Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ervin Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ervin , thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Once I decided I wanted to act, the biggest thing for me was finding somewhere to take acting classes. After attending Carol Hickey Acting Studio, I began to understand what being an actor really means. We have a responsibility to play characters authentically and it takes diligent work. I don’t know if there’s a way to “speed up” the development of your imagination. It’s like a muscle and it needs to be exercised but it sometimes needs a break as well. So I think you have to work at a pace that suits you as an artist. In my opinion, the learning never ends, you should always be looking for ways to improve or fine tune your craft.

When I think of essential skills, I think of a willingness to play, and not caring what people think. It sounds a little weird, but you have to be willing to play along with your fellow actors. This work won’t be fulfilling if its one-sided, actors should have a collaborative and generous mindset. Not caring what people think is difficult because you want the audience to believe your character and the story are real. However, you shouldn’t care about how cool or good you look, because more often than not, how you look has nothing to do with the story you’re telling. Those same skills were once obstacles for me. I’m grateful that I’m at a point now where I care about how I look only for the sake of the story and my fellow cast-mates. If I go watch playback after a shot, I’m looking to make sure I’m properly conveying what’s accurate to my character’s experience; it has nothing to do with Ervin. Looking cool on camera is a bonus!

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’m originally from Jersey and I attended Delaware State University where I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in sports related fields. I then relocated to Texas (2015) and worked nearly 7 years in Campus Recreation for Texas State University. I now work full-time remotely for a tech company while also working as an actor.

I did some stage work in high school and always had an interest in film and television. My father saw me grinding after grad school, taking the train to NYC and Philly to meet with agencies and go to open calls. So, when I relocated to Texas he reached out and encouraged me to keep pursuing acting even though I was working full-time. I’m so glad he called me that day, because God has blessed me immensely in my acting career and I’m only scraping the surface.

I think what sets me apart is that I’m always focused on the bigger picture. When I’m on set, I’m thinking about how to make the project a success as a whole, not as an individual; I think people lose sight of that sometimes. I’m most proud of whatever I did last, because I aim to get better each time I step into a role.

Updates on projects: I have supporting roles in two independent feature films that will be releasing this year and quite a few commercials (Orange Theory, Fedex, Indeed). If you haven’t seen the film, “Evinced” (Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube) you should check it out! It was my first time working on a feature film, we shot the whole thing in roughly 13 days back in January 2020, right before the pandemic got crazy.

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

If you’re able, just show up for your local artists. A few of my acting classmates had a premiere for a 15 min. short film on a Tuesday night and I made sure I was there to support. I mean, we put ourselves out there for people to critique and comment and analyze, all for the love of the art. All because we want to tell stories, authentically through our own lenses. So if you can be there to support someone, just do it. You have no idea what impact that can have on someone’s journey; no matter where it leads. Go to local film/music festivals, hit up an art show, shop with someone’s clothing line. Support can be shown in a variety of ways, just be sincere about it if you’re going to do it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think my journey itself illustrates resilience. Again, I work full-time while still acting. I was up until 3am this morning doing an audition, and I still have other side hustles. I’m a creative, but I’m also responsible and I have things that need to be taken care of and things that need my attention. So it’s important that I stay grounded and handle my business. However, I absolutely love acting, every time I step on set, I’m home. Even if I’ve been sitting around for 3 hours and haven’t done a single take, I say to myself “there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing right now”. And I will continue to grind until acting is my full-time job and I’m able to invest my spare time in other ways.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @erv.brown
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ervin-brown-28aa1a89/
• Twitter: @ervbee

Image Credits
Trent Baker, Nina Rosetti, Russell Reed, Abraham Musalem