Since I can easily be described as having an eye for detail, and most know of my penchant for going out of my way to recognize the supporting cast members, my discovery and subsequent interview of Bethany Brown was a true joy and delight. Due to my hectic schedule, this was one time in which I had to entreat her patience as I found the time to genuinely devote the attention of which this post was deserving and the resources that were required. And the time has finally come to shine a light on this fascinating, insightful, energetic woman who was professionally described to me by one of her peers in this fashion: “One of the best attitudes of anyone I’ve met in the industry. She’s such a hard worker and a pleasure to work with.” {Giles Panton}
Photo by Dylan Maher
RH: Bethany, it is so good to get to talk with you today.
BB: You caught me at a good time–in between gigs.
Now you’re up in Vancouver now, right?
Yes, now is a great time to be in Vancouver. It’s become quite a hub. There are lots of film and TV shows being produced here at the same time. It’s increased a lot this year and last year. A lot of my friends who spend part of their time in LA, part of their time in Toronto, and part of their time here in Vancouver and even part of their time in New York are staying put for a little bit because they’re able to get more gigs here in Vancouver than they have in years past.
Bethany, what’s your story about how you became an actress?
My story has a few different monumental moments along the way. I was a musician and got into musical theater at a pretty young age. But I always thought of myself as a musician first. After I played that out and went to the university to get a “real job” instead of just being a musician, I took some fine and performing arts courses. And then I ended up playing soccer at my university, and that is how I got cast in a soccer commercial. I was on the beach, playing soccer with some friends, and I got cast. I think that was kind of the turning point where I realized that maybe acting could be a thing. It was something I really enjoyed, and they sent me out to Toronto on that one. They had a driver pick me up. He was really great. He drove me around Toronto, and we got to see the sunset. And I was like, “This is where it’s at.” Then they put me up in a fantastic hotel. There were hot tubs there, and I thought that was acting right there, and I was pretty hooked.
But then I found that it was more than just hot tubs, hotels, fancy cars, and glamor. I found that I loved the training. I loved learning how to do it and having the opportunity to play in a super challenging scene. And that’s why I stuck around.
I relate to the music part for sure. That was where my training was since I was a music teacher. And there are a lot of similarities between music and acting, and some of it transfers over. Yes, there are some differences, but you have those performance skills already there.
Yeah, I think it’s the performance skills and the ensemble skills. You know, the listening. I’ll listen to someone else speak my lead line, and then I speak my line. I let the way they spoke the line color the way I speak mine.
There was also a lot of similarity for me between the obsessive level of training in terms of being an athlete and being a musician, and even sports. You would drill certain sections that you found challenging. And it’s the same way when I’m an actor. When I’m doing a role, I need to have the texture of understanding. Sure, I need to know my lines, but you need to ask yourself questions. Who is this person? How do they say this line? And how do they walk through the world? How do people feel when they are in close proximity to this person? And as an actor, you have to allow that to really shape the energy of what’s driving you underneath. And then on top of that, that may be the lyric of how I describe how I feel. But you already have the feeling off the top. So I found that correlation really cool between music, acting, and sports.
I’ve talked to several actors who started out in sports. Oftentimes, they are going to be a professional sports person, and then an injury ends that dream. And so they find acting.
Yes, that was the other thing. I got a major injury, and so that ended my sports career. And so I had so much extra energy to launch into acting as well. I also think an injury helps you look at yourself and redefine yourself and understand yourself. “Who am I now that I’m injured or on crutches or some level of disability?” While previously I judged myself based on my abilities, it’s really a cool way to have to look at yourself. You’re challenged in a way that’s really good for you.
After your commercial work, what was your first TV/movie role?
My first TV work was a really, really small part on The L Word. But it was recurring for about a year and a half. I got a lot of set exposure and learned about set responsibility. I felt really blessed about that, and I’m forever grateful for all those women around me who were so supportive of me even though I was absolutely green.
from Year of the Carnivore
My first movie was called The Year of the Carnivore. We went off to the Toronto International Film Festival for that one. That was really cool to have my first movie go in that direction. I was playing an indie rock star, so I felt heavily prepared for that role ’cause I had been on tour with my band. My experiences transferred really easily over into that film, and I had a lot of fun doing that. Sook-Yin Lee was the writer and director of the movie, and she was previously a Canadian icon. She was well-known DJ; she was political and had a great social understanding.
