We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bryce Foley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bryce, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I hope that when I’m long gone from this world people will say I cared. That I cared about what I created, and more importantly, that I cared about somebody else. To truly care about something takes an extraordinary amount of passion, and being passionate can sometimes come off as trying too hard. I don’t care about that. I want to be remembered for my passion. I’m building a career/reputation, and I’m finding that I need to focus more on how I’m represented, and how I’m being digested. I want bigger and bigger opportunities, and to create a life for myself that goes far beyond anything I’ve ever imagined. Though with this “me, me, me” mindset that culture pushes onto us, it becomes easy to forget about the lives that are affected on the way up. When I was a kid, my mom would make my sister and I volunteer at nursing homes, and the Salvation Army. Serving food, or spending time with older folks in facilities. To give back to someone else impacts lives far greater than any show or play ever can. To take time out of the day to sit and listen to someone is the most selfish thing any of us can do because it gives us a sense of satisfaction that nothing else can. I hope I’ll be remembered for the souls I’ve touched, for the people I’ve lifted off of the ground, and for the beautifully simple moments shared. I hope that I can spare enough time out of my “busy” schedule to make time to just say “hi” to somebody. I want my legacy to inspire others to care.

Bryce, 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 Bryce Foley, I’m from Ypsilanti, MI and I’m a bit stubborn. Growing up in a small town didn’t leave much room for adventure, so I made my own adventure. My sister, friends, and I would create stories, explore the woods, and do anything we could to keep our imaginations occupied (and to stay out of trouble). When I was a sophomore in college I was cycling through majors and nothing was feeling right. Everyone around me was declaring, and I wasn’t going to settle for just anything, so at around my 8th major I was recommended to take an acting class. I didn’t really understand it, but when I went on to perform in my first play, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. I was on stage and it felt like the audience and I were all breathing in unison. Wherever I went, they went. Since then I have been performing on-stage, on-screen, and directed a number of projects. I’m currently performing a one-man show, The Great Gatsby, and producing a television show, Barely Friends. I think what sets me a part in my industry is that I didn’t start acting until I was 20 years old. I’d gathered up a lot of life experiences before the first time I stepped on stage. The life I lived before performing allows me to live vibrantly, and truthfully in the stories I tell. Living vibrantly is also a problem I help solve on projects I’m apart of. Acting can easily be bogged down to hitting your cue, and saying your lines, but nobody wants to see a corpse on stage. We experience stories to have our souls moved, and I make it my mission to move souls. It takes passion, risk, and faith to create a truly alive performance, and I’m proud to say I’ve created a reputation of work that speaks to that sentiment.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During the second semester of my senior year in college I was the lead in 2 play productions, was producing a play, and helped found a theatre organization. I felt like I was on top of the world. A few weeks later everything imploded when the COVID-19 virus shut the whole world down. Instead of being down because of this, I saw it as an opportunity to grow. I got acquainted with the new landscape of Zoom, where I would act and direct theatre online. The next year I would take the opportunity to move to New York to expand my acting training at an acting conservatory. When I graduated 2 years later (this June), I was on fire and gearing up to make my transition to the screen when the SAG-AFTRA strikes hit. Like my setback before, I looked at this as an opportunity to grow. I returned to the theatre where I am now performing in a one man show (something I never thought I’d do), and I’m creating my own opportunity to act on screen by producing a TV show. My resilience has been teaching me that red lights don’t last forever.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think the quality of my product has been the most helpful in building my reputation. I’ll be the first to say that I have to get better at navigating social media, and taking advantage of that platform. While learning to use social media for growth, my own quality of work has put my foot into a number of doors. When you do good work, people are likely to come back to you, and when they come back to you they’re likely to tell others about the work you do. Before you know it, a whole network knows your name and what you stand for before you even had to opportunity to self promote. I’ve found that it’s always necessary to put my best foot forward because I have no idea who may be watching. Focusing on quality first to build a base, and extending from there has worked out very well for me so far.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://foleybrycew.wixsite.com/bryce-foley
• Instagram: bfol__, https://www.instagram.com/bfol__/
• Linkedin: Bryce Foley, linkedin.com/in/bryce-foley-7612b81b9