We recently connected with Brian Drolet and have shared our conversation below.
Brian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
From a very young age I knew art was my passion and love. I was in specialized art programs from as early as 5 years old I was obsessed with drawing and painting and animation. But when I was about 11 years old my mother was diagnosed with a disease called scleroderma which gives you 3-5 years to live. So there was a sadness and dark cloud over my family. When I was about 14 the movie Ace Ventura Pet Detective came out and I remember it being the biggest release and causing so much laughter in the house. I started impersonating Jim Carrey and became obsessed with comedy and the healing it caused especially at that time. I said to myself “this is what I want to do with my life.” From there on I knew I wanted to make comedy movies and be in the entertainment business and make people laugh for a living.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I majored in Electronic Intermedia which was art plus computers in college. After I graduated from the University Of Florida I got into the modeling industry and as embarrassing as I felt doing that I thought it could be my in to the film and tv business. I moved back up to NY and while going to acting school and struggling to book many modeling gigs I decided to make a tape of myself doing impressions and silly characters one day. I walked around Manhattan to several talent agencies and told them I was an actor and here is a tape of me. Most places rolled their eyes or laughed at me. But one lady at an agency actually watched the tape and liked me. She called me up and said she set up an audition for me at MTV, I was ecstatic. I met with MTV and they called me back to audition for a prank show of theirs called Damaged Control. I booked the audition and that’s how I started working in the industry. I did MTVs The Hills next and then serval more films. After acting in several projects the art major in me decided to take a stab at writing my own movie. I fell in love with writing and produced my first indie comedy called 2 Dudes & A Dream which is available on Amazon. To celebrate I got my first tattoo and it was a nod back to Ace Ventura I got “Alrighty Then” on my arm. I made another comedy called Dumbbells and a version of that Dumbbells Special Edition is currently available on Amazon and YouTube. I also wrote, directed and starred in the indie comedy Be Like Trees which we shot using just an iPhone with no budget, no crew, just some artists who wanted to see what could be accomplished using just an iPhone and some mics and I’m so proud of that movie it’s all about the artist plight. It’s currently also in YouTube. I’m still writing and making projects but I’ve also in the last 8 years become passionate about stand up comedy and have been performing quite a bit. I love the creative challenge that stand up presents and it’s always so satisfying when you make a crowd laugh.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I’d say that maybe non-creatives sometimes don’t realize that individuals pursuing the creative arts, that it isn’t even really a choice but it’s more like breathing. Art has been my therapy and my savior if you will since childhood. It’s in my DNA. My mother taught painting classes out of the house when I was a kid. So I’d say that if you don’t understand why your child or friend is always doing their creative endeavors and “why won’t they get a real job” or something like that, it’s because their art is a way of life for them and how they are wired.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I started in the industry I had beginners luck I was booking acting jobs, supporting myself, and doing really well. But after changes in the industry and making some of my own mistakes, work dried up and opportunities disappeared. I had to start delivering pizza, waiting tables, drive for Uber, you name it. But I kept creating art the whole time. I eventually became very good at editing and started getting work as a video editor which only helped my own filmmaking. My struggle made me stronger as an artist and forced me to dig deeper within myself. So if life throws you a bunch of curveballs and you find yourself struggling to keep your head above water just do what you have to do and create your art regardless. Always be doing something that improves your artistic ability. Eventually waters will calm and you’ll find yourself swimming again but you’ll be even stronger and better and what you love doing afterwards.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brian-drolet.com
- Instagram: @briandrolet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.drolet?mibextid=dGKdO6
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-drolet-55a79b6b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: @briandrolet
- Youtube: YouTube.com/biggdro
- Other: Tik Tok: @briandrolet