December 16, 2024 • 40 mins
Actress Brooke Lena Johnson joins Emily and Haley to discuss her role in Prime's 'Cruel Intentions,' how she became a part of a puppeteering disaster, and her career as a professional figure skater. Meanwhile, Haley can't figure out if Brooke is British, Emily suspects her to be a Disney princess, and Brooke helps us achieve what should be studied as the most seamless question segues in podcast history. So strangle your sister, join a focus group, and audition to be a dinosaur with Chapter 16 of 'How to Make It With Emily & Haley.'
Follow Brooke: @thebrookelenajohnson
Follow Emily: @emilydorothyy
Follow Haley: @haleymuralee
'Cruel Intentions' Season 1 is available to watch now on Prime Video.
Follow Brooke: @thebrookelenajohnson
Follow Emily: @emilydorothyy
Follow Haley: @haleymuralee
'Cruel Intentions' Season 1 is available to watch now on Prime Video.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi. I'm Emily and I'm Hayley. After meeting online, we
became international best friends who bonded over how hard it
is to find success in the entertainment industry.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Join us and our celebrity co authors as they help
us write the book on how to make it.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
And, more importantly, uncover what making it even means.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know, saying we met online sounds a lot sexier
than it actually is.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Emily, you don't think it's clear we met on a
networking site?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, I think it sounds very much like I swiped
right on you, my friend.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Would you like to meet a British person online site?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
We're going to have to do this again now, aren't we.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Hi, my name is Brooklyn and Johnson and I wanted
to be a figure skater when I grew up. Whoa
that was like my oh yeah, that was my That
was my thing for a very long time.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
One of these Sorry, you want to at like four
am going to practice every day in the freezing?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
That was me. That was me, I know, crazy, It's
always fascinated me. You're like, you really want to do
that before school? You're crazy? Oh yeah, oh yeah no.
It was just like my normal.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well brought that on, like, well, how did you decide
you wanted to do that?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
To go into that? It was so funny, Like my mom.
I love my mom, but she was always like very
big on like we all not, but but she she
was a living on us doing like she always wanted
us to do like some form of music. So either
we would sing or we would do some kind of instrument,
(01:57):
and then all of me and my two sisters that is,
and you would do a sport. And then there was
always like, you know, some kind of something. In school,
we at least had to be relatively invested in what
we really liked of like we're going to make sure
we get good grades in this because this is what
we liked. So I'm like, I really appreciate that about
her because I feel like it made us very well rounded.
But she actually tried figure skating with my older sister
(02:20):
and like did the like mommy and me classes, which
is basically all all moms and their little like toddlers
or preschoolers like waddling on the ice together. And my
older sister absolutely hated it. And I remember my mom
was like, yeah, no, maybe this isn't for us. It's
very cold, very all that, and then I saw it.
I saw it on TV, and I kept asking my mom.
(02:41):
I was like, I want to skate. I want to skate,
I want to skate. And so then she tried the
Mommy and Me classes with me, and she couldn't pull
me off the ice. And that was the thing that
she said all the time. She was like, you would
do the class and then you would ask to skate afterwards,
and she was like, you would skate out there for
two hours at four or five. So I was like,
very young, and I was like, I just didn't want
to get pulled off the ice. I loved the feeling
(03:02):
of it, and so I just kind of like at
that point was hooked.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
I feel like, do you remember that Disney Channel? Wait?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Was it a Disney Channel? No, it was a Disney movie.
The Ice Prince was Ice Princess.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Oh yeah do I That was like my like prime
time And everyone would ask me, They're like, is that true?
Can you just do a double axle with some drink
that's some girl made? And I was like, no, no,
don't listen to it, it's not true.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That age you hear the word physics and you're like, yeah, whatever.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It totally works. That's how work, isn't it. I'm like,
don't you think everyone would be doing that? Right?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Exactly, Yeah, get NASA on that. This actually moves great
into our next section, which is where we tell you, Yeah,
we tell you two random facts we found out about
you on the internet, and was about it was about
your professional figure skating because I want to hear all
about it and if you did like a specific character
(04:00):
and and just everything everything about it, because.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
I everything nice skating.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I'm one of.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Those people who like gets excited when I see the
commercials about whatever touring like ice skating companies.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Coming, Disney on Ice is coming, Belong Beach.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I love it. I love it. Yeah. So I that
was like kind of the start of it for me.
And to be honest with you, after that, that was
kind of like my like that was that was very
one one track. That's what I'm doing. I knew it,
and I'd always really enjoyed the performance side of it.
(04:38):
What was really fun about it for me is that
every year you got to create this new program and
you got to take on this new kind of which
is so funny because I look back at it now
and I'm like, duh, you wanted to be an actor,
but it was like you got to create this new
kind of like character and all of your choreography was
very different, and like I said, the performance aspect of
it I really really loved. And so I after I
(05:00):
like kind of done all the mommy meat classes stuff
like that. I was training at a rink and then
got scouted by a couple of quite professional coaches and
they were like, would you be interested in doing pairs
because that was quite short and I was like, sure,
I don't really know what that is. And so then
I went into the parish track and I competed for gosh,
(05:21):
probably ten years ten years competition and I was a
pair skater, which was really cool. My parents partner his
name was Brooks at the time, and so it was
Brooke and Brooks, which was very fun and it's like
just random. It was like, how do you find someone
else with the exact same name? And so we competed
for a long time.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
We did junior.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Nationals, we did nationals, and so that part of it
was really fun and cool for me because I got
to work with someone else. And what drew me about
pairs is I was with no fear. Kid Like I
was the kid who was like, let me go on
the tallest roller coaster and hang upside down and all that.
And so with pairs, they like threw me across the
ice and we would do all these crazy lifts and
tricks and that for me was like superpealing. So I
(05:57):
did that, and then I had a couple of like injuries,
and then at that point was like reconsidering what I
was doing. But I lived in LA and being in La,
my mom was like, there's like a lot of opportunity
to do more of the performance kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I was.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I was a kid who also just like performing and
like singing around my house. I liked doing all things.
I was very into music and if I didn't go
into acting, I probably would have gone into music a
bit more. And she was like, why did you just
do commercials? You can just do commercials and that's something
that's very easy alongside skating. You would film it for
a day or so and something. So I went into
commercials and then the commercial department at the theatrical department
(06:37):
as well, or like, oh, you might be really good
for that, and then met with theatrical so and then
I was kind of doing that alongside when I was
getting these injuries, and I was like, Okay, maybe that
might be like what I transitioned to after this, And
then at eighteen gouted and did that dis me on nice.
So then I left and went to South America for
(06:58):
a year and a half, which was crazy at eighteen.
So yeah, I was part of that Disney on Ice
is coming to Mexico City in Brazil and Argentina and
all that, which was I mean, how many eighteen year
olds get to say that they can do that, So
you know, felt really blessed to be able to do
that and travel the world and kind of get my
footing internationally as well. So that was cool.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Did you play anyone specific?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So what's what is cool about Disney on Ice in
general is like there is ample opportunity to play a
lot of different things. So like when you were on
for instance, like I was on a track where I
was nine different characters in the show, and like what
happens is if you're a lead for multiple weeks, then
you flip over to a different track, so you kind
(07:44):
of jump in on a lot of different things, and
then they have something like called breakworking and it's if
someone is out for a week six something like that,
someone who's on a different show track can fly to
let's say Austria for a week and fill in their role.
I played anything from atfish to a baker, to seaweed
(08:04):
to Ariel sisters and stuff like that on different tracks.
Because some of the shows are like Ariel, oh yeah,
are like Little Mermaid based. Then it was like you
had all of the characters, whereas some of the other
shows it's just Ariel and Prince Erk or just Aeriel, and.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
So that was cool.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
So I played I mean, I played the range of them,
and at the time, it was like they were just
starting out with doing aerial silks and Spanish web and
stuff like that, and so I did that as well
on the shows, which is really cool that I was
able to incorporate all these different things that I did.
