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Join Hayden, Mitch, and Tom with upcoming movie, tv show, and game news. Listen to reviews and off the wall facts, while providing a comedic spin with our opinions on the matter. Join us for amazing behind the scene interviews. The one true original "Entertain This" podcast.
Entertain This!
Brandi Burkhardt: Finding Yourself Through Different Roles
Actress Brandi Burkhardt shares her journey from pageantry to acting, discussing how playing various characters ultimately led her to discover her authentic self. She reflects on her education at NYU's Strasberg program, her television roles including Heart of Dixie, and exciting projects like her upcoming music EP.
• Started as a shy child who entered pageants to fulfill her princess dreams
• Studied method acting at NYU's Tisch School where she had to overcome her polite upbringing
• Played Cricket on Heart of Dixie, filming on Warner Brothers' famous backlot
• Performed motion capture for Red Dead Redemption as a "zombie prostitute"
• Flew as Mary Poppins for Julie Andrews' lifetime achievement ceremony
• Stars alongside Paul Rudd in the upcoming buddy comedy "Friendship" (releasing May 9th)
• Features in "Rosemary Street," a web series highlighting Baltimore's art and music scene
• Releasing her EP "Just Like This" with the first single dropping June 1st
Check out Brandi’s new EP "Just Like This" on all streaming platforms starting this summer!
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Hello and welcome to Entertain this. It's a podcast about movies, tv shows and video games. My name is Tom. With me I have Mitch and we don't have Hayden, but in place of Hayden we have Brandi Burkhart. Hi how are you Brandi?
Speaker 2:I'm good Excited to be here with you guys.
Speaker 1:Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be on our little show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm excited to talk about some things.
Speaker 1:So I see here American television and film actress some music background, I believe, and former Miss New York.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:I'm from the state of New.
Speaker 2:York.
Speaker 1:Back in pageantry days. Was that the first part of your career?
Speaker 2:you know, I was always a very shy child but I wanted to be a princess. I think a lot of little girls do, so that was my way in to being a princess. And then I realized, when I got comfortable on stage and came out of my shell a little, I realized, oh, I really love acting and singing especially. But it's been funny because my journey through acting has kind of it's taken trying on different roles to really find myself, which is exciting because I have a music project coming out that's kind of feels more like me than I've ever felt before. So yeah, and I've, I've dabbled in quite a few arenas.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. I mean, my nieces definitely love being princesses. Ava, the youngest, she wants to be a starfish. She likes to lay on the ground spread out. She goes like Uncle Thomas, I'm a starfish. And then she just throws herself and just stares at you and you like okay, Ava, same.
Speaker 2:I mean starfish, I mean that could be cool. I think they like lay around and eat which?
Speaker 1:you know who doesn't love that?
Speaker 2:sounds like her, yeah, and then I always wanted to be a mermaid too, which eventually then I got to play a mermaid on tv. So you know, you don't know, maybe she'll play a starfish one day that's my daughter.
Speaker 3:She's got pretty much a Disney princess dress for each one of them, and then she's got her mermaid tail to be like Ariel and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Does she make you guys play princess and you guys have to be the villains?
Speaker 3:There's one princess called Elena from Avalor or something on Disney, and she loves doing the little sword fighting. They do fencing, but it's like a TV show, then she'll make me sit down and she'll paint my fingernails and stuff. It's bad when you forget and go to order some food or something like that at a drive-thru and they look at you and they go. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:It's like I have kids. Leave me alone. That happened once.
Speaker 3:I was like oh, never mind, that's so sweet, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Mitch, you look like you're about to say something.
Speaker 3:I was going to say. So, from what I've you know, we do our research, kind of it's, through IMDB, and then I'll look through your website.
Speaker 2:But so you're from Baltimore, maryland, I am. Yes, and it's funny because I didn't really get to hang out in Maryland becauseland's like because I moved to college to go to nyu so I really felt like I became an adult in new york. So, um, moving home, like during covet and stuff I felt like was my first, uh, um foray into the baltimore and dc area, which was kind of cool.
Speaker 1:I haven't been back to new york since I moved. I was born there and we moved here in 2006.
Speaker 2:I have not been back since. Well, it's funny, when you go back it's like, oh wow, I forgot how fast this place moves, but I love it.
Speaker 1:Once I get in there, I'm like zoom, zoom, zoom, I get sometimes talking to old friends who still live in New York and they're like why do you talk so slow now? And I'm like I don't know, like, yeah, you do, and I'm like you talk way too fast and it's like that's how you used to be.