You’ve had some incredible credits, but I think the way I found you was through Hallmark. I think your first Hallmark credit was Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
Yeah, I loved that.
In fact, that was back when it was a TV series as opposed to a movie series. I watched the show from the very beginning. You were on the fourth episode.
Yes, that’s right. When they were trying to find out about the painting and the artist who painted it, I was the one who was helping them. I told them who painted the painting and a little about him.
Yes, I remember you now.
In being as honest as possible, as a working actor, a job is a job. If you look on my IMDB page, you’ll see thirty or forty credits listed, and that does not include my non-union work. I’m currently doing animated series, and I work on that regularly, and I’ll just do a one-day thing on something else and not think too heavily about the context of it. Often when people ask me when this or that is coming out, I truly don’t know. And it’s a surprise for me when it comes out here and I find out that way. Usually, my mom finds out first. {laughs}
I realize that was a small role in Signed, Sealed, Delivered. How did you get that role?
You know, for me as an actor, I think that role was a bit of a turning point. Up till that point, auditions for me had been a little scary. You’re nervous you’re going to forget all your lines. You’ve done all this prep. With this one, I was going off to Nicaragua to do a surfing yoga retreat. My agent called, and I was like, “I can quickly pop into that, but I don’t know. I’m going to be back in approximately ten days.” And my agent was like, “No problem. Just pop in.” I didn’t have a lot of time to prep, and it was a director-producer session, I think. The role was written for, I believe, a sixty-seven-year-old white man, Mr. Goodall. Now, you’ve seen my picture. I am a small, black woman. so when I read the breakdown, I asked my agent, “Don, are you sure they want Bethany Brown for Mr. Goodall?”
So I went into the room, and Hallmark is great because oftentimes I don’t have to do the first audition. I’ll just go right to the director-producer session. So I went in and specifically spoke the content. I didn’t try to play a character or overly age myself. I can’t be sixty-seven, and I can’t be a white man. So I played it really truthful and honest, and I went off to Nicaragua. I got the message when I was in Nicaragua that I got the role. I didn’t have to cut my trip short–which as an actor is always amazing because sometimes you have to. So I got back and went straight to set the next day. I was so relaxed when coming back from Nicaragua, and that is what the other actors were talking about on set. They said I was so grounded and so relaxed, and I talked about my trip to Nicaragua. And I had a blast shooting and hanging out with the cast and crew. They are so warm. That was one of the warmest sets I’d ever been on. I knew a couple of the actors on set as well. I had trained with them before or worked with them before, and that’s always an easier place to be, especially when you’re only a day player and you’re only going to be there for the day or a few hours. It’s nice to know some people and already have that trust. Geoff {Gustafson} was one of those people I already knew, and he is great. And Eric {Mabius}, Kristin {Booth}, and Crystal {Lowe} were all so wonderful too.
Legends of Chima
I’m so glad I asked you about that role. You just gave us a lot of insight into who you are. So thank you for sharing, Bethany. {pause} Now, as I look at your credits, I notice something you’re known for, but I’m not familiar with. The Legends of Chima. It looks like you did a lot on that one. In fact, I think you played more than one character.
Yes, I was four of the characters, and of those, two were lead characters. I played Eris, the lead female character. I can compare her to another well-known female lead. She’s kind of like Hermione Granger in Harry Potter. She’s smart, and she’s keen on being involved in adventure. She often helps in getting her friends out of trouble as opposed to getting them into trouble. She was a really loved character by everyone, and the fans are pretty disappointed right now ’cause they’re figuring out that the show got canceled, even though I’ve known for quite some time. The show went on for three years, and it was an amazing experience.
I also played the lead female arch nemesis. Her name is Crooler. She and Eris had scenes together where they would be fighting each other and delivering dialogue, and it’s only them two. So that was my very first time playing all the characters in a scene and delivering the dialogue back and forth. That was phenomenally challenging, but again, I would say a turning point or a stepping stone in my career. I had to let the dialogue be colored by what the other person said, and obviously, I know what the other person said because I am the other person. You realize how dynamic it is to have a back-to-back conversation.
