Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny Brantley III.
Johnny, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up performing in the sweet heat of Dallas, Texas. With music and imagination being my first loves, I took up community theatre, solo performance, and choir. I was the teenager who played with action figures until their Junior of high school. Honestly, I was just a little black queer kid trying to express himself in whatever way he could. I come from a long line of artists so wanting to pursue it professionally was sort of second nature. When I got the opportunity to go to Undergrad for Musical Theatre, I took it. That decision is still one of the best of my life.
After undergrad, I moved to New York City, where I booked my first First Broadway Show(Beetlejuice The Musical). Performing in the Big Apple taught me about longevity, professionalism, how to build momentum as an actor, and is where I developed friends that I will have forever. Beetlejuice in itself was an amazing quirky experience cut short by the pandemic but ultimately helped me realize I needed more creative freedom as well as a more developed perspective on the world around me. Mid-Pandemic while watching Insecure, I decided to move to LA. It was an impulsive decision and felt like blazing through the sky like a meteor. I drove to LA from NYC and crash-landed seeking answers and purpose. My first year and a half here was dedicated towards community healing and self-exploration. The journey was full of unimaginable twists and turns that ultimately guided me to the bustling comedy scene. Now as a Multi-hyphenate comedian I seek to change up form, challenge convention, and guide others to self-acceptance through comedy, music, and most importantly imagination. My comedy shows are an extension as well as a physical manifestation of the creative liberation LA has helped to ignite.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nah, this road has been bumpy as hell. Moving here in the middle of an existential journey in AND in the middle of a global pandemic? I was asking for it and LET me tell you it gave what needed to be given. I’m not being sarcastic when I say “I was asking for it”, I really was. I wanted answers. “What am I meant to say? What are the invisible forces that I feel but can’t speak to(structural, mental, physical, spiritual)? As a black queer individual, how do I dream passed the constructive barriers built to keep marginalized communities from having access?”. These questions could only be answered through lived experience. Another bump was the fact and privilege that I was used to performing on a regular basis and underestimated how important artistic expression was for me. So when I stopped performing, I had to find new ways to channel the surplus of energy I had. That was rough and looked like many things: depression, failed explorations, many no’s, and MANY redirections. So it means something different to create now. All of the bumps were in service and through all of them, I was blessed to maintain a sense of innate joy. So yes, the road was bumpy but I enjoyed the ride.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What great questions! I actually love this new all-encompassing term “Multi-hyphenate”. It feels right and I resonate with the duality it implies. That being said, I’m a multi-hyphenate creative. Not only because I do many things but namely my abilities are in consistent communication with one another. As a Comedian, I include music, philosophy, dance, and other unconventional forms of storytelling. I am most proud of the heart at the root of my work. I think love makes the world go round and that’s something I try to prioritize. Everyone wants to be seen and know they are loved. So through music, empathy, authenticity, and storytelling, I seek to love and heal. I think what sets me apart is that I lean into imagination. A lot of my work comes from the wonder of a daydream explored or the stardust from a blazing thought across my mind’s sky. I know that sounds a little esoteric but innovation’s greatest tool is imagination and I try to ride that s***. So my shows might feel like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory or a Mister Rogers Neighborhood for Adults meets a Comedy Special but like black, refreshing… and queer asf.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I would tell others “boxes don’t matter” and that “taught structure is a suggestion not a necessity”. We can get caught up in the roadmap and then lose what our own intuition is leading us to. Often people teach from the ways they learned how to exist and move through the world. Frederick Nietzsche talks about the importance of learning from others and using that knowledge to create your own thoughts and works. I wish I knew that. Icons like Marsha P. Johnson, Fannie Lou Hamer, Bayard Rustin took what they learned and broke barriers. I also wish I knew the importance of silence. Deepak Chopra says his greatest teacher is his own inner silence. And Mr. Rogers says, ” Revelation comes in silence”. We live in a noisy world and it can cloud what our inner voice is saying. It takes time and energy to listen. Ultimately that’s why silence is crucial. Our inner voices(spirit, God, etc) whisper to us and we have to be ready to listen.
Contact Info:
- Website: johnnyb3.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnnyleeb3/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnny.brantleyiii/
Image Credits
Andrew French
