Disabled people are the United States’ largest minority group, encompassing a quarter of the country’s population. And yet only 5% of characters in television, film, and theatre are disabled, and only 2% of those roles are actually played by disabled actors. Christine Bruno is a multi-hyphenate whose many titles include actress, activist, teaching artist, disability inclusion consultant, and warrior. She joins the podcast today to shed light on how the disabled community navigates the entertainm...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Actor & Creator Caroline Landed Reps Who Care About Both Caroline Bloom is an actor AND a filmmaker and was determined to find representation that valued her for ALLLL of her incredible creativity – not just for acting! For far too long she’d been hiding behind the actors-should-only-act myth. She was sure that her road to success had to be paved with acting credits… turns out when she embraced ALL of herself the industry was ready to do so too! She began to indulge in all she had to offer a...
Jul 17, 2021•42 min
Behind every hit TV show and blockbuster movie are a thousand shelved projects that’ll never see the light of day. As creatives, we put a lot of heart, time, and energy into our work without the promise of a return on our efforts. Danny Rose is a content creator and producer whose decorated IMDb page might have you fooled. Having produced huge hits like Scrubs , Cougar Town, and Scorpion (just to name a few), Danny has rightfully earned his title as a television producing powerhouse. In today’s ...
Jul 14, 2021•50 min
Spiritual Sara was guided to her artistic career by following her heart...but that doesn’t mean it’s always been easy. With 16 years in the industry and great credits, she still found herself sending countless emails to potential reps, and something energetically just wasn’t working. After she got clarity on who she was and what she was offering (instead of just asking for) she took 15 rep meetings that left her beyond excited. Today she shares the work she did to get there AND gets super vulner...
Jul 10, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Named one of Backstage’s “8 Killer Headshot Photographers in NY and LA,” David Muller is one of the best headshot photographers out there. Managers and agents send their clients to him whenever they want standout headshots. As an actor who *might* not be a stranger to pinching pennies, the thought of headshots can bring on a wave of panic. If you dread the process, commitment, and investment of taking headshots, this episode is for you. In today’s episode, David and I share a wildly different ta...
Jul 07, 2021•37 min
Funny lady and voiceover actress Sawyer Greenberg was ready to hang up the proverbial actor-towel. She had done it all and was seeing diddly squat for her efforts. Maybe she should become a dentist? But through some deep ownership of her story and a new healthy relationship with accountability, she got 12 offers for representation. Oh and she not only got to choose her amazing new rep – surprise, surprise! – she also found herself wholly devoted and excited by being an actress again. CLOSER LOOK...
Jul 03, 2021•37 min
In today’s episode, Kevin shares his one-of-a-kind story about how he scrounged his way through a seemingly sketchy Craiglist job that ended up with his work being mentioned in Jay Leno’s monologue, becoming a parody on SNL, and ultimately ended with Barack Obama’s historical win in the 2008 presidential election. As a rebellious child of immigrants, Kevin created an extraordinary career as a writer, producer, director, and as of late – a showrunner. His rejection of a traditional route was the ...
Jun 30, 2021•40 min
Eumi built her confidence in what she already had to land 6 offers and choose an amazing new manager. Eumi is a busy mom who came into acting late in life, but that doesn’t mean she was any less focused on finding her match. Turns out, when you really work to know yourself and what you offer, the hardest part becomes picking a match out of several amazing offers, something Eumi never dreamed of. For a little extra oomph on this episode, Brian shares some insider coaching on what to do after you ...
Jun 26, 2021•35 min
If you were to ask me to point you in the direction of someone who knows how to put their finger on the pulse and create the thing that the world truly needs (while simultaneously making them cackle!), I’d point at today’s guest. Today, the glorious and out-of-this-world joyous, Jen Ponton, joins us on the show. Jen is an accomplished actor, writer, producer, and prolific content maker. Prior to hitting record, I asked Jen what she wanted to share with you all, to which Jen responded, “I really ...
Jun 23, 2021•48 min
Sharon had already done her time and spent her money on programs designed to help actors succeed and make their dreams come true. And Sharon is a whip-smart actress – well-trained, talented and knows her way around the business. She was even a coach at one point! And Sharon does NOT HOLD BACK in this episode. Representation rejection felt so much more personal than ‘regular’ rejection in the business. She was tired of hearing over and over again, “You’re just too hard to sell.” Through her journ...