Speaker 3:When I was off at college, I pretty much lived in the same 40 mile circumference my entire life, so wow small town kind of cool, because then you run into people.
Speaker 2:You know all the time that's what I miss about like being like in a big city now, yeah, when I go home and then I'm with all these like I see people from high school and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so cool, it's, it's. I feel like I missed that. So it was nice to get to go back and like, have that time again.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because we see people every now and then it's it's been a while since I was in school, so like, uh, they had a parade today that from the town that I went to school and stuff in, and my daughter she was walking through it with her girl scouts, so I saw a couple of people like old coaches and things like that.
Speaker 1:but that's about it, that's cool they tried to do our 10-year high school reunion a few years ago and there's. I was looking at the invite list and I didn't know any of the people and I was like did I go to school with any of you who?
Speaker 3:are you people?
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, that's funny. But speaking of school.
Speaker 1:I hear you went to NYU.
Speaker 2:I did and yeah, it was, it's um, it was pretty crazy Cause, uh, at Tisch all of the acting schools are separate, so you really take acting classes through these different programs, but you get a credit through NYU. So I was at Strasburg, which is a method acting school, and everybody in my class was really uninhibited and you were celebrated for being uninhibited. But, as I said, I was from pageants, so I was very polite and very I was such a good girl and actually this comes kind of full circle into friendship because I just went in to re-dub some language quote unquote that needed to be more PG for like syndication, and I had to remove the F word. And it's funny because in school at NYU I wouldn't. You know, I'm a good Christian girl, so I didn't want to say the F word and I would always say it very apologetically. So my acting teacher made me say F you to everybody in my class every day, which most people would love. But yeah, so I was. I was very thankful to get some method acting training at NYU.
Speaker 1:It's like sitting there in a big auditorium for attendance and it's like Smith and it was like oh, brandy, you here. All right, yeah, you know what to do. Go ahead and tell everybody to go F off.
Speaker 2:Well, she, let me do it at the end of class you just stand at the door as everyone leaves. That's a little more appropriate.
Speaker 3:Well, I noticed, looking through some of your film credits and stuff, you've done a lot of voice acting and then you also work a lot doing accents for different characters as well, because I figured being from Maryland and then, you know, attending school in New York and then, but you know, you in a heart of Dixie, you had a very Southern accent. So where did you learn to do accents and the voice acting?
Speaker 2:You know, I think it was just one of those skills, that, um, that you know, because I'm musical, maybe I have an ear for things like that. It's not something I really thought about when we did Heart of Dixie. We did have a dialect coach in the beginning and then, as our characters became more solidified, everybody kind of did their own variation on a Southern accent. So I'm not sure if it was quite as specific to Alabama as Parker Posey's in the White Lotus this season, but we all certainly made it our own and it was kind of much. It became more character driven so, yeah, kind of based on how the character thinks and everybody, every character has a different rhythm too in a scene. So you kind of and as the writers get to know you, they kind of write to your voice. So it becomes a kind of a dual creation between you and the writers. So yeah, I think that's kind of how it evolved on Heart of Dixie.
Speaker 3:And for those that don't know, on Heart of Dixie, your character's name was Cricket. Yes, I've never seen the whole show. I've seen bits and pieces because my wife she's seen the whole thing.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, she would be more of our demographic, I think.
Speaker 3:Yeah, probably so. Now I was just wondering for Heart of Dixie where abouts did y'all film that?
Speaker 2:They did the pilot, I think, in North Carolina, and then we actually wound up shooting the series on Warner Brothers lot, the back lot, which is pretty famous for different, for different shows. The music man was filmed there and and it hasn't really changed. The set hasn't changed. I mean they dress it up differently but it's the same town square. It's also the same town square that they use in Gilmore Girls. That's kind of the fun part about working on the studio lots. We were at Warner Brothers, yeah. Now I feel like because of these tax credits and all things that are happening in our industry, the lots are kind of not as populated as they once were. So I miss those days. It was fun to be working kind of in Alabama quote unquote on a soundstage and then we had Shameless shooting right next to us, so we had Chicago right next to us, and so I mean that's kind of really fun too. It creates like a culture of creativity.
Speaker 3:Well, I was just wondering. Wondering because, like I know, uh, the cw or warner brothers, they did a lot of stuff kind of like here in georgia and like because I know the, uh, another cw show, the vampire diaries, they filmed in covington, georgia. So I just wasn't sure whether, it being a southern show, if it was filmed around the same area or not.
