We recently connected with Brian Beegle and have shared our conversation below.

Brian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was 8 and the first play I was in was Cheaper By The Dozen, and I did not get a role so they gave me the part of the dog. So I sat on stage and did my thing as the dog, which included scratching, rolling around, and distracting the audience from the rest of the play. I had so much fun as the dog, and Trinity school probably realized they better not give me a non-speaking role again, so I became the lead in several musicals like Pirates of Penzance, which I still sing a few of the songs in my head from time to time. I knew I wanted to become a ‘professional’ actor when I was watching a kid on a TV commercial and I looked at my mom and said “I want to do that” so we reached out to the Alliance Theatre and found a wonderful man and actor named Dan Albright. Dan said, “I don’t teach kids but I will meet him”. When he came to our house I went out and said “Mr Albright, my name is Brian Beegle and I am going to be an actor.” Dan laughed and looked at my mom and said ‘Ok I will teach your son.” I booked my first audition and at the shoot, it rained all day so I had to stay in the production trailer which I thought was so cool. I ate an entire box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and when I finished the last doughnut a PA came up and said “Brian, would you like me to get you more doughnuts?” I looked at my mom and she shook her head no, but I knew right then that acting was going to be a tasty and lifelong adventure.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I was a child actor here in Atlanta all the way through college. When I finished UGA I moved to LA and lived there for 3 years acting but working up to 5 jobs simultaneously trying to ‘make it’ in Hollywood. I moved home in 2006 and booked a great role in the movie We Are Marshall where I play the starting running back #33 Lucas Booth. I also became the lead singer in a cover band and we did around 350 shows around the southeast playing everything from Elvis to Dr. Dre to Peter Gabriel. I was hired as an assistant at Stilwell Casting, the south’s leading commercial casting director at the time, and I was lucky enough to study under Melissa Mcbride for 2 years, who would go on to play Carol on the Walking Dead. I took over casting in 2009 and when the pandemic hit in 2020 I started my own company Brian Beegle Casting. I now cast all over and I do it for all kinds of projects! Commercial, Music Videos, Films, Industrials, etc… I do it all and I love it! I help Production quote talent rates too, and I have done it thousands of times, so on your next project use me to make sure you are paying talent the right amount. I cast in-person, using self-tapes, and zoom and I am one of the most experienced commercial casting directors in the country having cast over 2000 projects and seeing over a million auditions in the last 15 years!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love making stories come to life. I make a lot of TV commercials and I find it really interesting to see the process play out from seeing the storyboards, talking to the director to discuss their vision, picking the actors, directing them, narrowing it down, and then seeing them on TV. It is a lightning-fast process and sometimes I will be working on 5 projects at the same time. I think in the entertainment industry we kind of live in a make-believe world, and every day I get to be creative. I also love helping actors. A lot of them find commercial acting to be very hard. I use techniques I have created that make acting disappear so people are telling the truth on camera. I also help people who don’t like public speaking or find it hard. So I guess I see myself as a coach and facilitator for actors, and I love seeing them grow over time and go on to play big roles in TV and Film too! Atlanta is the #1 spot in the world to be in the Film and TV entertainment industry. I have seen dreams become reality here for actors many times, and it is incredible to be a small part of it! I also started the GESL.club which is a social group that brings people in entertainment in GA together to have fun playing all kinds of sports. Anyone in entertainment living or visiting here in GA is welcome to come party and play with us!

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2020 I had a Jerry MaGuire kind of moment. The pandemic hit and we were forced to start casting on Zoom instead of in-person. I wrote a big mission statement on how we could take our expertise in casting and start casting all over the country and do it for less money than before. This ended with me leaving the company that I was the face of for many years and it was a little scary. But my mission was clear, and many clients followed me and many clients spread the word, so now I do exactly what I had planned and much more. I cast all over, for less money, and I save production companies thousands of dollars. I also quote talent rates for many companies that have never utilized casting before. They are blown away by how much I can save them. I tell them the #1 thing that matters for a great cast is getting the talent session and usage rates correct. My rate comes last. I make casting not only easy but fun for everyone, including me!!

Contact Info:

• Website: brianbeegle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianbeeglecasting/
• Other: GESL.club

Image Credits
Brian Beegle