But yeah, that was too nice. And then came back
(08:41):
and jumped like full speed kind of into into acting
because I was like, okay, cool, I kind of did
what I wanted to do and let's move on. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
I mean huge Disney as you can.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Probably i've revealed through this conversation, but I was like,
you look, you look like a princess.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So I was like, oh, they's the.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Part where Emily compliments the guests and tells, okay, I'll pay.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Get Do you do you still dabble in the in
the ice dance?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
I do? I do? So I still I actually still teach.
Every once in a while, I like, I'm really I do. Yeah.
So both my parents were school teachers, and well my
mom is a set teacher, but my dad was a
school teacher for a really long time, and I think
I kind of got the teaching bug from them, and
so I really enjoy teaching. But yeah, so I still
(09:31):
do that. And then every once in a while there's
random commercials and stuff like that and they're like, hey
we need an ice skater, or random shows around that
are like hey we need someone last minute and stuff
like that. I'll be like, do do.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
It's good to have those random skill sets, isn't it?
When those come up? I always get one.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
We diving diving? Okay you were a diver?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
No, well I can. I can dive, and it's every
now and then you need an intimacy coordinator. You can
do something in a tank.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
There you go, Hi, Hi, I got it here, I
am that's really cool.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I can segue quite well from your teaching point. We're
doing well today, Emily. I've done bits of teaching at London.
And I see that you went to Lander. This is
my surprising fact.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Way did you? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, I was a lambder examiner for AGES and then
I did a few of the third year shows during COVID,
so when we recorded them. But I think I missed
your year.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
You must have been right, because I was right. I was. Yeah,
it was an A or a B during COVID and
then we were coming out of it, so I must
have missed you by like a year or two. That
is crazy. How fun is that? I love that I was.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I was querying when we first came on this call
with Emily. If you were a brit with a really
good American accent.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I am an American, yes, but it brought you to Land.
You know what is so funny is I kind of
moved when I moved back after tour. I was I
was a little bit I wouldn't say like a standstill,
but kind of that. I feel like you always have
this as an accer where it's like, Okay, what am
I doing? What am I trying? To go for and
what's the best way to get there? And I wanted
(11:17):
to build my skill set I think a little bit more.
But it was do I do that? Here? Do I
do it? In La? Do I do it? Where? Do
I do it? And it was funny because I had
not really ever considered London, to be honest with you,
and I had I had a friend who went abroad
and said they were going to London and they were
going to like graphic design school. And I remember talking
(11:38):
with him and being like, Oh, that's such a cool
that's such a cool idea, Like you're just gonna go
and like go for three years or there, and he's like, yeah,
I want to do it. And I'd kind of like
talked with my mom a bit about it and it
was like, maybe is this something that I do? And
she was like, drama schools are huge over there and
they have like some of the best ones and you
should definitely know try and see. And I auditioned for
(12:00):
a couple and I kind of did it on a
whim and I found out that I got into two
and so then I went over there and I was like,
go and see it. And I met with like Rodney
at Lambda, which was really cool, and yeah, I just
kind of did like a week over there, and it
was like, can I see myself actually doing this? Do
I commit to it? This is a big jump, you
(12:21):
know what I mean. It's one thing to go on
tour like for a job and all of that, but
this was like I'm going to pick up and leave
and move and yeah. I met with Rodney and watched
him walk around with no shoes on, and I was like,
this is the place for me. I love it. Yeah,
like literally decided within They were like, you need to
let us know by this week. And I decided that
and told all of my students I was leaving for
(12:42):
three years and picked up and moved. And that was
just like such a crazy time in my life because
it was like I didn't know how it was going
to change things that I was doing. And then I
kind of felt like, oh, well then I'm going to
miss out and what's happening in LA and what's happening
job wise. But my agents were really they were like,
you're doing something that's bettering your skill and what you
want to do, so they're like, absolutely, go for it.
(13:05):
Do it. And I had a lot of support from
my family and them and friends, and I had one
friend who was moving over there too, so I was like,
I could do it, and yeah, packed up and moved
and really really happy that I did.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
That training there isn't it. Did it help you build resilience?
Do you think for the industry?
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, most definitely. I had already had
kind of athlete mindset of you kind of pushed through that,
but it was good to get that in a in
an actor sense. And we had to deal with COVID
when we were learning, so I had to do all
of these awful Shakespeare scenes on a computer, and like
at one point they sent everyone home, so I went
(13:45):
back and I'm in LA So I was getting up
at three am to do classes online and I like
woke myself. I remember one time we had like a
you know, a showing or whatever, like our end of term.
You got to do the Shakespeare scene and you got
to do whatever. And I remember we had this one
scene that I woke my sister up at four am
and I said, I really need you to choke me
out for the scene because I have to die. I
(14:08):
am laid on my bed, stuck her hand. I remember
just saying like, what what are we? What am I doing?
And so that was definitely what is this? But then
I can look at it hindsight and I'm like, I
would have I wouldn't have been working anyhow in La
right because of all of the COVID stuff, and so
(14:29):
I'm like, I'm so happy that it worked out that way.
It was terrible.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
I had my first production job, I was a cast
assistant in twenty twenty, and I really was actually, I mean,
no one was glad that it was. It was twenty twenty,
but learning how to be a cast assistant in twenty
twenty and then like knowing it couldn't.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Get worse hopefully, so that like.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
When things started going back to normal as much as
they can on a set now, I was like, oh,
it's only going to get better. And the people that
I was working with, who had been in the industry
for the longer they had been in the industry, the
more decades, the angrier and more pissed off they were
about all the COVID compliance stuff. So I was like,
(15:16):
I'm not definitely at all, because this is the only
way I've known, like swab my nose again, I don't
know any other like.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Great, yeah, this is all I've learned, you know, right.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yeah, yeah, So that was one time I was grateful
for never having worked before because I had nothing. I
didn't have the gloried I didn't know what the glory
days were.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
So then everyone talked about You're like, well this is
just normal, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
What You're like, yeah, yeah, sprint wrapped sandwich. I'm like whatever,
you know, well, you gosh Brook, you are the best
(15:58):
segue person.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
We've ever had, because I am so confused.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Normally we're like, next, nothing is happening. I will take
something you mentioned, which is kind of figuring out like
what your do north is and what.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Your purpose is and what is next.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
You got into performing, and yours is obviously pretty young,
like you have a different reason for it.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
But I know for me, like at four years old, I.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I didn't know about fame. There certainly was no social media.
Like so I feel like a lot of people who
used to want to perform for the love of it
or write or whatever get bogged down in Oh, you
can make you can possibly make a lot of money,
or you can you can possibly travel the world, but
you could also very realistically not with how varied your
(16:47):
career has been. How do you remember what that do
north is?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
I mean, the first thing, to be honest with you
that comes to mind is what I think has always
kind of driven me forward. Was I have always remembered
like the passion that I had, like as a kid.
And wow, I did not think I would get emotional
on that question. That's so weird. But like I remember,
(17:13):
there was like a lot of times, like specifically with
skating and stuff like that too, there was a lot
of really really difficult times, I think being an athlete
being in that kind of limelight. I think as well
too also with performing. I did musical theater and I
did stuff like that too, And I think I always
just go back to that little brook that got such enjoyment,
(17:37):
like watching people enjoy what I can put out there
and what I can do and what I was saying.
And it wasn't just you know, watching these other people.
I think it was that for me, it was something
I could step into outside of myself. I think I'm
naturally like a pretty introverted person. And when I stepped
out there on the ice or I stepped onto the
stage and did that, I could step into this like
(18:00):
new life that I wasn't able to live and through
the really really tough days. I mean, I didn't go
to high school, didn't I didn't have a high school experience.
And for some people it's like, oh yeah, whatever, it
doesn't matter. But like for a lot of people, especially
at that time when you're fourteen or fifteen, I didn't
get to have that like socialized norm and the normal
(18:20):
things of going out to the football games or doing what.
And I had a lot of friends who were like,
you're missing out, you're missing out, you're missing out. And
I had to like kind of push through a lot
of that and go. But young five year old Brook
knew that this is what she wanted to do, and
I'm going I'm going to stick to that versus what
everyone else is telling me to do. And that wasn't easy.
