Brian Breaks Character

Mia is a classically trained theatre actor who is now going to  Juilliard. But before that, she was working tirelessly to break into the world of film and TV. Her lack of materials to submit to reps, made her feel as if she was never truly "in the game". Then, while going through the process of reaching out to reps and learning to own where she was at this stage in her career, Mia was thrown yet a...

Have you ever worried about what to post on social media?    Well, Heidi Dean of Marketing4Actors clears this up for us on today's episode. And whether you're a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, her advice will empower you to actually make an impact (and worthwhile connections!) on social media.    {I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated by the awesomeness of this guest.  But, guess what…....

In this episode of Brian Breaks Character, Showrunner, Creator, and Actor, Paul Witten gives us a MASTERCLASS in putting yourself out there! I brought him on the show so you can see how relentless creativity (and not taking NO for answer) reallllllly pays off!  Paul is the creator and showrunner of Dropping the Soap starring Jane Lynch. And Jane WON the Emmy Award for her role on his show.  But it...

Angel hit LA running back in the day. She landed reps fast and worked until... she realized she had no idea how to keep things going and she ultimately got burned out.    After taking a 12-year hiatus from the biz to work as an elementary school teacher, Angel realized she still had an actor itch to scratch… except she had no idea how to get back into things, how to submit to reps, or how to trans...

IATSE voted 99% YES to authorize a strike. And because union negotiations can be reduced to just that... "negotiations," it was important to us on the show to put the focus on exactly what we are actually talking about here: Human beings' well-being on set and in life. So, on this episode of Brian Breaks Character, my guest is IATSE crew member Heather Fink. She works as a Boom Operator and Sound...

September has been a very busy month in Brian Breaks Character land! We devoted the entire month to helping actors to get more auditions. And we were lucky enough to have some heavy hitters on the show, so we wanna make sure you didn't miss any of the best tips and takeaways!    Take a listen to this very special 24 minute megamix from all of our Get More Auditions episodes this month.    You'll h...

Any chance you are super freaked out by the Casting Networks' recent update? It was a doozy. And whether or not you think the update is good or bad, it doesn't matter, change can be HARD. So I'm here to help... On this episode of Brian Breaks Character, I sat down with the powers that be from Casting Networks, Katie O'Connor Enterprise Sale Manager for the West Coast and Scott Madej the Manager of...

You signed up for Actors Access and Casting Networks… And maybe you've got a Casting Profile on 3 other sites too! Maybe you even have reps submitting you in addition to submitting yourself… And maybe it still feels like you're not getting enough auditions. And the first place you MIGHT look is your headshots… or maybe your reel? Did you ever stop to think that it could be your casting profile? WH...

If you want to know a verifiable way to get more auditions, grab your notebook for Part Two of my interview with Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, the Co-Founders of CastingAbout and Consultants for Breakdown Services.    I locked them in a Zoom room and forced them to tell me ALLLLLL THE INSIDER SECRETS of how actors can make themselves unforgettable on Actors Access… and there were just too many juic...

I'm gonna guess you have an Actors Access/Breakdown Express profile so Casting Directors can find you. And even though the site has *some* free functionality, I'm also gonna guess that you plunk down $68/year (plus any other fees) so you can host your video files and get access to the best auditions out there. YOU AND 1.3 MILLION OTHER ACTORS USE ACTORS ACCESS.   I'm sharing that BIG number so you...

Summer here, I'm Brian's Actor Happiness Manager for this community and we are *really* breaking character over here...   I am the Host of today's episode of Brian Breaks Character and Brian is the Guest.   On this episode, I grill Brian with the most frequently asked questions about casting profiles: How many headshots do you actually need to have on your online profiles; how do you know which on...

​​ The incredibly generous and wholehearted Casting Director Alaine Alldaffer is my guest on today's episode of the Brian Breaks Character podcast.   She's been casting theatre and television for over 25 years (peep her impressive bio below).    And as a long-time champion for creatives everywhere, Alaine's actionable advice will appeal to you whether you're...   ...a butcher ...a baker ...an acto...

After five incredible meetings, Stephanie signed with a bicoastal agent and has been collaborating with them ever since!   But things didn't start that way! Teacher, do-er, and champion of the arts Stephanie Weeks knew she was a powerful creative. But translating that to agent emails never fit. She was often left feeling unseen and fearful.    By trusting her intuition and worthiness she was able...

Ha ve you ever done FOUR (or more) takes of a self-tape audition?   If you answered YES, you're hurting yourself and today's guest on the podcast will rescue you from drowning in the perfectionist sea of trying to nail your "perfect audition."    With 20+ years in the game and 65+ TV/Film credits, Christine Horn cracked the code on how to book more TV and now helps hundreds of actors to do the sam...

Do you ever second-guess yourself when you wanna buy something like…   ...a $7 latte with fancy lavender syrup?  ...a decadent lotion that makes you feel like the Queen of Sheba?  ...a dress from Anthropologie that's almost  ⅓ of your rent?  Maybe you're totally paralyzed because you have no idea what your finances look like and your relationship with money is WHAT RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY?!?!?   T...

6 meetings and 6 offers for representation! The stereotype of a 'lazy actor' would be thrown out the door if you met Alena Acker. This hustle-queen worked nonstop getting herself her own appointments and leveling up her own work for years.    The hard-to-swallow pill was that she struggled to find an agent who would support her work to get her to the next level. After all the showcases and pay-to-...

Nothing gets my engines going like a group coaching call with incredibly 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...

Misha's acting was consistently killer. So good, in fact, she had friends giving her constant referrals! And yet… she was hardly auditioning.   Misha said no to referrals, gave up her target list, and quit worrying about her credits… and BAM!   After taking ownership of her career and putting her choices in her own hands, Misha went from having one theatrical audition a year to self-taping for maj...

If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with all things messaging and copywriting. Before you say "Brian, I signed up to be an actor/filmmaker.creative, not a writer," I want you to face a truth - YOU HAVE TO WRITE TO GET NOTICED IN THIS WORLD! The ability to write (or in other words, communicate, or in other words say "HEY I EXIST!") is an essential AND LEARNED part of being a creative that – when...

Actress, singer, and songwriter Tara spent 12 years looking for a manager, but she didn't spend that time sitting around. She was voraciously pursuing her career dreams and goals, all while sending email upon email in search of the illusive rep.    Then she decided to try a different approach: she looked at how she'd been showing up and after facing the facts, she was able to show up authentically...

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 wa...

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 embrace...

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 t...

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 meeting...

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 ta...