In her own words...Hi. My name is Brandi Ford. I'm a California-born, Vegas-bred actress who's grown up performing in one theatre after another. While musical theatre is my drug of choice, I readily admit that I'm addicted to performing in general whether that be in a musical, straight play, television or film, I love to step into a role and let go!
How did you get started?
As a child I was always in the church choir, the praise dance team and the annual Christmas & Easter plays. As I got older, we couldn't afford vocal or dance lessons so I participated in as much school, church and community theatre as possible to get as much free training & experience as I could. Once I got to high school I was accepted to a performing arts academy that provided me with a plethora of performing opportunities that I'm grateful for to this day.
What do you do to prepare for an audition/casting?
For commercial auditions I become familiar with the sides, when available, and simply come open & ready to play as all of mine so far have involved improv to some degree. For everything else, the first thing I do is find out the back story of the character by reading all of the available sides rather than just the ones that are for my character. Many times, especially for last minute auditions, I have to create my own back story based on the 1-3 page sides I've been given. This helps me to make strong, clear choices while in the room. On the way to the audition I find something on my ipod that connects to the character and play that artist/song over & over again. Once I arrive I focus on my "moment before" then I'm ready to go!
What's been the hardest obstacle you've faced as an actress?
The hardest obstacle I've faced is finding a work/life balance. There's so much that goes into building an acting career- training, marketing, networking, rehearsals, performances and so on that I have to make sure I don't sacrifice too much quality time with my family. As a wife & mother to 2 young boys that demand my attention, I'm pulled in a lot of directions on a daily basis and have to set firm priorities. I'm admittedly a workaholic but I don't ever want my family to feel like I've neglected them for the sake of my career.
How do you maintain your sanity in this crazy, unpredictable business?
Sanity? What sanity? I'm only halfway kidding. I avoid going crazy by having other interests outside of acting so that it doesn't consume me. These include wedding planning {which can sometimes be just as crazy}, going out to eat {seafood & tapas style are my favorite}, writing and dancing. I use hip-hop as a way to stay fit and thanks to So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars I now want to try my hand at ballroom as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on entering any competitions, I just think I'd have a ball!
What's your dream role? What role were you born to play?
I'm a "Variety is the Spice of Life" kinda girl so I don't necessarily have a single "dream role" as I believe there are many dream roles that I was born to play. Any character who is compelling and fascinating to watch is a character I want to step into! I will say, however, that if I ever get a chance to do a biopic I'd love to play Phyllis Hyman, a beautiful, talented songbird who's bipolarism & failed ambitions led her to self-medicate with drugs & alcohol and ultimately ended with her taking her own life. Such a tragic ending for a woman with such a beautiful gift.
What/Who inspires you?
God, my kids, music, nature, film & tv with brilliant writing and definitely great performances by artists who take their crafts seriously.
Any tips for other aspiring actors?
*Trust your instincts *Do your research *Train when you're not working *Have some hobbies {and some friends} outside of acting. As noted above, this does wonders for your sanity and your perspective. *Have fun and enjoy the journey!
What's in your actors tool box?
*Online subscriptions to Actors Access, LA Casting and Casting Frontier *Performer Track *Showfax & Backstage message boards- INVALUABLE ADVICE *The book "An Agent Tells All" by Tony Martinez *compact-sized brush, lip gloss, mascara & bronzer {with me at all times} *Dance classes to have fun while staying in shape *Well-balanced meals & LOTS of water *Portable GPS {recently got one and I already can't imagine driving without it} *Ambition, Drive & a Positive Attitude
My goal is to.... entertain you and leave a lasting impression you won't soon forget.
Keep up with Brandi-
www.ambitiousb.blogspot.com
brandi@brandiford.com
Twitter-@brandiford
I HEART this pic!!
My Christa and I talking about something really deep..probably what we should eat!
Alex, Chlo, and I
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