That wasn't easy. And I think there's still days that
(18:42):
it's like you hear so many of these outside voices
that that gets really hard. And I just keep coming
back to five year old Brook and when I know
that she wanted to do and accomplish that, for me,
that's my like do North.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
I resonated with everything you said. My phone background is
literally me as a six year old dressed as Dorothy
from Wizard of Oz, not Wicked. I don't need to
add the word wicked into the zeitgeist like one more
time right now, but I wanted. I remember seeing Wizard
of Oz and being like, oh my gosh, if if
this girl on the screen can can be can do this,
(19:16):
so can I.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
So I dressed up like Dorothy constantly.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Like yeah, people are like, oh, is that your daughter?
I'm like, well, kind.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Of which is I guess you know you could treat
it like a daughter.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
How do you.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
How do you balance social media? And like I'll talk
about like a bunch of voices coming at you, like
how do you navigate that with.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
With everything else? I mean, social media is a beast,
to be honest with you, And I think there's been
so much like because I was pre social media mm hm,
and so then watching it come in like during my
teenage years and kind of being like what is all
of this? I remember that time so vividly of like
(20:05):
what the And I think that was the first time
that it was like universal because then everyone had YouTube,
and I think now you can you deal with a
lot more of everyone around the world having a comment
on what it is that you're doing or saying, or
your videos and whatever. Which is the good with the bad?
It is because now you have this huge crossover that
(20:26):
you can be on that everyone is involved, which is great,
and then it means you get all the negative with
all of that too. And I think social media is
a very awesome and powerful tool, but I think there's
a lot of destruction that comes with it too, And
I think that's what people are trying to figure out nowadays,
and I think there's still work to be done on
(20:48):
figuring that out.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah, I'm going to use that as a segue. It's
quite tenuous. There's actually, I love quite quite a lot
of buzz around cruel intentions on the interweb. Oh yeah,
it kicked off mostly based on the movie and it
not being a remake or a sequel, so people quite
(21:13):
know what to expect. Did you kind of steer away
from the movie or did you kind of really hone
in there to do your research?
Speaker 4 (21:21):
What did you? I think?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
What? So, for me, I played Beatrice on the show,
and what was really cool is she's not a character
that's in the original at all, and so for me,
I got to create this whole new this whole new person,
this whole new perspective to that kind of world in general.
And I think that was really quite like a challenge,
you know what I mean, because I think some of
(21:43):
these other characters, right is, they're written to be not
based but in that same vein right you still have
the stepsister step brother relationship, You still have the like
kind of ingenuity role coming into that. Like, I think,
you have a lot of these same dynamics, not the
same characters, and mine was something that's very different. And
(22:07):
I think that was really very exciting because I could
just create someone who navigates this world differently than anyone
else had in the original. So I pulled some of
the tone ideas and things like that from the movie.
I knew the movie. I remember when it came out,
so I remember that experience very well, so it wasn't
really hard to recall. I did watch it, I did
(22:30):
watch it again, and I did watch Dangerous Liaisons again
because I think it was just kind of seeing more
of the power struggle that you see in all of
these different segments of it. And I think we keep
a lot of the same power struggle, which I think
is very very fun, and I think that's what people
really love about it. But yeah, I mean from individual
(22:51):
characters and things like that, not a ton. I've kind
of pulled more from people I know in my own
life that I was like, I could see you being
a little bit that way, and I'll pull that you
and whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I love.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I love doing that. I'm a people watcher, So for me,
I'm like, Okay, this role has a little bit of
you in it, and let's kind of channel that.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, Broke, you've just led me beautifully.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
With that a doubt, I think I know what to do.
If I don't lead you into the next time, I'll
be like.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Oh, my next question is literally, did you draw from
any real life inspiration, no experiences to shape his activism?
Oh my journalistic voice is so good.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Well, yeah, script, Brooke, I swear I didn't. I didn't know.
So I have. I have like two very good friends
that I feel like I kind of pulled aspects of
both of them into it. And one of them is
like one of my best friends that I've known since
I was probably ten or eleven years old. She doesn't
(23:55):
live here anymore, but she like she was in the
kind of sorority world and she kind of that and
then she left it. And I remember, I remember during
that time talking with her a lot, and I was like, A,
I definitely think that there's something to that, because I
feel like Beatrice, you know, tried to be a part
of that world and then was rejected from it, and
(24:16):
my friend wasn't rejected she left, But I think there's
something to that that I think I was able to
channel because I remember how she felt during that time,
and just even how like Beatrice lays out a room
was exactly like how this how this other friends. She
doesn't have a giant room closter in the back, but
she does have like a lot of the tapestry and
(24:37):
a lot more of that kind of deeper purples and
a more hippie like feel, and so like stepping into that.
Remember when I stepped into set like and saw the
bedroom set up and was able to like throw in
things that I felt fit it, And then saraen Phoebe
had such a vision for it, it just like melded
perfectly together that then at that point, Beatrice was just
(25:00):
find the play. Every single day. It was like, give
me more scenes where I can fight someone or I
can like challenge someone or I don't know, just do
crazy things. So so yeah, I definitely I definitely pulled
from people that I knew and then pulled from my
own experience of I never I never had this story
to Trinity life. I never. I never went through that.
I know a lot of people who did and really
(25:21):
loved it, but that wasn't ever something that I was
exposed to. So that was also a part of Beatrice
that really related to myself as well too.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I'm going to move us on now to a segment
called the story, and the story is kind of goes
to a negative place. Well not really because it's something
that ends positively, but basically we're looking for a story
brook where you felt like, oh why am I bothering?
Why am I bothering with it from somewhere in your career.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
I mean, I've got I've got the laundry list of them.
But like some that I remember early on is you know,
I was trying. I had a couple of first jobs
and things like that, and I remember I started doing
like princess parties, like children's princess parties, and I was like, great,
I can go and do this. I go for an hour,
(26:22):
I'll like sing a few songs that I already know.
I love Disney and I was like, this is easy.
It's going to be easy, little side job thing that
I'm going to do that can still give me acting
and blah blah blah blah, all that right, and work
with kids. I love working with kids. And I remember
one time someone called out sick last minute and this
company that I worked for whatever, they called me and
(26:43):
they're like, hey, you know, are you available? And I
was like sure, you know what princess or oh, what
thing is it that you need? And they were like, well,
it's actually our like our puppeteer is out. And I
was like I was like, I really, I don't know.
That's that's not something I've ever done. I just I
(27:06):
just don't think that I'll do it. And they're like,
we're really desperate. We'll send someone with you. You can
just go along with what they do and just figure
it out, figure it out. And I was like okay,
and they're like we'll pay you double. It's like cool, Okay,
you're gonna pay me double. At this point, I was
like whatever, I'll do it. I'll do it. And I
drive to this gorgeous mansion house. I'm like, okay, of
(27:29):
course it's for these people with like two hundred people
watching and kids. And I was like, oh my god,
what am I doing? And then I find out it's
for a one year old birthday party? Right?
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (27:42):
And I'm like I'm at this thing. This other person
hasn't shown up, and I'm like, what am I doing.
I have all the stuff, I have the I have
the show, I have it. Ever and the other person
hasn't shown up, and I'm like, oh no, what do
I do? And me and I end up calling my
sister because she's on the street and like she didn't
live far from there, and I was like, hey, this
(28:04):
person hasn't shown up. Can you please come help me
do this party?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
I feel?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
And she's like my four sister, my poor sister. Yeah,
and this is the same one who had to joke
me out mind you. She's Trooper. I love her. But
I was like, I'm desperate. I'm desperate. I really need help.
I don't know what I'm doing. I've never done this before.
And so we walk into this party and all these
adults or whatever they're like they basically hand us. There
are like one year old children, like twenty of them
(28:32):
who like but one half of them aren't really even
sitting up yet, and so they were like, Okay, put
on the puppet show, do whatever. Then all the parents
come to watch, and she's like helping babysit the one
year olds, and I'm over there trying to think of
any nursery rhymes. I know there's no script for this,
there's no ever I was handing twenty puppets and I remember,
(28:52):
I don't I think I remember one nursery rhyme and
that was it, and I was like, this is I remember.
