We were lucky to catch up with Blaise Brooks recently and have shared our conversation below.

Blaise, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

My name is Blaise Brooks and since I was four years old, I wanted to be an actress. I performed in every school play, I performed in plays around the city, which is Kansas City, Missouri, and I created my own talent shows in my basement. All I have ever wanted to do was to perform.

When I was applying for colleges, I told my family that I wanted to major in Theater Arts, and even though they watched television every day and went to movie theaters, they told me that I had to major in a real major that made money, because being an actor is a dream, and would be too hard to achieve.

I went to college and majored in Accounting, but I found my way to the theater department and I was in every play that the University had. Your gift will make a way for you to use it.

While growing up, people would always say, you should have your own TV show, or you need to be on a sitcom, and I knew they were right. It was my hearts desire to be on television or in a movie.

In 2004, I gave up my great paying accounting job, the security of my family being around me daily, and I packed up my car and I drove to L.A. with my two year old daughter.

I had $3000.00, which went very far in Missouri, but was used very quickly in L.A.

The only thing I knew was that the major actors were in the Screen Actors Guild, so my first plan was to secure my SAG card. So I worked background for awhile trying to earn three SAG vouchers, but that wasn’t happening easy. I was submitting for projects on different acting sites, and not getting much to audition for.

In January of 2005, There was a movie shooting and background casting called to ask if I would work five days, and she would give me five SAG vouchers, and I of course said yes. March of that same year, I book a SAG national commercial which paid the more than $3,000.00 for my SAG and AFTRA dues.

I went through several managers, and agents that really were not getting me out, so I was not auditioning or working, so I asked a producer what he thought about me doing a comedy film, and he told me that it was not a good idea, because the industry is saturated with comedy films.

In hearing that, I called three time Emmy award winning producer Thomas Gibson to help give me guidance on my vision of a comedy film. Thomas was completely on board once he knew that I would add skits along with my standup comedy. I grew up watching sketch comedy with my Mother, like the Jack Benny Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Flip Wilson Show, etc., and although these shows were in reruns, and before my time, but they were amazing to me. My mother had good taste in movies and film. My mother helped me drive from Missouri to Los Angeles because she believed in my dream and in me, so she did not hesitate to help me get started on my entertainment journey.

At the time that I decided to do Clean Comedy on Dirty Sunset, I was contracting work, and I couldn’t afford much. I went to Starbucks every morning, and every night to write the film, and to promote the film, because they would let me stay there as long as needed to, and their wifi was free.

I went to a church that had many amazing actors, and when I cast my film, I asked them to help me, and they all said yes. We created Clean Comedy on Dirty Sunset. I named the film that title because I was performing at the comedy clubs on Sunset Blvd, and my set would be clean, amongst all of the comedians that were not doing clean comedy. I sometimes felt like and outcast, but my comedy was always well received, so I had confidence that it was my niche.

I worked very hard on Clean Comedy on Dirty Sunset, and I even got a worldwide DVD distribution deal. I was very proud of myself, and the cast and crew that brought the film to life.

Today, Clean Comedy on Dirty Sunset is streaming on Prime and Youtube, and I hope people watch it, because there was a lot of sacrifice in getting the film made, and the cast and crew volunteered their time and took a risk on me. Also, it is very funny, and the comedy is timeless.

When I look back at leaving everyone that I know and loved, everything that was familiar and comfortable, to come to Los Angeles to pursue an entertainment career, I am still amazed that I stayed, when thinking about some of the hardships that I had to endure, such as lack of money, trying to keep a roof over mine and my daughters heads, keeping a running car, only working in the industry sporatically, etc., it was definitely enough for someone to say this is enough, and go back to where the comfort is.

But I didn’t give up, and I will never give up, because entertaining people is what gives me joy, and my comedy brings people joy.

I don’t recommend people to take a risk if it will bring them suffering that they cannot bear, but if it is really what a person wants to do, they will find a way, and they will be able to endure, and in turn, they will succeed.

If I had not taken the risk of coming to Los Angeles to pursue my entertainment career, I would be someone who would always be thinking about “What If I Had Tried”, and I didn’t want that to be the question living rent free in my mind.

Am I where I want to be in the entertainment industry? No, I am not. I am not even close, but what I am is satisfied that my efforts have not been in vain, and my progress although slower than I would like it to be, is still progress, and I applaud myself for being diligent and not giving up when times were hard.

There are a couple of quotes about risks, that I agree with. One says, “The biggest risk is not taking any risks.” The second quote says, “You can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks.”

Belief in self, belief in the dreams and goals that you have, will push out the voices that say, “don’t take a risk.”

I will continue to take risks, and I beleive wholeheartedly that my dreams will come true.

Blaise, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Blaise Brooks. I am originally from Kansas City, Missouri. I went to college at Grambling State University in Louisiana. It is a HBCU (Historically Black College and University).

I have performed in some way all of my life, from school plays, community theater, drillteam competitions, college theater. I have performed standup comedy in arena’s opening up for a variety of artists, and I perform standup comedy at conferences, I have created and performed on radio promotions, and I have done standup comedy at the comedy clubs all around Los Angeles.

