We’re looking forward to introducing you to Brandon Lessard. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Brandon, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is by far the most important thing to me. There are plenty of smart people out there, and there are plenty of people who will work into the night to solve a problem, but there are also a boat load of people who are far to willing to step over others to get what they want. Having integrity, having standards that you are not willing to budge on, is a far rarer and more valuable thing to have.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Brandon Lessard. I’m a movie actor, originally from Great Falls, Virginia, but living in Los Angeles now. I’ve been in a variety of movies including The Unholy Trinity, Classified, and Robert the Bruce. I went to the USC School of Dramatic Arts where I got a BA in Theater, and I’ve been pursuing my acting dream ever since I graduated in 2021. My core is theater, but I enjoy film a lot more because I believe that there are aspects to film that allow you to dive into a character a bit deeper than you can in theater. Both mediums have costumes, but only in film can you be on location surrounded by hundreds of other actors, equally invested in the story. The scale is grander, which can help the performance.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Honesty is the cornerstone of any relationship. It doesn’t matter whether it’s familial, romantic, business, or just a casual acquaintance; the minute someone starts lying, you will automatically pull away. The only way to restore a bond after lying is to come out with the truth, which is always far harder than if you had simply told the truth to begin with. But people will always appreciate an ugly truth far more than a pretty lie.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Looking like a fool. Everybody’s scared of looking like an idiot. But people get so scared of this that they stop asking questions. They stop taking chances and stop learning. I grew up doing theater, and quite frankly there were so many things that I was simply not good at. I definitely had a couple moments up on stage where I was performing what I thought was a deeply moving scene and then I got laughed at. Moments like that caused me to pull back in my performances, and almost always made them blander. I struggled with character work because I was afraid of evoking a bad reaction from an audience, but all that led to was reacting no reaction from the audience. In life, especially as an artist, you have to be willing to make mistakes, take criticism, and move on. Each mistake will build you up to something better.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
There’s a great interview with Bryan Cranston where he talks about his style of acting that he calls “testing the branch.” His philosophy is to take the emotions and intentions of the character and amp it up to 11. To find the place where the “branch” snaps. The thinking behind it is that it is far easier to pull back on an “over the top” performance, than it is to push a “reserved” performance higher. So many actors are focused on the camera, and looking good for it, that they don’t push themselves to fully feel what the character is. It’s an actor’s job to play the character, it’s the Director’s job to make sure the performance works for the camera. I try to encapsulate what Bryan Cranston talked about in that interview. I want to push myself to an almost ridiculous performance and allow the director to pull me back to something that’s phenomenal.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m reading. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love watching TV and movies, but I feel like I can fully relax when I’m sitting on the couch next to my wife and we’re both reading our books.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brandonlessard.squarespace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandonwlessard/
- Other: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm8652496/?ref_=tt_cst_3
Image Credits
Kehana Rose