I was telling them at the end. I was like,
I don't even think you can pay me for this.
This was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done in
my life. Just leaving that and I told the guy,
I was like, I'm sorry, I don't think I can
ever do anything like that again. And I remember me
and my sister were just like leaving that party, being like,
(29:12):
I don't even know how we got through that hour.
That was the most horrific thing I ever did it.
And I was like, I sure, hope I've never kept
doing this. The rest of my power to the people
that can do it, but I was like, this is
so I was the most mortifying moment of my life.
And I remember it was like, man if I was
an adult, and then watch these two young girls try
to put on this puppet show, like the words puppet
(29:34):
show I've ever seen. Yeah, so that was really not
like I wouldn't even say like a low moment, but
just so mortifying and so like, I'm really trying to
do this and I'm here doing a puppet show that
I've never done in my life, and I'm yeah, it's bad.
It was really bad. I'm sorry for anyone who ever
had to see that. But yeah, that was definitely a
(29:56):
moment of what am I doing?
Speaker 4 (29:58):
How many years ago was that?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Oh good, A good ten years ago?
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Now, oh, kids are eleven.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
We could do a focused group to see who is traumatized.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I don't know if I want to meet the eleven
year old. I'm like, I'm so sorry for your one
year old birthday party.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
That was terrible with your first memory, Well, there was
this puppet show.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
There was one.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
There was the two girls. We put on a puppet
show that was terrible. I mean probably probably, but yeah, boy,
that was that was something that was something.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
I hope they paid you.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
They did pay me, They did pay me. But I
remember telling the company too. I was like, I don't
think I can ever do that again. Please don't make
me do that. And I don't know, you know, they
might have left a review or something, who knows, and
I was like, that is probably not going to be
very good. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, guys, but I tried
to try my best. That was God, it's embarrassing just
(30:55):
to think about now, But you've got to go through
all of these you gotta go through all of these
things to kind of like regain your footing and be like,
you know what, Now that I've done that, I can
be mortified in front of whoever because I'm like, no problem.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Yeah you want to go mindt yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah, but I don't do any more puppet shows. No
one asked me to do a puppet show. I'm really bad.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Until now and.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Of it, Oh God, soft launch of your your new
puppeteering career, my puppeteering career. Yeah, keeping in mind the
terrible jobs you've had to have and then the ones
(31:46):
where you've really enjoyed it, and even career aside, like
life focus, what would your definition of making it be.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
For me, making it has always just been an actor
who works consistently and can make a living off of
acting and being a creative. I think it's changed for
me always over time, but like not necessarily just being
an actor working as a creative doing all sorts of
things in the industry. I would love to direct, I
would love to produce, I would love to do all
(32:20):
of that. But be able to work as a creative
and make a living for me has always been like,
that's making it. I don't need the fame, I don't
need the fortune of it. I don't need any of that.
I just want to feel fulfilled in being a creative
full time, and I think that has always been the
goal for sure. Now, of course, I have other small goals.
(32:40):
I want to be in a film with Joaquin Phoenix,
and I want to be a little I have all
of those, but an overall life goal with it, I
just want to be a working actor. I can make
a living off of it. I can live doing that
and doing what I love, and not many people get
to say that. So if I can do that, I
think that to me is I did it. I did
what I wanted to.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Do it because acting's just unforgiving, isn't it? To be
able to work consistently in acting is such a skill.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Set it is? It is mm HMMs definitely. And I
think also just putting yourself out on out on the
line all the time, and the amount of auditions you
do and rejection that you do and all of that,
Like actors have to go through so much on that
that I mean, you go on a thousand auditions and
you maybe maybe maybe get one or a call back
(33:29):
of a thousand times of people saying thank you's so
much by that's terrible, Oh my gosh, like most jobs.
Like my sister works in the music industry, and I
remember she had two interviews because she was trying to
change jobs and change placements. And she was like, oh
my gosh, I have two interviews and I'm so nervous
and I'm so whatever, and what if they were reject
And she was like, well, you have to go through
(33:51):
like a thousand interviews a year. And she's like, how
do you do it? And I was like, you have
to not think about the rejection. You have to always
go there's a chance, there's a chance, there's a chance,
and then just be like whatever reject Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I feel like you're also your passion for teaching is
telling in the love of it and the love of
the creativity, because I feel like a lot of people
are like, well, well no, I just I have to
do this in this one specific way, and then they
miss out on a lot of opportunity and are missing
(34:25):
kind of the heart of what they're doing it for.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
I agree, I agree, And I think you always have
to kind of like I think you have to constantly
remind yourself and come back to that, because otherwise you
do look at all of the superfluous reasons, I think,
and you have to come back to the heart of
it and at the heart of it, and like, that's
why I still I love teaching, or I love seeing
the students that I used to teach ten years ago,
(34:51):
because I've seen them spark that creativity, and that, to
me is what keeps drawing me back to whatever it is.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
If you had to sum up your career so far
in a kind of a chapter title, what would that be?
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Which route do I go? Do I go chaotic or
do I go insprucial. I feel like if I went Yeah,
I feel like if I went inspirational. It would be
keep on keeping on. That's what I've always said, Like
with my family, it's like you just keep on keeping on.
I was like, can't think about it, don't worry about it,
keep on keeping on. I feel like if I were
to go the chaotic energy of it, it would just
(35:40):
be like I hope you like me. Please don't laugh,
because I've had so many auditions where it's like I
feel like every once in a while I get the
awkward laugh from casting her, and I'm like, oh no,
not the awkward laugh please, Like we just don't laugh, please,
Where it's like, oh yeah, so that's my chaotic and
(36:04):
my Inspirationally, you get two and one.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
That's great, we'll take them. We'll take them both.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's a funny old business, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
It is? It is, it is, and everyone has I
feel like a different there's some similarities. I think everyone
goes through the bad and the good. They always just
want to see the good. But like I think everyone
has a different journey and a different route and at
different times in their life, and so I think that's
what's so interesting about it. A lot of other jobs,
it's like Okay, you go through this program, and then
(36:32):
once you get out of that program, you immediately go
into this job whenever. And there's a little bit more
of that regimented timeline and acting is it yeah, yeah, yeah,
And acting is like seventeen ladders cross over each other
and you're like, which one do you choose the dad.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Staircase.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Yes, that's exactly what I feel like. Acting is like
like good luck, good luck trying to jump the staircases.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Like I'm like lost in the Chamber of Secrets right now.
I don't I'm not even.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Just going back to your casting directors as well, like
how rude is that when like, like you just sat
there and all you're trying to do is find somebody
who matches this character. It's not like.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
It's well and I and I think, to be honest
with you, I don't think they're trying to be rude.
I think they're trying to be like thank you that
thank you, and it's like I just know it because
I feel uncomfortable because I'm like, oh man, what I
did is probably not right, and I'm like, okay, I
(37:39):
got it, thank you, thank you so much. I mean,
every every actor has gone through that. I had to
play a dinosaur in an audition, and I remembered them
just like sitting on the couch being like, what the
hell did you just do?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
And I'm like, were you posing again, Brooke?
Speaker 3 (37:55):
It was a puppeting moment. It was a puppeting moment
for sure. And so it's yeah, they've got a they've
got to watch the range of it too. At least
they're not being like that was terrible leave, so I'm like, hey,
i'll take it. I'll take it. At least they're saying
thank you, smiling and a little awkward laugh. There you go.
That's the first I get. Then I guess it's fine.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well, speaking of saying thank you, okay.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
So sorry, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Listen, we have so many awkward moments on this podcast
where there's no segue that I'm going to take every
single one that opportunity that you can. Yes, and my
editing job will be so much smoother at this, but
we'll say we'll say thank you here. This has been
so much fun.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Yeah, Yes, I've just found Oh my.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Gosh, mine is somewhere. It's somewhere. I don't know where
it is, but I love that. I love it. Oh,
look at that old thing.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
There it is anyway, Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
This has been awesome. Love cruel intentions. I've really been
enjoying it. And uh and yeah, thank you for being
like a very inspirational guest.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Thank you, thank you for having me you guys, I
really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
How to Make It is recorded from a closet in
New Jersey and a basement in Leeds, United Kingdom. It's
produced by Emily Capello and Haley Mura Lei Darren. For
more adventures with Emily and Haley, follow us on Instagram
at how to Make It Podcast, where you'll find clips
from today's episode, many episode clips.