A huge thank you to Caia Coley and Michael Feifer for giving me the opportubity to have appeared in three Lifetime Movies. I have appeared on shows like Mad TV, worked on Producer Lynn Newton’s film titled Enipheres, which has won more than 50 awards at film festivals. I was fortunate to shoot a movie titled Roses on the Vine during the writer’s and actor’s strike, as well as many other television and film projects, which can be looked up on IMDB. Currently, I am working on a Fantasikole Entertainment production titled Dog Belly, where my character speaks Korean.

One of my greatest accomplishments was writing, producing, casting, directing, and performing in my own Comedy film titled Clean Comedy on Dirty Sunset, which is now streaming on Prime, and YouTube. The joy of creating my own body of work has been so fulfilling.

I grew up watching Black and White movies, and television shows with my Mother, and that is how I fell in love with entertainment. I took acting classes and performed in plays in college. When I came home from college, I took acting classes, even though Missouri does not have much to act in. When I arrived in Los Angeles, the first thing that I did was sign up for acting classes and improv classes.

I currently, help coach actors and standup comedians. I also do script study with actors that have an audition coming up.

My goal is to continue to pursue acting, but while I am waiting for my big break, I am in the process of casting for my next project, which is not a comedy, it is a dramatic film. I am very proud of what I have written, and I feel that the topic will take the film very far.

I know that it is a hard business to break into, and it can become tiring, exhausting even, but when it does, that is when you take a step back and remember to breathe, and remember that life is worth enjoying, so there is no need to ruin your mental health because we don’t know when our minds, and bodies need a break from the norm.

I am someone that knows a little about a lot of things, and I have been able to help many artists get a handle on their career goals, and I have helped them to make some big strides in the industry. I believe in the arts, and I hope everyone understands that it is worth it, but you still need balance. You also need to write down your goals, so that you do not lose sight of them.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Robert Townsend is truly my all time favorite actor, writer, producer, and director. He has done it all. The story of the risk that he took to do Hollywood Shuffle, is what inspired me to get up the nerve to come to Hollywood.

I once waited in lne 7 hours to audition for Robert Townsend. Nothing came of it, but I got to see him and I was satisfied.

At a time when I didn’t have much money, I heard that Robert Townsend would be speaking at CSUN (California State University of Northridge). My car had barely a drop of gas in it. I asked a co-worker if he could loan me $20.00, and he did. I put gas in my car and drove to CSUN. When I got there, the parking costs $6.00 of which I did not have, so I had to turn around and park in a near by restaurants parking lot, where I was so scare that they would tow me as the sign said, if I was not a patron.

Nonetheless, I walked back to the campus, and found the auditorium that he would be speaking in. When he came on stage it was non-stop excitement. He talked about how he became interested in acting, he told some great stories that included well known artists. He showed videos of projects that he had done. It was a night to remember.

Robert Townsend although very comedic has a serious caring side to him. He is a helper and supporter of people and he wants the bests for the up and coming artists.

At the end of the night, he told the audience about a trip to Tanzania to climb the highest mountain there. He had done so much in his career, and really didn;t have any avenues that he had not conqured and decided climbing a mountain was what he wanted to do next.

When climbing a mountain in Tanzania you need to have a mountain guide. So Robert hires the mountain guide, signs the form that no one is liable if he falls off the mountain, and they begin to go up the mountain.

The first day, he says that he spent about eight hours climbing through mud as they went up the mountain, because the snowcaps melt and the water runs down to the bottom of the mountain, so you spend a lot of time going through the mud.

The next day, the guide says let me teach you how to breathe, because if you try to breathe the regular way your lungs will explode. So they continue up the mountain.

They eventually camp out for the night, and a few hours before day break, when it is still pitch black, the guide wakes Robert up and says that they have to continue up the mountain. Robert asks why, and the guide says, because if you were to see what you will be traveling through you will want to turn back, so it’s best to finish when you cannot see everything, so just trust me it is for the best.

They daylight has broken and they have reached the top of the mountaing. Robert said that through the journey of climbing the mountain, he thought when he got to the top he was going to have something funny to say tat he could tell people about the journey, but when he looked out, everything he saw was beautiful.

The message he left the audience with that night, was in this entertainment industry journey, especially when you are first beginning, you may have to go through the mudd, meaning some difficulties, hard times, etc.,

When those difficulties and hard times start really getting you down, that is when you need to take the time to just breathe. Get your wind back, so you can continue forward, Remember the things that made you excited about pursing an entertainment career.

After you have gone through the mud, after you have taken a breath, and are ready to get back in there pursuing the entertainment industry, that is when you need to trust not only in yourself, but in a higher power. rust that you can make it. Trust that you will do it.

Then he said, and once you do all of that, it will be beautiful.

The entire story gave me goosebumps and chills. Whenever I see someone that needs encouragement, I tell them that story.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As far a a goal or mission driving my creative journey, I would say the biggest one is my daughter.

Although, I love this business, and it brings me great joy, I want to be able to take very good care of my daughter, and I want to be an example of what not giving up looks like. I want her to feel like she can do whatever she sets her mind to.

I want her to have a hope and a future that is positive, and I want to be a part of the positive picture that she sees when she attempts to accomplish a goal.

Contact Info:

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