Speaker 2:So just wondering yeah, yeah, I mean I think that it seems like shows are moving that way, especially to atlanta.
Speaker 1:I mean, there's such a a burgeoning um film industry in atlanta, and music too yes, but we we kind of hope people stop coming here because there's just way too much traffic. It's outrageous.
Speaker 3:You cannot get through atlanta anymore and if there's no traffic, that's because they have construction to make more lanes for more traffic, which causes more traffic and it doesn't matter what time of day two in the afternoon, 4, 30 in the morning does not matter.
Speaker 1:You will hit the brakes at some point oh goodness but not as bad as probably New York city.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, we have trains in New York city, so, um, people can get around, uh, but in LA yeah, la is known for traffic Um, sometimes it doesn't even make any sense that you just sit there and try to figure out where all these people came from or why it's slowing down, and then all of a sudden it speeds up. I started keeping a lot of snacks in my car just so like I wouldn't get hangry because I didn't want to rage and hangry, you know. So we'd just be like chomping away on some beef jerky while I'm sitting in traffic I was just about to ask what kind of snacks are we?
Speaker 1:uh, what kind of snacks are we packing in the brandy mobile?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, well, definitely some sweet tarts and beef jerky and um doritos sometimes in the console, but those you know get your fingers messy, so that is, what kind of what flavoring of beef jerky? I like a jalapeno. Actually, the my favorite beef jerky comes from atlanta, it's the striplings, uh jalapeno. Have you had it?
Speaker 1:I have had it many, many moons ago.
Speaker 2:It's been a while that's the best I like.
Speaker 1:Order it from there, yeah I've had the jalapeno one once. It wasn't quite my palate. I'm always been a teriyaki beef jerky kind of person tom doesn't like spicy stuff I do like spicy stuff. It's just not the nonsense you get from Satan's workshop.
Speaker 3:We have a thing on our normal episodes If you say a cuss word, because we try to keep it PG we have to take hot sauce and Tom regularly ends up taking some of the hot sauce.
Speaker 1:I violate that rule fairly, fairly frequently.
Speaker 3:And we get some hot stuff that we can find.
Speaker 1:Like redacted ingredients.
Speaker 2:Oh, I love it.
Speaker 1:One bottle of the cap actually burned.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's not good, I've lost four spoons.
Speaker 3:He exaggerates, he just doesn't like it.
Speaker 1:Now, as someone who's been OC sprayed before, I'd rather almost have that than the nonsense you give me.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that would be like my reward would be a teaspoon of Tabasco or some kind of hot sauce, Like for me, if I lost a bet or something, it would be a spoonful of mayonnaise. That would be like oh God no, that is a good idea. Can't do it. I do not recommend mayonnaise.
Speaker 1:You and Hayden will have to hold me down because I'm not just eating a tablespoon of mayonnaise.
Speaker 2:No, it's horrible.
Speaker 1:Mayonnaise belongs on a BLT only in a thin thin layer.
Speaker 2:I feel that what about tuna fish? You'll do mayonnaise in some tuna.
Speaker 1:I don't like tuna fish. The smell gets me, I just can't do it.
Speaker 2:Okay, I like how.
Speaker 1:this is an entertainment show, but we're also talking about food, because food is entertainment.
Speaker 3:Food does bring a lot of people together.
Speaker 1:What other condiments do you hate?
Speaker 2:Oh, relish Sweet pickles, no me gusta.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, no. Relish is just wrong.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm more of a sour pickle girl.
Speaker 1:Crispy cold pickles out of the jar, out of the fridge, exactly With a little fork to try to fight them out. It's all you need in life, you're so sensible.
Speaker 3:Well, Tom's just picky about his stuff. I am a picky eater.
Speaker 1:For the first 15 years of my life, Pop-Tarts were my favorite food.
Speaker 2:Oh, what kind of pop tarts do you like?
Speaker 1:oh, I was. I love wild berry pop tarts if I couldn't get wild berry, then it would be the icing, the one without icing strawberry or cherry oh my gosh, you are a kindred spirit.
Speaker 2:I. I strictly eat the non-frosted strawberry. I think that's it.
Speaker 1:It just works Any frosting is nonsense.
Speaker 2:I don't get it.
Speaker 1:I always liked the Wildberry one because it was that purple and blue like kind of wild colors like Taco Bell used to be in the 90s. It was the quintessential 90s like color combo, but it's just like they never had Wildberry. Wildberry always sold out and it's like well, I want Wildberry. Why does it keep selling out? It must be that good. They always have blueberry, Pop-Tarts, Wildberry's, like Mom, they got Wildberry, I'm like it's amazing.
