We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brandon Borkowsky . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brandon below.

Brandon , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The biggest obstacle I have faced in my time studying the art of acting, was understanding what exactly acting is. I initially believed that the goal of acting was to be as realistic as possible, but soon realized that interpretation was incomplete. I remember being a college acting student at USC performing for a guest teacher when I was given some of the most useful advice I ever received. After performing a monologue for the guest, thinking that I was as submerged in the role as humanly possible, I received the criticism, “You hit every point, and I believed you— but there was nothing that made your performance different than the 10 people who did the same monologue before you, so why would you book the role?” I initially thought being as honest as possible was the extent of my job as an actor, but this moment taught me that in addition to honesty, we are responsible for hooking the interest of the audience by subverting their expectations with our choices. Acting is a competitive and oversaturated sport; the actor must provide a unique product to be noticed within their crowd of competitors. My approach evolved from “how can I be as realistic as possible?” to “how can I sell a unique interpretation?” Ever since I made that shift, I have noticed significantly more success in the audition room.

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 am a performance artist with a BFA degree in Musical Theater from the University of Southern California. I have been blessed with the opportunity to perform on world famous stages such as Lincoln Center, Pasadena Playhouse, and the Papermill Playhouse doing what I love.

In my free time I teach acting and dance, pulling from my experiences working with top tier actors such as Kate Burton and Ruben Santiago Hudson, as well as my times dancing under the tutelage of the Fosse Verdon and Joffery Ballet dance companies. I am trained and have worked professionally in a variety of styles, including hiphop, jazz, acrobatics etc…

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Go buy a ticket to your friend’s show. That’s how they can continue to follow their dreams. If you know people with complimentary skills (i.e. a writer and a cinematographer) network them together. If you are an employer, I implore you to understand that the artists you employ depend on your flexibility to achieve their dreams. Be apart of the reason someone gets their big break.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

There are a bunch of great FREE resources for adults to learn in the arts. Do your research!! The learning period is never over!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/BrandonBorko
• Instagram: @smurf.boy
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@brandonborkowsky9359?si=MecApEWPUW0AwuYP
• Other: Backstage: https://www.backstage.com/u/BrandonBorkowsky/

Image Credits
Douglass Mason Alaric Ma