Speaker 4 (39:49):
And more random nonsense.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Like and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever other fine podcasts abound
Hi. I'm Emily and I'm Hayley. After meeting online, we
became international best friends who bonded over how hard it
is to find success in the entertainment industry.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Join us and our celebrity co authors as they help
us write the book on how to make it.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
And, more importantly, uncover what making it even means.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know, saying we met online sounds a lot sexier
than it actually is.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Emily, you don't think it's clear we met on a
networking site?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, I think it sounds very much like I swiped
right on you, my friend.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Would you like to meet a British person online site?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
We're going to have to do this again now, aren't we.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Hi, my name is Brooklyn and Johnson and I wanted
to be a figure skater when I grew up. Whoa
that was like my oh yeah, that was my That
was my thing for a very long time.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
One of these Sorry, you want to at like four
am going to practice every day in the freezing?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
That was me. That was me, I know, crazy, It's
always fascinated me. You're like, you really want to do
that before school? You're crazy? Oh yeah, oh yeah no.
It was just like my normal.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Well brought that on, like, well, how did you decide
you wanted to do that?
Speaker 3 (01:36):
To go into that? It was so funny, Like my mom.
I love my mom, but she was always like very
big on like we all not, but but she she
was a living on us doing like she always wanted
us to do like some form of music. So either
we would sing or we would do some kind of instrument,
(01:57):
and then all of me and my two sisters that is,
and you would do a sport. And then there was
always like, you know, some kind of something. In school,
we at least had to be relatively invested in what
we really liked of like we're going to make sure
we get good grades in this because this is what
we liked. So I'm like, I really appreciate that about
her because I feel like it made us very well rounded.
But she actually tried figure skating with my older sister
(02:20):
and like did the like mommy and me classes, which
is basically all all moms and their little like toddlers
or preschoolers like waddling on the ice together. And my
older sister absolutely hated it. And I remember my mom
was like, yeah, no, maybe this isn't for us. It's
very cold, very all that, and then I saw it.
I saw it on TV, and I kept asking my mom.
(02:41):
I was like, I want to skate. I want to skate,
I want to skate. And so then she tried the
Mommy and Me classes with me, and she couldn't pull
me off the ice. And that was the thing that
she said all the time. She was like, you would
do the class and then you would ask to skate afterwards,
and she was like, you would skate out there for
two hours at four or five. So I was like,
very young, and I was like, I just didn't want
to get pulled off the ice. I loved the feeling
(03:02):
of it, and so I just kind of like at
that point was hooked.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
I feel like, do you remember that Disney Channel? Wait?
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Was it a Disney Channel? No, it was a Disney movie.
The Ice Prince was Ice Princess.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Oh yeah do I That was like my like prime
time And everyone would ask me, They're like, is that true?
Can you just do a double axle with some drink
that's some girl made? And I was like, no, no,
don't listen to it, it's not true.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That age you hear the word physics and you're like, yeah, whatever.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It totally works. That's how work, isn't it. I'm like,
don't you think everyone would be doing that? Right?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Exactly, Yeah, get NASA on that. This actually moves great
into our next section, which is where we tell you, Yeah,
we tell you two random facts we found out about
you on the internet, and was about it was about
your professional figure skating because I want to hear all
about it and if you did like a specific character
(04:00):
and and just everything everything about it, because.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
I everything nice skating.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I'm one of.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Those people who like gets excited when I see the
commercials about whatever touring like ice skating companies.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Coming, Disney on Ice is coming, Belong Beach.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I love it. I love it. Yeah. So I that
was like kind of the start of it for me.
And to be honest with you, after that, that was
kind of like my like that was that was very
one one track. That's what I'm doing. I knew it,
and I'd always really enjoyed the performance side of it.
(04:38):
What was really fun about it for me is that
every year you got to create this new program and
you got to take on this new kind of which
is so funny because I look back at it now
and I'm like, duh, you wanted to be an actor,
but it was like you got to create this new
kind of like character and all of your choreography was
very different, and like I said, the performance aspect of
it I really really loved. And so I after I
(05:00):
like kind of done all the mommy meat classes stuff
like that. I was training at a rink and then
got scouted by a couple of quite professional coaches and
they were like, would you be interested in doing pairs
because that was quite short and I was like, sure,
I don't really know what that is. And so then
I went into the parish track and I competed for gosh,
(05:21):
probably ten years ten years competition and I was a
pair skater, which was really cool. My parents partner his
name was Brooks at the time, and so it was
Brooke and Brooks, which was very fun and it's like
just random. It was like, how do you find someone
else with the exact same name? And so we competed
for a long time.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
We did junior.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Nationals, we did nationals, and so that part of it
was really fun and cool for me because I got
to work with someone else. And what drew me about
pairs is I was with no fear. Kid Like I
was the kid who was like, let me go on
the tallest roller coaster and hang upside down and all that.
And so with pairs, they like threw me across the
ice and we would do all these crazy lifts and
tricks and that for me was like superpealing. So I
(05:57):
did that, and then I had a couple of like injuries,
and then at that point was like reconsidering what I
was doing. But I lived in LA and being in La,
my mom was like, there's like a lot of opportunity
to do more of the performance kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I was.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I was a kid who also just like performing and
like singing around my house. I liked doing all things.
I was very into music and if I didn't go
into acting, I probably would have gone into music a
bit more. And she was like, why did you just
do commercials? You can just do commercials and that's something
that's very easy alongside skating. You would film it for
a day or so and something. So I went into
commercials and then the commercial department at the theatrical department
(06:37):
as well, or like, oh, you might be really good
for that, and then met with theatrical so and then
I was kind of doing that alongside when I was
getting these injuries, and I was like, Okay, maybe that
might be like what I transitioned to after this, And
then at eighteen gouted and did that dis me on nice.
So then I left and went to South America for
(06:58):
a year and a half, which was crazy at eighteen.
So yeah, I was part of that Disney on Ice
is coming to Mexico City in Brazil and Argentina and
all that, which was I mean, how many eighteen year
olds get to say that they can do that, So
you know, felt really blessed to be able to do
that and travel the world and kind of get my
footing internationally as well. So that was cool.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Did you play anyone specific?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So what's what is cool about Disney on Ice in
general is like there is ample opportunity to play a
lot of different things. So like when you were on
for instance, like I was on a track where I
was nine different characters in the show, and like what
happens is if you're a lead for multiple weeks, then
you flip over to a different track, so you kind
(07:44):
of jump in on a lot of different things, and
then they have something like called breakworking and it's if
someone is out for a week six something like that,
someone who's on a different show track can fly to
let's say Austria for a week and fill in their role.
I played anything from atfish to a baker, to seaweed
(08:04):
to Ariel sisters and stuff like that on different tracks.
Because some of the shows are like Ariel, oh yeah,
are like Little Mermaid based. Then it was like you
had all of the characters, whereas some of the other
shows it's just Ariel and Prince Erk or just Aeriel, and.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
So that was cool.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
So I played I mean, I played the range of them,
and at the time, it was like they were just
starting out with doing aerial silks and Spanish web and
stuff like that, and so I did that as well
on the shows, which is really cool that I was
able to incorporate all these different things that I did.
But yeah, that was too nice. And then came back
(08:41):
and jumped like full speed kind of into into acting
because I was like, okay, cool, I kind of did
what I wanted to do and let's move on. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
I mean huge Disney as you can.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Probably i've revealed through this conversation, but I was like,
you look, you look like a princess.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
So I was like, oh, they's the.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Part where Emily compliments the guests and tells, okay, I'll pay.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Get Do you do you still dabble in the in
the ice dance?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
I do? I do? So I still I actually still teach.
Every once in a while, I like, I'm really I do. Yeah.