Speaker 2:All right, Tom.
Speaker 1:Leave me alone, let me have my little moment about Pop-Tarts.
Speaker 2:Wait, did you see the Pop-Tart movie it?
Speaker 3:was a Pop-Tart movie.
Speaker 2:It was a Pop-Tart movie, yeah. It's on Netflix. What is it called? It was Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer's in it. It's about the race to the toaster pastries between Post and General Mills. Yeah, anyway you should watch it. I liked it Okay.
Speaker 1:I'm writing that down. Pop-tart movie yeah, this is about to be a movie we're going to review at some point.
Speaker 2:It was out last year. My friends make fun of me for liking it, but I like Jerry Seinfeld so much.
Speaker 1:So the pop tart movie we're going to review it.
Speaker 2:We're going to make Hayden review it Okay, cause I don't think he likes pop tarts. He's not here.
Speaker 1:Exactly. But getting back on topic, Okay. You're at NYU, you're studying method acting. Yes Now, yes now. While you're at college, are they helping you get roles?
Speaker 2:to like, give you an agent? Do agents come in? Like, how does it work? Well, funny enough, um, I would miss as many days as I could miss to go on auditions, but they didn't recommend you do that and they frowned upon it, actually because they want you to be in conservatory, um, and then because NYU is very expensive. I was. I joined the Miss America pageant, which is when I became Miss New York, and then I took a leave of absence from NYU to do my ribbon cuttings and my volunteer work for the year and because of that I got an agent. So when I got an agent, I wound up not going back to school, because usually that's the goal is to be able to audition and um be a part of the industry. So when I, when I got my agent, I left um, always thinking I'd go back, but I it never quite worked out that way.
Speaker 3:So but it did work out because you got acting roles.
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly, um, yeah, so, and that's what started really the whole, my whole launching and my journey.
Speaker 1:What was your first acting gig that you remember as being like like I kind of made it?
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, you're always trying to make it, um, and I realized that it's kind of made it. Oh gosh, you're always trying to make it. And I realize that it's kind of it's silly to say, but making it is a little bit of an illusion, because it's always about being interested and trying to find the next thing that you want to give your energy to and hopefully that gives back to you. But I did. I booked a role on the series Passions. It was a soap opera that filmed in LA and I played a mermaid. So that was like the first time when I was on a studio lot and I had my own parking space and my own dressing room and I could sign in every day and I felt like, oh wow, I, you know, they let me in here. How how did they? How did I manage that Exactly? It always feels a little bit like winning the lottery, um, because you know there's so many people who are trying to to be a part of our industry and, um, thankfully, there's a lot of room for everyone.
Speaker 3:Well, I know like soap operas. A lot of times they'll film. You'll have like one or two episodes a week that you're filming, right.
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, sometimes we would do like five to seven. Oh, okay, yeah, so it really depended. And a lot of it's repetitive because people are coming every day, so you kind of have to catch them up on the story but you don't want the action to to subside, so you have to keep attention but you have to go back and remind them what happened. So a lot of it's like names repeating or remember last week when so and so did this, or you wouldn't say last week, but you would, you know, bring the audience up to speed. So it helped with all that dialogue and we had to do a lot of pages in a day, for sure well, because I just looking up the uh the passions tv show, I noticed that it had like 1700 episodes.
Speaker 2:So sheesh exactly yeah, and it was supernatural. So we had um like witches and um. It was yeah and mermaids clearly.
Speaker 1:I mean that's got to be. I guess a pretty interesting introduction into being on television is like you're going to do a soap and the schedule is that demanding. You're doing that much stuff versus like other parts and shows where it's not as it's a training ground too, because it was such a well-oiled machine.
Speaker 2:You have to keep the schedule because you have to get an hour's worth of content done for the editing process to happen so that you can't get behind the schedule. So everybody had to really work together and you had to really throw yourself into the role, especially playing a mermaid. It could be ridiculous, but you have to commit to it. It was a great training ground just in all capacities. Just stretch your creativity and your imagination. It was a great set because nobody really took it super seriously and we had a great time with each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm really thankful that that was one of my first experiences, so looking at some of these other ones, I see you did Boston Legal Law Order Numbers, the Glades, red Dead, redemption, undead, nightmare Before we talk about the video game stuff, I mean a lot of these television roles did you have a particular favorite.
