Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Sutherland.
Hi Brian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My whole life, I wanted to be an actor, but it wasn’t until college at the University of Oregon that I actually started training. I took as many classes and performed in as many plays as I had time for, but it wasn’t until I found Clown training that I realized what I could do as a performer. Clown opened up the possibilities for me to release everything I was thinking of consciously and unconsciously. It allowed me to play with failure instead of run away from it.
I realized the college classes I was taking weren’t going to give me the opportunities I was looking for as a film actor, so I enrolled in a Meisner-based school in Seattle where I studied for seven years. I would take acting classes during the day, improv at night, and then stand-up comedy when time aloud. Clown training was hard to come by so I would have to study it myself and come down to the Los Angeles Clown School for weeklong intensives.
As I started to gather more credits, I started to garner a reputation as an intense character actor. For me, I realized the more I was able to meditate on the energy and soul of a character the easier the performances would come to me. If it wasn’t real in the moment for me, I didn’t’ get much out of it. To this day I play optimistic idiots in comedies and intense antagonists, and I’ve enjoyed bouncing back between the two.
I split my time between acting and being an acting coach in Los Angles and the Pacific Northwest. IN LA, I work for CGTV (cgtv.la) and in the PNW, I run the acting company “Improv at the Ballrooom”.
To this day I’ve done 125 commercials and have over 80 credits on IMDB.
My philosophy is that acting is your art form at the end of the day and you have to paint the picture you want to paint. Some people won’t like it, some will love it, and some won’t give a shit either way, but as long as it brings you joy nothing else matters. That and show up on time and following directions.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Making a living as an actor is not an easy road. You’re a vacuum cleaning salesman and YOU’RE the vacuum. You go door to door showing off all the amazing things you can do and sometimes one job can change your life. I’ve had all the ups and downs you could ask for from crying on the couch, living off of ramen noodles, and traveling first class around the world and performing with A-List celebrities like Nicolas Cage.
The first thing my mom did when I said I wanted to be an actor was buy me a book called “Shine” by Larry A. Thompson. I think she saw it on Oprah. That book allowed me to create a plan for myself that motivated me to mediate, manifest, and be my own greatest fan. I approach every audition and opportunity with the question of “how I can serve and elevate the production.” This has helped me immensely. I also enjoy the filming process and not the outcome. Some films come out great and some are a dumpster fire. As long as I enjoyed my time making my art the rest is history.
You have to advocate and take care of yourself in this business. Spot the red flags, surround yourself with like-minded people, and drop anything around you that creates a negative space. Sometimes this is friends, jobs, or the space around you. I’m a firm believer in that all that we are are our thoughts and that with our thoughts, we can change the world. Shout out to the Budha for that one.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve made a great living doing commercials, tv, and film as a character actor. In 2021, I got to work with my all-time favorite actor Nicolas Cage in the movie “Pig”. I’ve admired his career and work ethic since I was a kid, and he was a phenomenal scene partner to have for the day. Last year I appeared on ‘Big Sky” with Jensen Ackles in nothing but my underwear. It was kind of breaking bad scenario where he finds me on the highway in nothing but my whitey tighties. A month after that I played on “Walker: Independance” and then starred in a movie in Minnesota called the “Fun-Raiser” with executive producer Karl Gajdusek of “Stranger Things.”
I’m excited to keep growing as an actor and will be going to the Celebration Barn in July to study. They are a world-renowned school for Physical Theatre artists and offer some of the best training in the country. As long as I’m performing, I will never stop training as an artist. I want to see how far down the rabbit tunnel I can go. Every time I think I know “Brian”, I found out something new about myself.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Obviously, with the WGA strike and potential SAG strike, there is a lot to be discussed and a lot of changes that need to be made. My goal is to elevate the art of acting. I want to see people be able to make a living wage easier as artists. It shouldn’t be a feast or famine situation. I couldn’t tell you where the industry might be going, but as an acting teacher, I hope to keep inspiring students to make art regardless of the outcome. Acting saved my life and allowed me to experience and see the world for the better. I will always be passing down every crumb of knowledge I have learned to the next generation.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/briansutherland
- Instagram: brian_sutherland_actor
- Facebook: facebook.com/briantheactor
- Twitter: bsuth20
- Youtube: @BrianSutherland
Image Credits
Clown photos by Kate Woodman