So both my parents were school teachers, and well my
mom is a set teacher, but my dad was a
school teacher for a really long time, and I think
I kind of got the teaching bug from them, and
so I really enjoy teaching. But yeah, so I still
(09:31):
do that. And then every once in a while there's
random commercials and stuff like that and they're like, hey
we need an ice skater, or random shows around that
are like hey we need someone last minute and stuff
like that. I'll be like, do do.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
It's good to have those random skill sets, isn't it?
When those come up? I always get one.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
We diving diving? Okay you were a diver?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
No, well I can. I can dive, and it's every
now and then you need an intimacy coordinator. You can
do something in a tank.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
There you go, Hi, Hi, I got it here, I
am that's really cool.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
I can segue quite well from your teaching point. We're
doing well today, Emily. I've done bits of teaching at London.
And I see that you went to Lander. This is
my surprising fact.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Way did you? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, I was a lambder examiner for AGES and then
I did a few of the third year shows during COVID,
so when we recorded them. But I think I missed
your year.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
You must have been right, because I was right. I was. Yeah,
it was an A or a B during COVID and
then we were coming out of it, so I must
have missed you by like a year or two. That
is crazy. How fun is that? I love that I was.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I was querying when we first came on this call
with Emily. If you were a brit with a really
good American accent.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I am an American, yes, but it brought you to Land.
You know what is so funny is I kind of
moved when I moved back after tour. I was I
was a little bit I wouldn't say like a standstill,
but kind of that. I feel like you always have
this as an accer where it's like, Okay, what am
I doing? What am I trying? To go for and
what's the best way to get there? And I wanted
(11:17):
to build my skill set I think a little bit more.
But it was do I do that? Here? Do I
do it? In La? Do I do it? Where? Do
I do it? And it was funny because I had
not really ever considered London, to be honest with you,
and I had I had a friend who went abroad
and said they were going to London and they were
going to like graphic design school. And I remember talking
(11:38):
with him and being like, Oh, that's such a cool
that's such a cool idea, Like you're just gonna go
and like go for three years or there, and he's like, yeah,
I want to do it. And I'd kind of like
talked with my mom a bit about it and it
was like, maybe is this something that I do? And
she was like, drama schools are huge over there and
they have like some of the best ones and you
should definitely know try and see. And I auditioned for
(12:00):
a couple and I kind of did it on a
whim and I found out that I got into two
and so then I went over there and I was like,
go and see it. And I met with like Rodney
at Lambda, which was really cool, and yeah, I just
kind of did like a week over there, and it
was like, can I see myself actually doing this? Do
I commit to it? This is a big jump, you
(12:21):
know what I mean. It's one thing to go on
tour like for a job and all of that, but
this was like I'm going to pick up and leave
and move and yeah. I met with Rodney and watched
him walk around with no shoes on, and I was like,
this is the place for me. I love it. Yeah,
like literally decided within They were like, you need to
let us know by this week. And I decided that
and told all of my students I was leaving for
(12:42):
three years and picked up and moved. And that was
just like such a crazy time in my life because
it was like I didn't know how it was going
to change things that I was doing. And then I
kind of felt like, oh, well then I'm going to
miss out and what's happening in LA and what's happening
job wise. But my agents were really they were like,
you're doing something that's bettering your skill and what you
want to do, so they're like, absolutely, go for it.
(13:05):
Do it. And I had a lot of support from
my family and them and friends, and I had one
friend who was moving over there too, so I was like,
I could do it, and yeah, packed up and moved
and really really happy that I did.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
That training there isn't it. Did it help you build resilience?
Do you think for the industry?
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, most definitely. I had already had
kind of athlete mindset of you kind of pushed through that,
but it was good to get that in a in
an actor sense. And we had to deal with COVID
when we were learning, so I had to do all
of these awful Shakespeare scenes on a computer, and like
at one point they sent everyone home, so I went
(13:45):
back and I'm in LA So I was getting up
at three am to do classes online and I like
woke myself. I remember one time we had like a
you know, a showing or whatever, like our end of term.
You got to do the Shakespeare scene and you got
to do whatever. And I remember we had this one
scene that I woke my sister up at four am
and I said, I really need you to choke me
out for the scene because I have to die. I
(14:08):
am laid on my bed, stuck her hand. I remember
just saying like, what what are we? What am I doing?
And so that was definitely what is this? But then
I can look at it hindsight and I'm like, I
would have I wouldn't have been working anyhow in La
right because of all of the COVID stuff, and so
(14:29):
I'm like, I'm so happy that it worked out that way.
It was terrible.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
I had my first production job, I was a cast
assistant in twenty twenty, and I really was actually, I mean,
no one was glad that it was. It was twenty twenty,
but learning how to be a cast assistant in twenty
twenty and then like knowing it couldn't.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Get worse hopefully, so that like.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
When things started going back to normal as much as
they can on a set now, I was like, oh,
it's only going to get better. And the people that
I was working with, who had been in the industry
for the longer they had been in the industry, the
more decades, the angrier and more pissed off they were
about all the COVID compliance stuff. So I was like,
(15:16):
I'm not definitely at all, because this is the only
way I've known, like swab my nose again, I don't
know any other like.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Great, yeah, this is all I've learned, you know, right.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yeah, yeah, So that was one time I was grateful
for never having worked before because I had nothing. I
didn't have the gloried I didn't know what the glory
days were.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
So then everyone talked about You're like, well this is
just normal, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
What You're like, yeah, yeah, sprint wrapped sandwich. I'm like whatever,
you know, well, you gosh Brook, you are the best
(15:58):
segue person.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
We've ever had, because I am so confused.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Normally we're like, next, nothing is happening. I will take
something you mentioned, which is kind of figuring out like
what your do north is and what.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Your purpose is and what is next.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
You got into performing, and yours is obviously pretty young,
like you have a different reason for it.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
But I know for me, like at four years old, I.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I didn't know about fame. There certainly was no social media.
Like so I feel like a lot of people who
used to want to perform for the love of it
or write or whatever get bogged down in Oh, you
can make you can possibly make a lot of money,
or you can you can possibly travel the world, but
you could also very realistically not with how varied your
(16:47):
career has been. How do you remember what that do
north is?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
I mean, the first thing, to be honest with you
that comes to mind is what I think has always
kind of driven me forward. Was I have always remembered
like the passion that I had, like as a kid.
And wow, I did not think I would get emotional
on that question. That's so weird. But like I remember,
(17:13):
there was like a lot of times, like specifically with
skating and stuff like that too, there was a lot
of really really difficult times, I think being an athlete
being in that kind of limelight. I think as well
too also with performing. I did musical theater and I
did stuff like that too, And I think I always
just go back to that little brook that got such enjoyment,
(17:37):
like watching people enjoy what I can put out there
and what I can do and what I was saying.
And it wasn't just you know, watching these other people.
I think it was that for me, it was something
I could step into outside of myself. I think I'm
naturally like a pretty introverted person. And when I stepped
out there on the ice or I stepped onto the
stage and did that, I could step into this like
(18:00):
new life that I wasn't able to live and through
the really really tough days. I mean, I didn't go
to high school, didn't I didn't have a high school experience.
And for some people it's like, oh yeah, whatever, it
doesn't matter. But like for a lot of people, especially
at that time when you're fourteen or fifteen, I didn't
get to have that like socialized norm and the normal
(18:20):
things of going out to the football games or doing what.
And I had a lot of friends who were like,
you're missing out, you're missing out, you're missing out. And
I had to like kind of push through a lot
of that and go. But young five year old Brook
knew that this is what she wanted to do, and
I'm going I'm going to stick to that versus what
everyone else is telling me to do. And that wasn't easy.
That wasn't easy. And I think there's still days that
(18:42):
it's like you hear so many of these outside voices
that that gets really hard. And I just keep coming
back to five year old Brook and when I know
that she wanted to do and accomplish that, for me,
that's my like do North.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
I resonated with everything you said. My phone background is
literally me as a six year old dressed as Dorothy
from Wizard of Oz, not Wicked. I don't need to
add the word wicked into the zeitgeist like one more
time right now, but I wanted. I remember seeing Wizard
of Oz and being like, oh my gosh, if if
this girl on the screen can can be can do this,
(19:16):
so can I.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
So I dressed up like Dorothy constantly.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
Like yeah, people are like, oh, is that your daughter?