I also got to play my first little boy. His name is Ronald. He’s a vegetarian wolf, and he was hilarious. He was probably one of the funniest characters I’d ever played.
And I got to play Windra, who’s another wolf, but she’s not funny. She’s more battle-oriented.
I have talked to many voice actors, but I don’t think I’ve talked to anyone who played both the hero and the nemesis. I can see how it would be challenging, but also a lot of fun. And I can imagine it was definitely a growing experience. I always think very highly of anyone who does voice work. I know sometimes people think it’s easy, but I tend to think it’s harder than people might think.
It is easy, but not easy in the way people think it’s easy. It’s easy ’cause you don’t have to worry about what your face looks like. You can make really ugly faces and do gruesome things with your body. Sometimes you put yourself into weird positions to come up with certain voices. If someone is playing a role like a creature or something like that, the person will often look like that character in the booth in the studio. You try to squeeze certain muscles so the voice comes from a certain place. I think that’s why it’s fun and easy, but I also think it’s ridiculously challenging for some people who are nervous to look weird ’cause you will look weird. That’s the inevitability of voice work.
In terms of playing a hero and an arch nemesis, the one thing I learned is that everybody believes they are right. Everybody comes from a very honest place and believes in what they are doing and why they are doing it. I was always the first person to say, “I’m not evil. I’m just misunderstood.’ And I do believe that to this day, which is why I can’t call her the “evil” character because she’s not evil. She did things that others wouldn’t have necessarily done, but in terms of her life, it made her life better. And isn’t that what we’re all striving to do? Get to a place where our lives are easier to live and more fulfilling to live.
I hear that from actors regularly. I didn’t used to understand the concept of characters not being evil but misunderstood. But the more actors I talk to, the more I understand the mindset behind that. You’re never playing a bad character. You can’t judge the character. You realize they are misunderstood.
Misunderstood, yeah. And they are really honest in what they want, even though they might be saying something dishonestly on top of it. That’s how they are getting what they want.
from Supernatural
I noticed you also did a couple of episodes of Supernatural.
Yes, my character, Simmons, was on for two episodes. She was also misunderstood. {laughs} I will echo everybody else who says that it is an awesome, very warm set. The lead guys are hilarious! They’re always up for a joke. I was there right around Christmas, and they were giving gifts to everyone, and the gifts were phenomenal! It felt like a Christmas party every day that I was on set. For a day player to come in and have a Christmas party–that’s pretty rad.
One day–well, you know how I have an Afro. I came in and everybody was wearing Afros. And this was my very first day on set, and I was like, “Wow! That’s a really warm welcome.” But they were so worried about it when they saw me. One person, in particular, came up to me and said, “Oh my goodness, this is so offensive.” So she went back and told Jensen {Ackles}, and he came in and started apologizing to me in the sweetest way possible, saying, “It’s Afro day on set. We didn’t mean to offend anyone or anything like that.” So I played it up. “Yeah, it’s ridiculously offensive, and I was about to yell at someone.” And if anybody knows me, I’m always full of smiles and pretty goofy. So I was smiling my head off while I said that to him. And he was like, “Oh goodness!” And right away we started bantering, and it was such a blast. We were giving it to each other and joking around. And I was like, “What a fun set!” And that’s how it went throughout the whole shooting.
It’s a set where an actor really gets to do some intense stuff. You might get the opportunity to die or kill somebody or to be possessed and all these things that in your natural, normal life, you don’t have a lot of preparation for. You get to use your imagination a lot. That can be a challenging place for certain people or newer actors, but they make you feel so welcome and at ease. They’re like, ‘Yeah, let’s try this. Let’s do something a little bit different and have a lot of fun with it.” And I think that’s why people have such a fun time on set. It’s a very supportive atmosphere.
That is just wonderful to hear! I know everybody says basically the same thing about how great the set is, but that was a great story you shared. I’m glad you shared it. {pause} I’m not sure how small your role was on Van Helsing, but I noticed you appeared on an episode.
from Van Helsing
Yeah, it was a really small role. I was only on set a half of a day. So there’s not much to say, but I have worked with several of the people on the show before on other projects. On the show, I played Rukiya Bernard’s sister. And that was my first exposure to a military role, and so I started training for the role. I like a visual understanding, and so I trained in a military style to get ready for the role. And then I booked my next job on Rogue as a police officer. So even though the role on Van Helsing was small, it was a catalyst to help me get my next bigger role.
