2018 documentary he produced and directed about the film’s legacy, fans and cult audience. It was a natural continuation of a career shaped not only by performing, but also by an interest in how movies find—and keep—their audiences. Alongside his work as an actor, screenwriter and director, Gower now coaches actors and others entering the entertainment industry. His career has moved from childhood television to a much-loved genre movie and then into preserving and discussing the community that grew around it.