Meet Skylar Brown of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Skylar Brown.

Hi Skylar, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have known since a young child that I wanted to be an actress. As far back as I can remember, I was always entertaining. As an only child, I learned the art and power of entertainment, of others, and especially myself. Whether it was family gatherings, sleepovers with friends, or at home in my living room with my mom – I was always concocting skits, musical numbers, dance routines, I did it all. The living room was my stage, grandma’s closet my wardrobe, kitchen spoon my microphone, and in the words of Shakespeare “the world was my stage”.

From then on, I continued to pursue my love of the arts through school plays and musicals, playing various instruments, drawing and painting, anything and everything I could get involved in. Growing up, I never felt like I really fit in. I grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona which is a predominately white, affluent community. I grew up with a mom who worked multiple jobs at a time to provide for me and was biracial, overweight, and loved theatre…needless to say, I didn’t really “fit” into many of the boxes those around me fit into.

As I grew up, these differences became more prominent and I felt further cast aside from those around me; however, on the stage, none of that mattered. I could be anyone I wanted to be, I created the “boxes”. I could be a 60 year old woman in 1940’s London hiding a dead body, or a Queen with singing roses, a flapper girl with an unrequited love. It was freedom, an escape, it was euphoric and I haven’t stopped chasing it since.

After graduating high school, I moved to California to pursue my dreams at Pepperdine University, where I majored in Theatre and Screen Arts. My education was slightly interrupted my COVID and staged performances turned to “Zoom productions” and acting exercises from the confines of my bedroom; however, it provided an escape during that time that rooted me and grounded me – it was my outlet.

Once returning back to campus, I found a new deep love, one that appeared behind the camera. I took courses in directing, editing, cinematography, and the art of filmmaking. I spent every weekend either in-front-of or behind the camera of my projects and my friends projects. I learned so much about acting and directing through going out and “doing it”, no budget, pizza from food stamps for crafty, everything riding on an idea, passion, and friends crazy enough to say “let’s do it!”. It is with these same crazy people that I continue to create films, projects, and art outside of college and I couldn’t be more blessed.

Graduating from college, I was lucky enough that the agent I interned for with FireStarter Entertainment, decided to take a chance on me and signed me as a client for TV/Film, which also led to my representation commercially as well. To be taken on out of school, being non-union and having no “real” experience, she saw my determination, passion, and truly “saw” me and said yes, despite everything else. That is proof of my belief that if you continue to say “yes” and lean on “blind faith”, God and the Universe will continue to bless you in mysterious ways. In this industry, you must continue to dive into your own delusions, despite the thoughts and doubts of anyone around you. BE DELUSIONAL.

Now, I continue to pursue my acting career while working retail. In my spare time, I’m auditioning, taking classes, writing pieces, doing photoshoots, creating projects with friends, filming my own projects, collaborating with friends and family on ideas and always trying to tap into my creativity. I am lucky to be surrounded by a community of creatives that are always inspiring me, supporting me, and creating a safe space to express myself and to “land” when times get tough.

I’m not in a major movie, tv show, commercial, or be on the cover of a major magazine or billboard – so in a lot of people’s eyes…I haven’t “made it”. And to those people, I know they couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m here, I’m chasing my dreams, I’m making art that’s making a difference, I haven’t given up, I continue to say “yes” because I know that this is what I was born to do…and for all of those reasons, there is no question in my mind that I have in fact “made it”.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road of an artist is never up or down, black or white and nothing is constant. The only constant for a creative is change. The creative lives in the gray. Which has been really hard for me as someone who loves control, is a perfectionist, and loves a plan. However, learning to live in the unknown and relinquishing this “control” I never had in the first place has lead ultimately to peace.

When I found myself grasping onto control (or what control I thought I had), I was holding on with fists clenched with the fear of anything getting to my dreams and ruining them or hurting me. However, by doing that, I was actually preventing anything from entering – spontaneity, wonder, magic, divine intervention – nothing could get to me and I remained closed off and stagnant with fear in the drivers’ seat.

It wasn’t until I got in the drivers seat of my own life and kicked fear out, that wonderful thing’s started happening. I unclenched my fists and opened up my palms to God and the Universe, in relinquishing and also in acceptance, saying “yes” and “I’m ready”. Through the acknowledgement of having no control, I have begun to go with the flow of life instead of fighting it so hard. Since then, the world continues to surprise me with the small winks from the Universe with the people I meet, projects I’m apart of, and all the ways I’m blessed in this career. Little nudges saying, “keep going”.

I don’t know what this journey will look like or what twists and turns I will be met with, but for the first time in my life…I’m okay with that. I’m sat back, on cruise control and enjoying taking my time in the presence. I’m able to do that, knowing that everything is happening for me, not to me, and that it is all working out in my favor. My faith is no longer rooted in fear, but in the beauty of the Great Unknown.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love both the work in front of and behind the camera. I am currently auditioning both commercially and theatrically through my agency as well as creating projects with my creative community in various ways. Last December, I stepped out into fear and created my first short film outside of college. It was scary and challenging, but so beyond rewarding for so many ways. It was a release on so many levels – spiritually, emotionally, mentally. It made me realize how deceiving fear is and what all you can miss out on if you allow it to take over.

Through my connections I have made, my friends, as well as my dad who is a fellow creative in LA, I have been blessed to be a part of so many amazing things. From music videos of my musician friends, acting in my dad’s first feature film in Tennessee, creating my first short film, doing photoshoots for friends portfolios, and so much more.

I continue to push myself creatively and not limit all of the various creative outlets I want to explore. I want to try it all. Any and every way to be creative.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Keep Going. If there is a voice deep inside of you, listen to it, don’t wait. It won’t go away. It might start out as a whisper, but eventually it will end up as a yell. The choice is yours when you decide to start listening and answer the call.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13691300/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brown.skylar
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@skylarbrownactor
• Other: https://linktr.ee/skylarmadisonbrown

Image Credits
Chris Jon Photography (b&w headshot)

Dane Bruhahn (color headshot)