I'm like, well, kind.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Of which is I guess you know you could treat
it like a daughter.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
How do you.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
How do you balance social media? And like I'll talk
about like a bunch of voices coming at you, like
how do you navigate that with.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
With everything else? I mean, social media is a beast,
to be honest with you, And I think there's been
so much like because I was pre social media mm hm,
and so then watching it come in like during my
teenage years and kind of being like what is all
of this? I remember that time so vividly of like
(20:05):
what the And I think that was the first time
that it was like universal because then everyone had YouTube,
and I think now you can you deal with a
lot more of everyone around the world having a comment
on what it is that you're doing or saying, or
your videos and whatever. Which is the good with the bad?
It is because now you have this huge crossover that
(20:26):
you can be on that everyone is involved, which is great,
and then it means you get all the negative with
all of that too. And I think social media is
a very awesome and powerful tool, but I think there's
a lot of destruction that comes with it too, And
I think that's what people are trying to figure out nowadays,
and I think there's still work to be done on
(20:48):
figuring that out.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Yeah, I'm going to use that as a segue. It's
quite tenuous. There's actually, I love quite quite a lot
of buzz around cruel intentions on the interweb. Oh yeah,
it kicked off mostly based on the movie and it
not being a remake or a sequel, so people quite
(21:13):
know what to expect. Did you kind of steer away
from the movie or did you kind of really hone
in there to do your research?
Speaker 4 (21:21):
What did you? I think?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
What? So, for me, I played Beatrice on the show,
and what was really cool is she's not a character
that's in the original at all, and so for me,
I got to create this whole new this whole new person,
this whole new perspective to that kind of world in general.
And I think that was really quite like a challenge,
you know what I mean, because I think some of
(21:43):
these other characters, right is, they're written to be not
based but in that same vein right you still have
the stepsister step brother relationship, You still have the like
kind of ingenuity role coming into that. Like, I think,
you have a lot of these same dynamics, not the
same characters, and mine was something that's very different. And
(22:07):
I think that was really very exciting because I could
just create someone who navigates this world differently than anyone
else had in the original. So I pulled some of
the tone ideas and things like that from the movie.
I knew the movie. I remember when it came out,
so I remember that experience very well, so it wasn't
really hard to recall. I did watch it, I did
(22:30):
watch it again, and I did watch Dangerous Liaisons again
because I think it was just kind of seeing more
of the power struggle that you see in all of
these different segments of it. And I think we keep
a lot of the same power struggle, which I think
is very very fun, and I think that's what people
really love about it. But yeah, I mean from individual
(22:51):
characters and things like that, not a ton. I've kind
of pulled more from people I know in my own
life that I was like, I could see you being
a little bit that way, and I'll pull that you
and whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I love.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
I love doing that. I'm a people watcher, So for me,
I'm like, Okay, this role has a little bit of
you in it, and let's kind of channel that.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Yeah, Broke, you've just led me beautifully.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
With that a doubt, I think I know what to do.
If I don't lead you into the next time, I'll
be like.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Oh, my next question is literally, did you draw from
any real life inspiration, no experiences to shape his activism?
Oh my journalistic voice is so good.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Well, yeah, script, Brooke, I swear I didn't. I didn't know.
So I have. I have like two very good friends
that I feel like I kind of pulled aspects of
both of them into it. And one of them is
like one of my best friends that I've known since
I was probably ten or eleven years old. She doesn't
(23:55):
live here anymore, but she like she was in the
kind of sorority world and she kind of that and
then she left it. And I remember, I remember during
that time talking with her a lot, and I was like, A,
I definitely think that there's something to that, because I
feel like Beatrice, you know, tried to be a part
of that world and then was rejected from it, and
(24:16):
my friend wasn't rejected she left, But I think there's
something to that that I think I was able to
channel because I remember how she felt during that time,
and just even how like Beatrice lays out a room
was exactly like how this how this other friends. She
doesn't have a giant room closter in the back, but
she does have like a lot of the tapestry and
(24:37):
a lot more of that kind of deeper purples and
a more hippie like feel, and so like stepping into that.
Remember when I stepped into set like and saw the
bedroom set up and was able to like throw in
things that I felt fit it, And then saraen Phoebe
had such a vision for it, it just like melded
perfectly together that then at that point, Beatrice was just
(25:00):
find the play. Every single day. It was like, give
me more scenes where I can fight someone or I
can like challenge someone or I don't know, just do
crazy things. So so yeah, I definitely I definitely pulled
from people that I knew and then pulled from my
own experience of I never I never had this story
to Trinity life. I never. I never went through that.
I know a lot of people who did and really
(25:21):
loved it, but that wasn't ever something that I was
exposed to. So that was also a part of Beatrice
that really related to myself as well too.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I'm going to move us on now to a segment
called the story, and the story is kind of goes
to a negative place. Well not really because it's something
that ends positively, but basically we're looking for a story
brook where you felt like, oh why am I bothering?
Why am I bothering with it from somewhere in your career.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
I mean, I've got I've got the laundry list of them.
But like some that I remember early on is you know,
I was trying. I had a couple of first jobs
and things like that, and I remember I started doing
like princess parties, like children's princess parties, and I was like, great,
I can go and do this. I go for an hour,
(26:22):
I'll like sing a few songs that I already know.
I love Disney and I was like, this is easy.
It's going to be easy, little side job thing that
I'm going to do that can still give me acting
and blah blah blah blah, all that right, and work
with kids. I love working with kids. And I remember
one time someone called out sick last minute and this
company that I worked for whatever, they called me and
(26:43):
they're like, hey, you know, are you available? And I
was like sure, you know what princess or oh, what
thing is it that you need? And they were like, well,
it's actually our like our puppeteer is out. And I
was like I was like, I really, I don't know.
That's that's not something I've ever done. I just I
(27:06):
just don't think that I'll do it. And they're like,
we're really desperate. We'll send someone with you. You can
just go along with what they do and just figure
it out, figure it out. And I was like okay,
and they're like we'll pay you double. It's like cool, Okay,
you're gonna pay me double. At this point, I was
like whatever, I'll do it. I'll do it. And I
drive to this gorgeous mansion house. I'm like, okay, of
(27:29):
course it's for these people with like two hundred people
watching and kids. And I was like, oh my god,
what am I doing? And then I find out it's
for a one year old birthday party? Right?
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (27:42):
And I'm like I'm at this thing. This other person
hasn't shown up, and I'm like, what am I doing.
I have all the stuff, I have the I have
the show, I have it. Ever and the other person
hasn't shown up, and I'm like, oh no, what do
I do? And me and I end up calling my
sister because she's on the street and like she didn't
live far from there, and I was like, hey, this
(28:04):
person hasn't shown up. Can you please come help me
do this party?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
I feel?
Speaker 3 (28:09):
And she's like my four sister, my poor sister. Yeah,
and this is the same one who had to joke
me out mind you. She's Trooper. I love her. But
I was like, I'm desperate. I'm desperate. I really need help.
I don't know what I'm doing. I've never done this before.
And so we walk into this party and all these
adults or whatever they're like they basically hand us. There
are like one year old children, like twenty of them
(28:32):
who like but one half of them aren't really even
sitting up yet, and so they were like, Okay, put
on the puppet show, do whatever. Then all the parents
come to watch, and she's like helping babysit the one
year olds, and I'm over there trying to think of
any nursery rhymes. I know there's no script for this,
there's no ever I was handing twenty puppets and I remember,
(28:52):
I don't I think I remember one nursery rhyme and
that was it, and I was like, this is I remember.
I was telling them at the end. I was like,
I don't even think you can pay me for this.
This was the most ridiculous thing I've ever done in
my life. Just leaving that and I told the guy,
I was like, I'm sorry, I don't think I can
ever do anything like that again. And I remember me
and my sister were just like leaving that party, being like,
(29:12):
I don't even know how we got through that hour.
That was the most horrific thing I ever did it.