Speaker 2:I really loved doing Boston Legal because it was with William Shatner and Candace Bergen and Megan Mullally was on that week and I had James Spader's trailer and I actually flooded his trailer because the toilet wasn't working properly and apparently he was a little bit of a germaphobe. So then I knew that and then I was at lunch trying to clean up the trailer that I had flooded without telling people and yeah, so, yeah, I really I had fun on that set. It was also cool because we were in a in where everybody was present for most of the episode in the scene, so I really got time with everyone, which was really cool. And oh, Julie Bowen too, and she's from Baltimore.
Speaker 1:Did you two chat it up a little bit oh?
Speaker 2:yeah. Yeah, she was pregnant at the time too, so she's always feisty and she definitely has opinions and she's very sharp Cool.
Speaker 3:Now for a lot of the legal dramas that you were on. Is that something you sought out or is that just something that they kind of fit? You know, cause they saw you in a different one. So another another show came and asked for you to be on theirs.
Speaker 2:Uh, doesn't really work like that. It's usually like you get an audition and then for a role that you seem appropriate for from your agent and then. So it always feels like starting from zero For me. That's been my experience, but I've tended to really love legal dramas, especially like dramedies, something that has some basis in reality but also is a little lighthearted. So and it's funny that a lot of the shows that I was on I've actually was a fan of ahead of time. So I don't know how that quite worked out, but I was fortunate.
Speaker 1:Do you ever catch yourself like on reruns of these shows, if they pop up?
Speaker 2:I have friends who are, who send me screenshots every once in a while, like, oh, I saw you on this and I'm like, oh thanks, it's just funny. Yeah, I try not to. It's funny, I don't watching myself. I, I don't like to watch myself because then you get self-conscious and then you're not in the moment. And it's important to be in the moment. Um, yeah, so uh. But you have to also watch yourself because you have to know what happened and how, how it came out. So, yeah, that's a little tough for me.
Speaker 1:How'd you get into the video game voice acting? Was that like an audition or were they just kind of like hey, like your voice sounds great, We'd like to hear you do these parts.
Speaker 2:Well, it kind of comes through agents. The same way, I had some experience with working in recording studios a lot, because I was working on a record back in the day. So a lot of times those studios would be used for music at night but for advertising and also for video game production during the day. So one of those came through that and actually that was the Star Wars one. They had me read a bunch of different characters and I didn't know what they would finally use. So I'm glad that they wound up using me for something Because I read like I must have read, I think, like 10 characters.
Speaker 1:Hey, we want you to be in the biggest online Star Wars game there is.
Speaker 2:I didn't know anything about it because I don't I really don't play video games, so I actually haven't even seen that or heard that work. But you know, it's like hearing your own voice. It's like, ah, so again, that's for. Like someone else, it was fun to be in the scene and then, and obviously, in the world of Star Wars, and it's cool to be a Sith, you know.
Speaker 1:Oh, you get to play a Sith Lord.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. I was like, do I get my own lightsaber?
Speaker 2:I know right. I think I deserve a lightsaber.
Speaker 1:I think they should send you one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which it was kind of different than the experience for Red Dead Redemption, because I actually got to do the motion capture for that Um, and they put you in a suit with these balls on them, so that captures all of your movements, and you're also in a mask kind of thing, like a helmet with a frame on the front of it so it catches your facial expressions while you're acting. So that was a different process. It wasn't just voiceover, it was physically in the space, and then the characters are drawn and written off of your movements too.
Speaker 1:And this is for Star Wars.
Speaker 2:No, that was the Red Dead Redemption.
Speaker 1:The zombie one. You get to play a zombie. I was a zombie prostitute.
Speaker 2:And then I was in the end scene, the last scene.
Speaker 1:Is that what you ever thought where your career might be? It's like, oh, I want to do this, I want to do that, and it's like zombie prostitute. Red Dead Redemption.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, that's not, it's never, that was never on my wishlist. But the thing is is I love this business because I want to be surprised, and so getting to go to work and be like what are we doing today. Okay, let's do that, and that's what's fun about it, right I?
Speaker 1:mean it's gotta be like a bingo card out there for actors, where it's just like at roles like play.
Speaker 2:It's like serial killer, cop, lawyer, zombie yeah, I guess some people have that sure well, I also saw the um, including heart of dixie.
Speaker 3:You're also on how I met your mother and like, and both of those are a lot more comedic roles. Is that something you enjoy? More is like comedy, or do you enjoy drama more?