Jun 19, 2021•48 min
Emmy Award-Winner Nick Wootton is the reassuring voice we all need to hear; he's fabulously successful, AND he wrestles with the same demons all creatives do! Nick is a writer and executive producer for network television shows like NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and Stumptown (just to name a few). Plus, he's just about the nicest, most generous guy you could ever hope to meet… honestly, I want him to be my friend – and you will too, especially after you hear his honest take on writing for television...
Jun 16, 2021•44 min
Sheila-Joon Azim is one of my favorite types of clients. Why? Because she was a total skeptic when it came to reaching out to reps. After a series of rejections she got to the screw it, why not point and jumped in headfirst. Getting into the community of it all, Sheila-Joon became the ultimate success story, landing two new agents in two markets while maintaining her own self-care in the process. And we love that combo the most. Sheila-Joon has a new manager and two new agents – in two different...
Jun 12, 2021•42 min
Shawn Jain was sick and tired of being nervous to answer the question: What do you do? As an actor struggling to find reps, he wasn’t sure how to respond. After a lot of hard work on his part and his exploration of himself, he was not only able to confidently answer that question, he scored 17 meetings and 15 offers for representation. This is part of a special How They Did It series of bonus episodes. With this series, actors I’m talking to you: I believe that acting is your calling and your pu...
Jun 12, 2021•42 min
Today’s guest is Danielle Beckman and I can’t wait for you to meet her because she’ll share how she scored 20 meetings and got 16 offers for representation. Now Danielle was completely new to Los Angeles so she didn’t have casting referrals or LA credits to rely on. Plus as she’ll share with you, she had very little confidence around reps: emailing and talking to them was intimidating and sent her in a spiral of seeking validation. Sound familiar? This is part of a special How They Did It series...
Jun 12, 2021•45 min
Nothing gets my engines going like a group coaching call with incredible creative people. So today’s guest on Brian Breaks Character is YOU! Well… sort of. I invited my community to a live Q&A Coaching call so that I could help you move the needle on the stuff that holds you back. And in this episode you have a front row seat as we dig deep into questions about working in multiple markets or making a big bi-coastal move, maintaining your network and staying in touch with casting, and is it a...
Jun 09, 2021•47 min
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I just wanna do work I care about,” then this episode is for you. In today’s episode, two of my absolute favorite people really piss me off! Jenny and Mark are coaches who help their clients discover and articulate their true inner meaning, or what they call their Boldly Original Proposition (BOP). But we might as well call them unicorns because they spin their magic by asking questions that uncover your deepest purpose so you can start doing what matters most. ...
Jun 09, 2021•52 min
You’ll recognize DaJuan Johnson from hits like Narcos, Grey’s Anatomy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and SEVEN seasons of Bosch (just to name a few!), I couldn’t think of anyone better to have a conversation all about confidence and thinking bigger! DaJuan is a coach who helps actors shift their mindset to find clarity, so they can push through uncertainty and take focused action to reach their dreams. In today’s episode, Dajuan and I discuss what thinking bigger actually means and the actionable ways to ...
Jun 09, 2021•45 min
I have a creative crush on Naomi McDougall Jones. She’s just the kind of creative that Brian Breaks Character celebrates; she’s an award-winning filmmaker, actress, author, speaker, and diversity in film activist. What we see in movies matters: it affects our hobbies, our career choices, our emotions and even our identities. Right now, we don't see enough women on screen or behind the camera – but waiting for Hollywood to grow a conscience isn't going to fix the problem, says Naomi McDougall Jon...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to the very first episode of Brian Breaks Character! To start this show off with a bang, I’ve invited the curiously honest and benevolent Sam Valentine on the show for a *completely confidential* coaching call. So naturally, I want all of my listeners to tune in for some key takeaways from our raw and open conversation about creative impact and making a buck while you do it! To set the stage, Sam is an LA-based actress, and host of the One Broke Actress podcast, a show that shares insigh...
Jun 09, 2021•58 min
The show where we slay the suffering artist myth so you can attract the right attention, get out of your own way, and become so aligned with your spiritual purpose that abundance in all its glorious forms finds you. Brian Breaks Character is your new favorite listen if you're done suffering for your art and second-guessing every step of your yellow brick road.
May 26, 2021•59 sec
