By: The Don

Brooke Kessler is an actress who has experience acting in both feature films and live theater; she has been professionally involved with the industry for over a decade now. During her interview, she made it clear that though her journey has been a long path thus far, she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. She speaks more in-depth about the challenges of being an actress which we, the viewers, don’t typically get to hear about. She is an excellent example of what perseverance and consistent dedication look like. Whether or not your aspirations lie in film, we wish that this story will inspire you to keep working at your own goals and career aspirations.

Interview

1) Whats your name and how long have you been in the entertainment industry?

My name is Brooke Noel Kessler. I’ve been acting since I was 13, so I’ve been in the industry for a decade this past January.

2) Oh wow that’s awesome! What do you currently do within the industry? I’m going to say acting?

Thanks! Yes, I am an actress, but I am also trying to get into a little video editing. I honestly love every part of the film making process, but currently acting is where my experience and skill set is. I’ve dabbled in directing photoshoots and doing social media management for my day job. But auditions and acting classes are my main passion in the industry, where all the energy is going.

3) Awesome! So, why did you choose Philly over LA or NYC?

It was because I had a roommate lined up in Philly and it’s half way between my home and New York. It’s also less expensive, and I really needed a stepping stone. The goal is to make more connections before doing the full jump.

4) So what’s it like being an actress in Philly?

Hard. Really hard. For me, I’m new to the Philly scene. I’m from South Central PA, but I went to college in Texas. So my connections are down there and moved to LA. Philadelphia was the next step for me after school on my way to NY. But I’m slowly finding my way in. The theatre community in Philly is pretty tight-knit, but they are accepting and working on some pretty provocative and interesting things. But I mostly go for film things. I’m still trying to find my way in there. So much of casting happens from knowing people, so I learned when you are in auditions you HAVE to talk to all the actors around you- and people helping out in the casting. They know where work is happening and they all want the projects and other creatives in Philly to succeed. Also, the student film scene in Philly is pretty good. Temple has a real high-quality class that produces a full TV pilot, called Temple Pilots – which releases on a local channel. And I’ve done some Drexel projects that are…entering into film festivals. So at the end of the day, work is out there, but I think you gotta hit the pavement and shake hands because online searches won’t get you into all the really interesting projects happening in the city.

4) Wow! You really kept it real. What was your first-ever audition and how do you think you did?

Hmmmm… it was when I was 12-13ish. It was a theatre camp, and it was basically a knock off/ kid version of Wizard of Oz. I auditioned for Glinda, and I cried the whole way home after because I wanted it so bad. I haven’t come all that much farther in that respect. But I ended up getting the part. And played with my skirt throughout the entire performance. Luckily THAT, I have outgrown.

5) What was your first Philly audition?

A student film for Drexel. An absurdist comedy about a murder in a bowling alley. I got a callback for the main but didn’t end up with the role. They were really nice though, and they offered me a little two-liner but said they understood if I didn’t want it. I took it and ended up leaving a good impression. I came in did my job and thanked everyone that I came in contact with from makeup to writers. The writer ended up suggesting me to a friend for another project and I got that one. So honestly the best advice I ever got was NETWORK, and take every opportunity seriously.

6) How do you prepare for roles?

Lots and lots and lots of running lines over and over in a billion ways. Self-taping and watching myself back. Saying my lines while I was walking/hiking. I need to know them so well that I can forget them. Then I can trust myself, and I trusted my scene partners. And just let go.

7) Does traveling as an actress get any easier? 

I don’t travel much for acting right now… but my friends who do… definitely sounds brutal. The key is to get to know a few friends you can crash with if your jumping between Philly and NY. What little travel I do, still has an excitement factor, but it’s definitely exhausting. Have to spend a lot of time taking care of myself. Saying no to going out with friends or late nights.

8) What is your dream role that you want to act?

My dream role… I don’t know if it’s been written yet.

9) Was acting something you always wanted to do or was it something you kind of ended up into?

I really fell in love with acting before I knew that is was something I could do. When I was really little 7 or 8 my parents would let me rent a movie or two from blockbuster every Friday. I would watch and rewatch my favorites until I have every line memorized. Then I made props, put together costumes, pressed play and acted as one of the characters in my living room, saying lines in tandem with my role. I almost gave it up entirely in my sophomore year of college, but I wasn’t the same without it.

10) Is acting the only field you have done or have you branched out into other fields within film and/or entertainment?

I didn’t consider it until my senior year. In the second semester I started going to film club events and took beginning film classes. I got to assistant direct (AD) a student short film, and I was the 1st AD on another. I found out I really love directing other actors, and models on a photography set. But I haven’t had the opportunity to do much directing since then. A little photography direction for some friends, but I just feel more qualified for acting. Maybe one day I’ll pull a Greta Gerwig. Producing always seemed cool too.

11) So I’m guessing you have a great interest in working on the set more? Did you enjoy directing more than acting?

Oh yeah, I live for set days. Hmmm, not more. It’s a different kind of enjoyment. With acting, I can get lost in it and really channel the character and the world given to me and trust the people around me to ensure it fits their vision. With directing I  have to see everything. It’s taking the best everyone has to offer to make the vision come to life, but giving it room to evolve as everyone brings their piece to the puzzle. Both are fun, but I don’t know that I favor one over the other just yet.

12) What was your favorite role so far and why? 

My favorite role so far wasn’t even in a film, it was my first year of college, and in scene study, I was Blanche Dubois in a Street Car Named Desire, and I loved every bit of that character and the way she interacted with the world.