And I was like, I sure, hope I've never kept
doing this. The rest of my power to the people
that can do it, but I was like, this is
so I was the most mortifying moment of my life.
And I remember it was like, man if I was
an adult, and then watch these two young girls try
to put on this puppet show, like the words puppet
(29:34):
show I've ever seen. Yeah, so that was really not
like I wouldn't even say like a low moment, but
just so mortifying and so like, I'm really trying to
do this and I'm here doing a puppet show that
I've never done in my life, and I'm yeah, it's bad.
It was really bad. I'm sorry for anyone who ever
had to see that. But yeah, that was definitely a
(29:56):
moment of what am I doing?
Speaker 4 (29:58):
How many years ago was that?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Oh good, A good ten years ago?
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Now, oh, kids are eleven.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
We could do a focused group to see who is traumatized.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I don't know if I want to meet the eleven
year old. I'm like, I'm so sorry for your one
year old birthday party.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
That was terrible with your first memory, Well, there was
this puppet show.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
There was one.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
There was the two girls. We put on a puppet
show that was terrible. I mean probably probably, but yeah, boy,
that was that was something that was something.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
I hope they paid you.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
They did pay me, They did pay me. But I
remember telling the company too. I was like, I don't
think I can ever do that again. Please don't make
me do that. And I don't know, you know, they
might have left a review or something, who knows, and
I was like, that is probably not going to be
very good. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, guys, but I tried
to try my best. That was God, it's embarrassing just
(30:55):
to think about now, But you've got to go through
all of these you gotta go through all of these
things to kind of like regain your footing and be like,
you know what, Now that I've done that, I can
be mortified in front of whoever because I'm like, no problem.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Yeah you want to go mindt yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah, but I don't do any more puppet shows. No
one asked me to do a puppet show. I'm really bad.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Until now and.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Of it, Oh God, soft launch of your your new
puppeteering career, my puppeteering career. Yeah, keeping in mind the
terrible jobs you've had to have and then the ones
(31:46):
where you've really enjoyed it, and even career aside, like
life focus, what would your definition of making it be.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
For me, making it has always just been an actor
who works consistently and can make a living off of
acting and being a creative. I think it's changed for
me always over time, but like not necessarily just being
an actor working as a creative doing all sorts of
things in the industry. I would love to direct, I
would love to produce, I would love to do all
(32:20):
of that. But be able to work as a creative
and make a living for me has always been like,
that's making it. I don't need the fame, I don't
need the fortune of it. I don't need any of that.
I just want to feel fulfilled in being a creative
full time, and I think that has always been the
goal for sure. Now, of course, I have other small goals.
(32:40):
I want to be in a film with Joaquin Phoenix,
and I want to be a little I have all
of those, but an overall life goal with it, I
just want to be a working actor. I can make
a living off of it. I can live doing that
and doing what I love, and not many people get
to say that. So if I can do that, I
think that to me is I did it. I did
what I wanted to.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Do it because acting's just unforgiving, isn't it? To be
able to work consistently in acting is such a skill.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Set it is? It is mm HMMs definitely. And I
think also just putting yourself out on out on the
line all the time, and the amount of auditions you
do and rejection that you do and all of that,
Like actors have to go through so much on that
that I mean, you go on a thousand auditions and
you maybe maybe maybe get one or a call back
(33:29):
of a thousand times of people saying thank you's so
much by that's terrible, Oh my gosh, like most jobs.
Like my sister works in the music industry, and I
remember she had two interviews because she was trying to
change jobs and change placements. And she was like, oh
my gosh, I have two interviews and I'm so nervous
and I'm so whatever, and what if they were reject
And she was like, well, you have to go through
(33:51):
like a thousand interviews a year. And she's like, how
do you do it? And I was like, you have
to not think about the rejection. You have to always
go there's a chance, there's a chance, there's a chance,
and then just be like whatever reject Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I feel like you're also your passion for teaching is
telling in the love of it and the love of
the creativity, because I feel like a lot of people
are like, well, well no, I just I have to
do this in this one specific way, and then they
miss out on a lot of opportunity and are missing
(34:25):
kind of the heart of what they're doing it for.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
I agree, I agree, And I think you always have
to kind of like I think you have to constantly
remind yourself and come back to that, because otherwise you
do look at all of the superfluous reasons, I think,
and you have to come back to the heart of
it and at the heart of it, and like, that's
why I still I love teaching, or I love seeing
the students that I used to teach ten years ago,
(34:51):
because I've seen them spark that creativity, and that, to
me is what keeps drawing me back to whatever it is.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
If you had to sum up your career so far
in a kind of a chapter title, what would that be?
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Which route do I go? Do I go chaotic or
do I go insprucial. I feel like if I went Yeah,
I feel like if I went inspirational. It would be
keep on keeping on. That's what I've always said, Like
with my family, it's like you just keep on keeping on.
I was like, can't think about it, don't worry about it,
keep on keeping on. I feel like if I were
to go the chaotic energy of it, it would just
(35:40):
be like I hope you like me. Please don't laugh,
because I've had so many auditions where it's like I
feel like every once in a while I get the
awkward laugh from casting her, and I'm like, oh no,
not the awkward laugh please, Like we just don't laugh, please,
Where it's like, oh yeah, so that's my chaotic and
(36:04):
my Inspirationally, you get two and one.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
That's great, we'll take them. We'll take them both.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's a funny old business, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
It is? It is, it is, and everyone has I
feel like a different there's some similarities. I think everyone
goes through the bad and the good. They always just
want to see the good. But like I think everyone
has a different journey and a different route and at
different times in their life, and so I think that's
what's so interesting about it. A lot of other jobs,
it's like Okay, you go through this program, and then
(36:32):
once you get out of that program, you immediately go
into this job whenever. And there's a little bit more
of that regimented timeline and acting is it yeah, yeah, yeah,
And acting is like seventeen ladders cross over each other
and you're like, which one do you choose the dad.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Staircase.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Yes, that's exactly what I feel like. Acting is like
like good luck, good luck trying to jump the staircases.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Like I'm like lost in the Chamber of Secrets right now.
I don't I'm not even.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Just going back to your casting directors as well, like
how rude is that when like, like you just sat
there and all you're trying to do is find somebody
who matches this character. It's not like.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
It's well and I and I think, to be honest
with you, I don't think they're trying to be rude.
I think they're trying to be like thank you that
thank you, and it's like I just know it because
I feel uncomfortable because I'm like, oh man, what I
did is probably not right, and I'm like, okay, I
(37:39):
got it, thank you, thank you so much. I mean,
every every actor has gone through that. I had to
play a dinosaur in an audition, and I remembered them
just like sitting on the couch being like, what the
hell did you just do?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
And I'm like, were you posing again, Brooke?
Speaker 3 (37:55):
It was a puppeting moment. It was a puppeting moment
for sure. And so it's yeah, they've got a they've
got to watch the range of it too. At least
they're not being like that was terrible leave, so I'm like, hey,
i'll take it. I'll take it. At least they're saying
thank you, smiling and a little awkward laugh. There you go.
That's the first I get. Then I guess it's fine.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well, speaking of saying thank you, okay.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
So sorry, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Listen, we have so many awkward moments on this podcast
where there's no segue that I'm going to take every
single one that opportunity that you can. Yes, and my
editing job will be so much smoother at this, but
we'll say we'll say thank you here. This has been
so much fun.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Yeah, Yes, I've just found Oh my.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Gosh, mine is somewhere. It's somewhere. I don't know where
it is, but I love that. I love it. Oh,
look at that old thing.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
There it is anyway, Well, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
This has been awesome. Love cruel intentions. I've really been
enjoying it. And uh and yeah, thank you for being
like a very inspirational guest.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Thank you, thank you for having me you guys, I
really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
How to Make It is recorded from a closet in
New Jersey and a basement in Leeds, United Kingdom. It's
produced by Emily Capello and Haley Mura Lei Darren. For
more adventures with Emily and Haley, follow us on Instagram
at how to Make It Podcast, where you'll find clips
from today's episode, many episode clips.
Speaker 4 (39:49):
And more random nonsense.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Like and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever other fine podcasts abound
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