When I was preparing for this military role, I would get up at four in the morning to run so I could see what that might feel like. Not everybody in the military enjoys getting up at four in the morning to train. And I wanted to know what it would feel like if I did enjoy it. So I actually did it for a duration of time, and after a while, I really liked it. It was quiet, and I was alone out there, and I knew what I was training for. I knew I was going to be better in my role as a result of doing this.
I know there are many approaches to acting, but it sounds like you are one who really tries to identify with your character and experience what your character would actually experience. You sound like you really want to get yourself fully immersed in the character in as many aspects as you can.
Yes, that is exactly right. I know that some people do what’s called method acting, but I have not studied method acting as of yet. So I have come up with my own way of experientially learning what that character is going through and how they live their life so that when I’m on set, I won’t have to think about how they would do this or that. If I was a military person–I have literally been running at four in the morning, so I’m going to walk a certain way ’cause my muscles hurt.
I did the same thing when I had that role in Rogue as I prepared to play the detective. The character is much more physically strong than I am, so every day in my trailer before I’d go to set, I was working out. I’d get to set an hour early and do my workouts in my trailer. So when I was walking as this character, there was a certain way I’d walk since I’d been training already that morning. So my character was always ready to physically take on whatever she needed to. Then I also did gun skill training at the gun range so I could feel what it feels like to hold a Beretta and to feel what it feels like when it kicks back. To know what it feels like to make a lethal shot, and not always just a lethal shot, but a lethal grouping of shots. So I got to work with moving targets on somebody else’s command.
I was doing a lot of training so I could get my central nervous system to kick into gear. The complexity of this is I’m not a gun person; I’m incredibly Canadian in that way. I want to bring more peace to the planet, and I don’t know if peace comes through guns. And what I learned during gun skill training is that I’m a very good shot. So it was awkward to know that you could kill somebody, but not really want to. And that’s how you build layers to your character. You put yourself in that position so you can feel what it feels like.
It is fascinating to me to hear how actors get into character, and I know that there is not one right way. Everyone has to find what works for them. Based on the fact that you are a working actor who continues to get roles, I would say that what you’ve found, works for you, and it’s coming across in the audition room.
With me, I approach each role from a place of truth–how would I act/react in this situation? For example, in your real life, if you have to tell someone that the truth is that you don’t want to be in a relationship with them, is that an easy truth to tell someone after a year or two years? No! That’s a horrendous truth. And that’s what I want to do in my acting–tell the truth regardless of how much it hurts.
I also wanted to mention that I saw you recently in a Lifetime movie that actually came out last year–My Husband is Missing.
Oh, yeah, totally! I love that film! I want to see that. I haven’t seen it yet.
I think it initially watched the film because I knew people like Johannah Newmarch and David Lewis.
Yes, David Lewis, I got to work with him again later on.
So I noticed you in the film, and then I realized you were in Finding Father Christmas which was a big Hallmark Christmas film.
Yes, Erin Krakow is in that film, and she is so lovely.
With My Husband is Missing, you had a pretty good role in that one.
It had even more twists and turns than I thought it would. And even when I went back to do some ADR, I was like, “Oh, that’s what it looks like?” Because even reading the script, I didn’t get that image from it. And that’s why I’m really excited to see it!
Well, this one was an outstanding Lifetime movie, and it is certainly not forgettable. Exceptional acting from everyone.
I think what is interesting is to go on to a set–you know how it is when you go onto a field where you’re going to be playing a sport, and you can feel a standard–that’s how it was on this set. There was a certain expectation there that everyone on set had of each other, and part of that is that the people naturally react to something you’ve done. That’s kind of the gift of acting and playing off all the reactions. Sometimes it literally surprises you, and you do react. And that is some of the fun I had on this set. My job is to try to surprise you with how I’m saying my line so that I’ll get an honest reaction from you. And so I might need to say the line a little differently. The lead and I had such a fun time with that. Sometimes I was able to ad lib a little bit and have certain rises at the end of scenes. We had such a playful relationship.