13) What was your hardest role so far and why?

In high school, I was in a play written by my acting coach. It depicted real stories of domestic abuse that his students experience and allowed him to use them a play called Reach. I played an isolated girl, who was bullied, came from a very underprivileged family and was raped by her father. It was very, very, very hard, but extremely rewarding. The play ended in an open conversation with the audience about domestic violence and how parents/adults/guardians/peers can help/recognize it.

14) Who was your biggest inspiration to go into acting and why?

Ummm… I really think my acting coach Ben Hodge set me up with a lot of tools, knowledge, connections, and confidence. I sought him out when I was 13. And he’s been a huge supporter of me and very honest with me since day one sitting down with my parents and myself. He really saw me grow through the years. He has been my director, my cheerleader, and my swift kick in the ass when I need it. I don’t think anyone else has believed in my ability as much as him, which meant a lot to me when I wasn’t able to believe in myself. As I said, I loved acting before I really knew what it was, but he really set me on the path to be able to allow myself to chase it as a career and passion.

15) Cool! Did you have someone who inspired you within the film industry? Like a director or actor or executive etc?

Yes. I think the first time I looked at a performance and was like, “I NEED to do that. I need to be able to tell a story that beautifully. Be able to let people in to feel, to empathize, to step outside of themselves for a few brief moments” was when I saw Jennifer Lawrence in A Winter’s Bone. Since then I’ve drawn inspiration from so, so many, but that was the first time I remember laying on my bedroom floor and just having this fire to be a part of something like that.

16) So is Jennifer Lawrence your favorite actress?

She’s great, but not she was just accessible to me at that age. Someone I could relate to. My favorite actress right now is Michelle Williams.

17) Why Michelle Williams? What’s your favorite role she has played?

She has been doing so many roles based on real people, which I think can be insanely challenging. And despite being based on existing events and people she stays fresh and unexpected. There’s a simplicity to the way she acts, it’s restrained and guarded in the way we try to hold back our feelings and emotions in everyday life, but also exposed. Either Gwen Verdon, or Marilyn.

18) Have you ever done theatre?

Yes. More than I have done film. Far more.

19) Did you like theatre more than film?

I don’t believe so. I like them both in different ways, one is a group experience in the room and instant gratification. The other is technical and the story is constantly developing and shifting and I like that ever-changing aspect of film. Plus, I love the whole team of people involved in film while it’s happening, you all are there to get the best take, stage it’s prepped by a huge team of people but then it’s you up on that stage and you have one moment. Both are challenging, but fun.

20) What was your first theater play?

First was the Hunchback of Notre Dame, my freshman year of high school.

21) What was your favorite theatre play you have done?

I was in a production written by a student in Texas, Devin Berg. It’s called No Limits, a great play about the experiences of many individuals and how they wear labels from society, but what it’s really like to be them. She’s a budding Playwright, I wouldn’t be surprised if you see more from her in NY soon.

22) What was it like to hit the stage for the first time?

The first time the curtain opened on me on my first lead role, I was a ball of nerves. Honestly, my hands were ice, I was shaking, definitely had to pee, but couldn’t stop smiling. I was ridiculously excited. It just felt like so much raw energy just sitting inside my chest, pure adrenaline. -I still get that way sometimes, even in auditions. I don’t think it goes away you just get better at harnessing the energy.

23) Do you have a stage name?

Just my name, but my full name. “Brooke Noel Kessler”

24) Do you like to do improv? 

Of course! It keeps me loose and teaches you to let go. I’m out of practice, but I think it helps you respond to others better listen better and get out of your head. Perfect for me, who can live up there sometimes.

25) Who is your celebrity crush and why?

Currently obsessed with Andrew Scott. He is ridiculously talented but humble. He really gives it up to PWB and the teams he works with. And I think his acting is so insanely interesting. Mostly coming off a #hotpriest high from Fleabag.

26) What’s your favorite movie(s) to watch?

Tough, like almost anyone it depends on the mood I’m in. The first movie that made me really fall in love with acting in film is A Winter’s Bone. But my any time, all the time movie is Stardust with the incomparable Charlie Cox. Favorite movies also include to watch some childhood, Stardust. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is up there too.

27) What’s your favorite movie to watch during Halloween?

 Harry Potter marathon. Hands down.

28) Tell us a fun fact about yourself. 

I worked as a construction worker through college.

29) Where do you see yourself in ten years within the industry?

Oof, I’m definitely open to many things within the industry. I think I see myself acting, for film or TV. Doing a little acting coaching, and directing some small things, indies and low budget stuff that is pretty grounded in reality and just telling people’s stories. Hopefully in a way that makes people laugh and cry and just feel less alone after the credits roll.

30) Do you have a Plan B in case acting didn’t work out? 

Sort of. Kind of. I’m figuring that out too. So I studied marketing in college and found that I could do that and be creative. So I’m doing marketing for a realtor, and she gives me flexibility to pursue acting while being her assistant. But if I decide that I don’t want to act, I might make marketing content for Realtors, or maybe venture into creative directing campaigns for nonprofits.

31) What advice do you want to give to others that want to enter this field or within the entertainment industry?

Don’t let it be your everything. I love to act, it makes me feel good, I strive to get better and better, and it’s a big part of my life. But, it cannot be your everything. The rest of your life has to be fulfilling too. We like watching full characters living complex lives. Live your life, find other things that feed your soul, they will end up feeding your art too.