Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Britton.
Natalie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I guess my story begins in Dublin, Ireland. When I was four years old, my Mum put me in Drama class, and I haven’t looked back since…I always loved taking part in school plays and when I was 18, I was torn between studying drama full-time in college or doing a traditional, more stable degree. I opted for the latter and went to DCU to study business and languages and spent four years hanging out in the Drama Society Club. As soon as I graduated, I applied for Drama school in London and was lucky enough to get a three-year scholarship to study at ALRA. I stayed in London for a few years after graduating and then moved to L.A. I didn’t know many people in Los Angeles when I arrived, and it took a good year to settle in and learn the ways of the city and industry. I booked my first TV credit in 2014 on NCIS:LA playing an American character opposite Chris O’Donnell. Since then, I’ve been slowly but surely working away on various networks & streaming TV and films both in the USA and in Ireland. I started producing short films when I was pregnant with my son and I wasn’t getting as many auditions. That was back in 2017. Since then, I’ve produced over 25 award-winning shorts including one that is currently longlisted for an Oscar. I started a production company called Queen’s Gambit Films in 2018 with partner & co-founder Kate Hamilton. In 2018, I was awarded the Rising Star Producer award from Irish Screen America & most recently won an award from Women in Film & TV Ireland for producing. Currently, I split my time between Dublin and Los Angeles and between acting & producing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A Smooth road? What’s that?! When you choose a career like acting, you’re signing up for nothing but bumpy roads ahead I think. I often wonder if that’s part of the attraction for me though. This is a career where hard work doesn’t always guarantee success. The odds are against you, and rejection is something that we actors experience repeatedly. But when you get that win, there is no other feeling like it. Especially when you know how slim your chances are when you don’t have family connections or someone helping you along. It means so much to achieve on your own merit. All that said, with regard to struggles…there have been many. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced over the years is finding ways to support myself financially while also being available 24/7 for any acting opportunities that arise. I’ve worked so many jobs over the years so I could pay rent and survive so I’ve built up a lot of skills in varying sectors that all go into my creative pot. There have been so many times I’ve worried I wouldn’t be able to keep myself afloat or wondered if I’d ever actually be able to sustain myself as an actor without juggling five other jobs. I’ve lost out on several gigs that got cut or pulled that were set to be my “big break” and cried and cursed the gods like so many actors can relate to. But that’s why having supportive friends and family who know you and can hold you through the tough times is so important.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an artist, I have always been drawn to projects that foster connection & growth between people. Whether that is a script where connection takes place between characters or pieces that speak to an audience in a new way that help them grow and broaden or change their perspectives. I have always loved traveling and learned from a young age how vast the world is and how much we can learn from others. I’m always attracted to bringing that into my work wherever possible. My favorite characters to play are those that have a complexity to them who can sometimes be misunderstood by people. I enjoy playing and watching characters who challenge us to dig deeper than what we see on the surface, stories that widen or shift our perspective.
That transfers into the films that I like to produce also. I am particularly drawn to projects that deal with societal issues. Queen’s Gambit Films focuses on giving a platform to under-represented voices, voices that we believe have something important to say and that need to be heard. Our repertoire includes films that shine a spotlight on LGBTQIA+, infertility, racism, abortion, mental health, familial dysfunction, and sexual abuse issues – mostly through the lens of dark comedy. Inclusivity & Diversity are huge for me and we have a mandate that guarantees 80% of our crew will be women and/or come from diverse and under-represented groups. Not only are our sets an eclectic and harmonious place to be but our work benefits hugely from such a wide breadth of experience. I think what sets me apart as a producer is my instincts and my ability to put together all the necessary pieces of a film, particular to that individual film. When I read a script, I can visualize it on the big screen and have a clear vision for how to execute the process. I go through each decision with specificity in order to maximize the highest production value. For example, I won’t just hire any script supervisor who is available for our shoot dates, I will pick a script supervisor whose personality will complement whichever director we have on board. My approach is to hire the best people possible for each specific role and support them in whatever way they need to do their best work. It is all about the people.
I have been fortunate to work on a number of very special projects over the past several years. As an actor, highlights include the guest star role of Holly Carter in Season 1 of NBC’s “Quantum Leap”, the supporting lead role of Jane Kerrigan in British True Crime Drama “Maxine” and I will be a recurring guest on the next season of a very popular HBO show which airs Feb 4th 2024. As a producer, to date, I have worked with the incredible talents of Alfred Molina, Dominic Burgess, Harry Lennix, Grasie Mercedes, Mindy Cohn, Will McCormack, and Steve Wall. I currently have an Irish short film on the longlist for the Oscars 2024 called TWO FOR THE ROAD, written & directed by Lochlainn McKenna, which I freelance produced with Gráinne Dwyer for Heritage production company in Ireland. Queen’s Gambit Films also produced the 2022 SXSW Audience Award winning short “Aspirational Slut” by Caroline Lindy. Most recently I was awarded an honorable mention from Women in Film & TV Ireland for producing short Miss Patti, written by partner Kate Hamilton.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.imdb.me/nataliebritton www.queensgambitfilms.com
- Instagram: @nataliebritton4
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliebritton4/
- Twitter: @nataliebritton4
Image Credits
Yves Bright is the photographer who took all headshots/portraits and the photo with my husband and son.
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