Well, it came across very well. Sometimes Lifetime films are just average, but this one, what you’re mentioning, came across very well. Everyone had that certain standard they were reaching for and they worked together to attain that standard. {pause} I know your recent big thing was Rogue. I have not had the opportunity to watch this series. What can you tell us about your role and involvement in season four?
I play Detective Bethany Doyle. I am in every episode except one.
Is there any story about how you got this role?
Yeah, totally. The original breakdown for the role–the character’s name was Mailoo which to me doesn’t sound black. I would love to play every role on the planet, but a sixty-seven-year-old white man I think is out of my range. And then at this juncture, I have not played any Asian characters, which I think would be challenging to do. I love diversity, and I love a challenge. So when I read the breakdown, I decided to set that aside and go back to the truth of the scene.
When I was first starting out in my career, my whole premise was to get the lines out and not mess them up. I was so nervous. I wasn’t going through the analysis of the script or the character. It was all about getting the lines out without passing out. So I had to struggle through my nerves in the beginning.
When I went in for Rogue, as an actor, I’d had lots and lots of training, opportunities, and experiences. I went in with the mentality that there was nothing fantastical or unbelievable in anything I did as this character. Everything from the way you walk to the way you think about what you’re gonna say and how you’re going to come up with the next thing you’re going to say and how and why you’re going to say it. I like to travel, so when I went into the audition, I had just gotten back from Spain. I had jet lag, so when I went in, I was really ready with the character, the emotions, and the energy of the scene, but for some reason when I got into the room, my mind kept blanking on the lines. And this was the worst because my whole career, I had never struggled with memorizing lines. This hadn’t been an issue for years, and now that I was in this audition, I was dropping lines. and I was frustrated. I left that room, and I called my agent and apologized and said I hadn’t had this experience in a while and I said how I had dropped a whole bunch of lines. Professionally, that’s not how I am, and I wanted my agent to know. My agent understood about my jet lag and told me it was fine. But it wasn’t okay. I was pretty disappointed and was kicking myself a bit. It was not too much to ask to be ready for this audition.
from Rogue with her partner, Meaghan Rath
Lo and behold, I got a callback. I was in with the director and producer, and the first thing was I was not going to drop my lines. But the casting director had also given me an interesting piece of information about scenes that were to come in the show. So then I had new information about who this character might be. So I understood her underlying motivation as a result, and it gave me new insight into who she was. So in the callback, I was willing to make some mistakes and though frustrated, be okay with it. My character was trying very hard to be good at what she does.
So the show creator, Matthew Parkhill, called me aside after the callback audition. I was pulling my hair out of my ponytail and revealing my Afro, and he told me that it was a really good audition. He had made some jokes in the callback about “we should have shot that take” or “we should have printed that.” And they gave me the opportunity to do it again, and I love that because I love to offer options. I was polite and thanked him, but there’s lots of times when people commend your capacity as an actor, but you’re not right for the role. There’s no guarantee that you’ll book anything. So I left there just being thankful that I had the opportunity to act, but in no way did I think I had booked it.
When I got the booking notice, I was over the moon excited. So I did the camera testing with my detective partner which was cool ’cause I got to meet her beforehand. We were put into lots of different outfits to find out what was gonna fit. Who was this character for real? It was interesting. I would put certain outfits on, and I would know it wasn’t right. I dress very colorfully and flamboyantly, but this character isn’t like that. She is very utility, and so if the outfit had too many things going on, it would get in the way of her job, and that’s not the point. I was so into the character that I knew what she did and didn’t like in terms of clothing and why.
That night, I got invited out to a party with the network and the show creator, and he proposed a name change to Bethany Doyle. He said some of the most fantastic and nicest things I’ve ever heard in terms of my knowledge of the character and affirming some of the things I was feeling. This was such a huge game changer for me as an actor and as a character.
Rogue
That is amazing again that they changed the part because of what they saw in you. They may have had an idea of what they wanted, and when they liked what you brought to the character, they decided to change the role.
