Story & Lesson Highlights with Harriet Bridgwater of Hollywood

We recently had the chance to connect with Harriet Bridgwater and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Harriet, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I think I am always chasing authentic projects. Whether it’s film, theatre or TV, I want to be a part of passion projects that have something to say. Films that make people feel lost in a fantasy world, or a different era. More selfishly that make me feel like that when I shoot them. As an actor I always chase the perfect performance. In scripts that excite me with characters which reflect real life people in their complexity. I chase the feeling that between Action and Cut I could completely inhabit the person I am playing with a presence and vitality which feels viscerally real. I would like to blur the lines of reality and see how close I could get to that person. I am constantly searching for those parts that I could play with such specificity and freedom because I innately know who that character is.

If I stopped chasing this I would lose my bearings within my career.

I think I would lose confidence in myself and start playing it safe. Only in roles that I knew I could play, I also wouldn’t take chances on new directors and scripts which would be a colossal shame – as I love to work with directors who are deeply driven to create something meaningful. I have fostered such fulfilling artistic relationships collaborating on projects with some really cool people.

I would compromise my morals if I didn’t chase authenticity, then acting would become merely a business. I don’t think I would be a very good actor if I didn’t strive to try to make something great, none of my work would have any heart.

However I think it’s important to acknowledge saying this that it is so hard for the majority of actors to merely pay rent with the unpredictability of this industry. We all pray for an intersection between making something we find really artistically fulfilling and the dream to be able to do this full time without a day job.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a British actress, writer and film-maker based in LA, coming here from the SouthWest of England at the age of eighteen after seeing an ad posted for a school of a theatre practitioner I loved – Stella Adler. I auditioned (not telling my family, because I thought I’d never get in or be able to actually go) and got in! Since then I honed my craft and was thrust into the indie film scene in LA, with filmmakers from all across the world.

I collaborate with many like minded indie filmmakers from across the globe . Acting on skits with a Brazilian language company “Movimento Fluencia”, and being in Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival’s (LABRFF’s) “Auder” as a despicable ethnic cleanser. As well as working with Aron-Rudner Stokell on “Silicon Beach Film Festival’s “Feast” – A satirical, vampire B Movie.
Collaborating with The New York Film Academy on films such as “Impermanence” – an end of the world , existential drama, “Electric Hearts” – A lesbian gothic romance, re-telling of the “Bride of Frankenstein” and “Next Door” – a chilling suspense – thriller. I haven’t forgot my British roots, as a member of the National Youth Theatre, and working on “Pocket Money” a tale of two British guys hectic big American road trip.

I direct and write short films with the non-profit after school program “Team Prime Time” where I set up an enrichment class, educating on all aspects of production. From scriptwriting and storyboarding with the kids, to holding table-reads, filming and editing. We made a holiday rom-com last summer which we held a screening for called, “Holiday In A heartbeat” and are in pre-production for a parable-style spooky short film called “The Phantom”.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My mum taught me the most about work. She is a workaholic and gives absolutely everything to what she does. I distinctly remember her telling me that everything is hard work. Life is hard work. Now, despite that sounding dreary, it has a profound wisdom to it.

If you don’t work hard your life might be hard because you’re struggling for money, ( however even if you do work hard you could still be struggling for money) , if you have enough money but hate your job and can’t sleep every night because of stress- that’s hard work. Everything seems to be hard work unfortunately in some way or another for most of us.

So my main takeaway was that the only solution seems to be to work hard at something you love and pray to the heavens that it pays off. Something that’s worth all that effort. I love the hours I put in on set, the hard work is the instability, the trying to get the foot in the door and the countless auditions and rejections. My mum said that whichever career you get into you have to fight for in some capacity – you have to study or labour or endure.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You’re very messy, with no self awareness in the best way possible.

I had constantly tangly hair wearing purple crocs clashing with my bright orange, mud-stained trousers that were ripped at the hem and two sizes too small.
I truly did not care.
And I hope all kids can feel that in their childhood that they are important and valuable for who they are not what they wear. That they can possess the freedom and that they don’t feel judged for what they look like or what brands they own.

Having worked with kids it is heartwarming to see this and you really see that these things start to creep in as we grow up and (not to sound like my parents) but with social media it’s scary to think that this is in jeopardy from an earlier and earlier age.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I admire Van Gough, I think because he wasn’t powerful, he was completely overlooked. But he still made art. He made beautiful pieces (although no one thought it at the time, because art is subjective and what he was doing just wasn’t in fashion) he was basically the Marty McFly of the late 1800s.
I must admit I don’t know all too much about the ins and outs of him as a person but I think that takes a strength of character and he must have endured an immense amount of pain and ridicule.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Yes, I think I was born to learn; about people, about the world and with acting that’s something you get to do.
Through constantly learning, growing and trying to put yourself in other people’s shoes makes you a more empathetic person.

I recently did a short film called “Only God Can save me” where I played Mary, the girlfriend of a gang member, oblivious to the people he is involved with and the danger to his life. We toured all around Downtown and East LA, on a location guerrilla-style indie shoot, and I had the privilege to meet so many different people, learn about their cultures and visit various neighbourhoods and communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://harrietbridgwater04.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrietbridgwater/?hl=en

Image Credits
Angel Pasoescalante

Aron Rudner-Stokell

Naaman Moreno

Mafe Ramossa