Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Bramson.
Hi Kris, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always loved performing. Even as toddlers, my sister and I would put up skits and makeup songs. We’d perform on wooden stools and run around in capes with lightsabers, pretending to be superheroes or superstar vocalists on a world tour (of our living room). I always dreamed of performing, of stepping into a story that could open hearts or minds, to be the character that a kid looked to for strength and hope – just like the way I was drawn to my heroes growing up.
I did theatre all through grade school, but once I got to high school, something clicked. Art and performance were no longer extracurriculars to me. It became my passion, my dream, my purpose. I definitely attribute a big part of this to growing up in the community of theatre I was in. I saw the way that stories (and the process of putting them together) could bring people together and change lives.
In 2015, I joined a start-up non-profit theatre company, 48Hours Theatre Inc., and would later end up on the Board of Directors as a founding member. We worked to produce original theatrical work, highlight local artists, and to develop children’s theatre – providing accessibility and resources for young writers in the area. I was mentored by an incredibly talented writer, Taylor Bradley (CEO of 48Hours Inc), and flourished in the care of vocal coaches Nicole Pyror and Elisabeth Howard. They guided me through the battlefield that is college auditions, and I am forever grateful to them for it.
Phase two: then came NYU. I moved to New York City at eighteen to chase my dreams and a BFA at Tisch School of the Arts. I studied for three years at the Atlantic Acting School with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met. I will forever be grateful for my time at Atlantic, but it wasn’t easy by any means, and I’m not even talking about the actual classwork. All throughout college, but particularly during this time, I struggled with mental health issues, was diagnosed with a chronic illness, and found myself questioning why I was pursuing such a volatile path. But, feeling like it was too late to turn back now, I then rounded out my senior year with a semester abroad in Madrid and then a final semester at Stonestreet Studios that got cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. I ended up graduating NYU in my pajamas at 8 am back in California, 20 minutes of virtual speeches about coronavirus a far cry from the Yankee Stadium & Radio City Music Hall occasions my friends and I had dreamed of and worked for.
Strangely enough, and as heartbreaking a most of it was – quarantine let me find the joy in art again. I was forced to sit with “why” and “what” I loved about acting. I picked up painting again. I was singing for fun instead of for a show; I was teaching myself how to play guitar and started a band in a quarantine bubble. The grind I was committed to was crushing me, burning out all my joy, and I count myself lucky to have been able to find it again.
So that brings us to post-grad life: I went back to NYC mid 2020 and immediately fell back into the grind. Audition, restaurant shift, no sleep, repeat. I booked a few singing gigs in bucket list venues like Feinstein’s 54 Below and was so grateful, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was stuck in the acting sense. Then, out of the blue, I got a text from an old friend and booked a flight back to Los Angeles to start filming my first feature film.
This felt like a sign to move back home, but I didn’t want to give up just yet, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could stick it out for one more year. And I did, finishing up my 7th year in Manhattan. I will forever love NYC, but it is chaos incarnate, and I am so happy I followed my heart and moved back to California.
Now, I’m back to the grind but in a sustainable way that is supported by love, grace, friends, and family. I’m continuing to explore my hobbies, and I’m working on ways to fortify my health and avoid flare-ups. This year, I am putting acting first. I am feeling optimistic about the new year, the opportunities I know it holds, and I’m excited to see where 2024 takes me and the people I love!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an actor trained in stage and screen, as well as a voice actor. Two of my absolute dreams are to a: dub for an anime and b: to mocap and voice a character in a video game and then get to play it. I love doing voices, figuring out what weird sounds I can make, and seeing how I can adapt that into a storytelling device. I am also an Actor Combatant, certified by the Society of American Fight Directors- where I was lucky enough to study broadsword, rapier/dagger, and unarmed with the incomparable David Brimmer. As far as vocals go, I am a soprano with a strong mix, belt, and legit voice. And no, unfortunately, I cannot dance.
Though the majority of my training has been for the stage, film, television, and animation are where my heart is. Across mediums, I do tend to be cast or called back for roles when the character is unhinged… so my “type” is somewhere across that line.
I suppose I am most proud of my part in The Haunting of Hype House. It was an ultra-low-budget, crowd-funded production with my friends, by my peers, and I am so grateful for what we learned and how we were able to pull together a full-length film with a production process of one month. We bled, sweat, and teared for that piece, and I’m excited for more people to see it!
I am also very proud of playing Maria in West Side Story. I was in a production over the summer during break from school in 2018 at a community theatre, and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. My mother and her family immigrated to the States from El Salvador and dealt with similar tragedies and events that take place in the musical. My mother and my grandmother are also both named “Maria,” and that summer was the year Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. When the hurricane hit, our production began fundraising and was able to send a couple thousand back to PR for relief supplies. It hit deeply on two fronts – to be able to make a physical change in the world for those in need and also to represent and tell a story so close to mine and my family’s hearts.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
On my first day at university, one of my teachers told me something I will never forget. She said that “Actors are the athletes of the soul.” I couldn’t agree more. To build honest portrayals of characters and to tell stories genuinely is to find understanding within ourselves of other faucets of humanity and accept them. And it can be exhausting as fuck. The entire broken process and system of getting acting jobs aside (which is a whole other ballgame), acting is acceptance. It’s being in the moment and seeing things through another’s eyes. And it’s a craft you never end working on. It feels like so many people pursue art because they want to be famous, but if you love it for a different reason – because we get to step into another mindset and explore another part of our souls? Don’t give up. Why would you?
Don’t compare your journey to another’s.
Define what success means to you.
Keep going. Keep learning.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.krisbramson.com
- Instagram: @krisbramson
- Youtube: @krisbramson
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11807237/
Image Credits
Jose Miranda
Marzio Fulfaro
Mike McCauley
Jacob Zukowski
Brandon Douglas
Justin Thomas