You know, I’m gonna pull it away from myself because I don’t think it’s just because of me. I think that opportunity exists everywhere. What they are trying to do is cast human beings in a movie or show where a character has to go from point A to point B and so on. There’s a number of ways you can get there, and there’s a number of ways you can feel about getting there. I think maybe people feel inspired when you are willing to take chances on how you get there. For me, personally, it’s a little boring to be able to see exactly how someone is going to get from point A to point B. Sometimes you have to be more predictable ’cause then the twists and turns are going to be more exciting. The director knows that, and he can reign you in or let you be freer. So you need to be directable and respect the director ’cause they have the bigger picture in mind and you have a capacity to do what they need you to do. I don’t think they saw me and decided to change the entire character because of something they saw in me. I think what they saw was a real human being taking chances and being willing to make mistakes. Being willing to listen to what they are saying and understand the direction they are going. They saw me trying my best to play this role while still honoring the truth the best I can.
I think you put that very well–much better than I could. Now, I know that season four has actually ended, but of course, you can still stream Rogue. What can you tell us about your role?
First of all, it’s not very Hallmark.
That is what I expected, and that is perfectly fine.
As long as you’re fine with it. There’s going to possibly be language and challenging content in it. In fact, challenging content that I had to grapple with ’cause I hadn’t thought a lot about some of these issues. But for me, I walked onto that set, and there was a standard there. We shoot at a good pace. When shooting film, it can feel like you’re shooting thirty seconds for a whole day. Whereas with this, we might shoot through six pages or more and pull it all together in one scene in a day. For me, you get this cascading level of emotion that drives right through to the end of that scene. As a musician, you know phrasing. If I take four bars of a musical phrase and said, “Let’s record those four bars today, then we’re going to come back tomorrow and record the next four bars. And then come back the next day and do four more bars.” You’re continually being disjointed and trying to remember back to yesterday’s recording. Whereas the way we shot this, we’re doing the sixteen-bar phrase today, and that will determine how we shoot the next phrase. Continuity is much easier that way.
As far as content, most Hallmark fans are very eclectic in their viewing habits. We’ll watch the romantic, lighter stuff on Hallmark that just makes us feel happy, but then we want to have challenging, darker, more realistic content as well.
That’s just beautiful. As an actor, I feel absolutely blessed to have the opportunity to do Hallmark movies and then have the opportunity to be in something like Rogue or something like Supernatural. Something like Van Helsing, even if it’s a small part. And then to get to do some animation where I have to try my best not to laugh. You know kids love animated voices and these hyperdramatic scenes that are just so much fun to do. And why? Because I think as human beings we have the great capacity to be happy, sad, mad, etc., and we want to have the opportunity to experience those things in a safe way. That’s what happens when we watch TV and film. I enjoy watching all that stuff too.
By the way, Rogue spoiler: do I live or do I die?!?!? Watch till Ep.10 😳
Any other upcoming works you can mention?
Niall Mater stopped by my trailer to introduce himself – he is SUPER sweet, funny, and totally good-looking in real life.
When it comes to interviews, I appreciate thoroughness, professionalism, and even unconventional stories. But more than anything else, authenticity is key, and in Bethany’s case, she exudes that quality in spades. Her sense of humor is impeccable, her adoration of the arts is unquestioned, and her dedication to self-improvement is colossal. Bethany is one of those people who has cultivated her own signature style in the acting world as she has cobbled together skills, ideas, and techniques from various sources. Indeed, I am overwhelmed by the lengths to which she pushes herself to prepare for her roles, and I am convinced it is her tireless efforts that have caused her talents to be in such high demand from a variety of networks. Perhaps she is not a household name, but fame and fortune are fleeting. She has never pursued her dreams with a look to being a celebrity. Her humility has kept her grounded in her work and life, and for her, each day is a new adventure in this career that could only be described as fantasy come-to-life. I truly hope that one day Bethany sits down and pens her memoirs or maybe even turns her life experiences into a screenplay. There is no doubt that she is quick-witted and perceptive in every aspect of her life, and as her career continues its upward spiral, I believe her adaptability and commitment will become practically legendary! I would ask that everyone check out Bethany’s links below and consider following this beautifully gifted woman who has shattered every stereotypical role she has been given and proven that she is an artist who has a positive and integral message to share through her myriad of skills. Additionally, be sure to check out her Hallmark works (and others, of course), and let’s all anticipate seeing her this Christmas in Engaging Father Christmas, as we know she will again give a stellar performance as she embodies yet another memorable character.
FOLLOW BETHANY