Speaker 2:I, like I said I'm more of a dramedy person, like I really like comedy. That's kind of grounded, but I tend to like play kind of light. I think, um, it's just my way of, of my spirit, like how it comes out. I don't tend to really love to do like huge crying roles, like there are people that love crying and I can cry on real life, but it's just not my forte in um work. Um, yeah, I would just much rather be making fun and having a good time, for sure.
Speaker 1:How do they get you to cry, like on a show, like, do they like give you, like the water drops, like throwing your eyes? Or do you have to think of stat stuff?
Speaker 2:like throwing your eyes or do you have to think of stat stuff? Well, I mean, yes, you, yes, ideally you would be able to work that up. But a lot of people have like tricks and, like you, dry out your eyes or they have menthol sticks they're called tear sticks that you can put and it kind of just makes your eyes water. Um, but yeah, every, every role requires its own thing. So I can't say that that everybody uses a tear stick, but some people probably do what would you say was probably the most challenging role you've done that is a good question.
Speaker 2:Challenging, you know, I think it's they're all challenging in their own ways. It's it's kind of like how you access different parts of yourself. So I mean, the things that I usually get cast in are things that are more natural for me. So I don't really I couldn't really say that they're challenging. I think it's the biggest challenge is auditioning. So I don't really I couldn't really say that they're challenging.
Speaker 2:I think it's the biggest challenge is auditioning when you don't really know what the part is or what it's going to be, or how they, how it works together. If you only get the scene and you don't get a whole script of the entire piece. It's kind of that's the challenging part, I think, is trying to figure out what your role is and how to serve the piece, when before you have a lot of information. Once you get the job, it's like it's like, oh yeah, this fits, I know what it is and you're in the room with other people, so it just becomes a collaborative process, which is fun. But trying to understand other people's ideas just off of a page, that's probably the most challenging part.
Speaker 1:Getting one piece of the puzzle. I'm expecting to see the entire picture.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly right. Yes, so, and we used to like when we would go into audition rooms and we'd work with casting directors and other actors. You would get more of a sense of the piece because you have other people there who you can pick up the tone of it or you'll get notes from the casting director. Now, when you're doing, we do a lot of self tapes, which is good because we can be anywhere, and then sometimes we do a zoom audition, but even in that regard, you're doing a lot of it kind of in a vacuum. So, yeah, depending on how much information they give you and what you can kind of pick up from those little clues, yeah, it just becomes a little more. I think it's more difficult, for me it's more difficult. But yeah, that's the, that's the, the X factor.
Speaker 3:Well, tom had mentioned, like you know, a bingo card. People want to play different roles mentioned, like you know, a bingo card. People want to play different roles. Is there a certain role that, like, if it ever came up, like a certain princess or a certain like superhero character or anything that you specifically want to play if you had the opportunity?
Speaker 2:um, it's funny I'm. I'm kind of in the mind right now, because I've been writing so much music um, of becoming more myself, so it's funny I I'd have to think about that. Um, most of the projects I I've always wanted to escape myself into these other roles and now, as I become more comfortable being myself, I'm kind of really interested in telling that story and being that person, which is really quite ironic to have to go through all of my roles to get back to myself.
Speaker 3:You know, like the alchemist yeah, because you're just kind of learning bits and pieces about yourself as you went along, that's all yeah, exactly yeah, and I'm finally comfortable in my own skin.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I'm excited to see what's next and, um, how to bring that to different, different roles one question I always like to ask is someone has been in the game for a while is do you ever have like a starstruck moment, or your best like, oh my god, that's so and so?
Speaker 2:yes, I mean the. The person that makes me the most starstruck is julie andrews. Julie Andrews and I actually got to fly as Mary Poppins for her American film Institute lifetime achievement award, which was a couple of years ago. Yeah, I was like I should be on a list somewhere where I shouldn't be allowed in a room with her, like pretty sure they should have that, but I was. I was just like beside myself that I got to be there and I didn't get to meet her the whole time because they were using me as a surprise for her, that they were going to fly someone in as Mary Poppins.
Speaker 2:And so by the end of the night I was like looking for her because I just wanted that like elusive picture and I was thinking like, oh, what am I going to say? What am I going to say? And finally it was like the crowd parted and there she was and I was like this is my moment. And so I ran right up to her and she was so chill and easygoing and we just talked like actors, which is so lovely and it's. It's just so incredible to see somebody who you followed their career for so long and admire them, and then they're just such a wonderful person, yeah, so I was really grateful to get my picture.
Speaker 1:I know I always tell you, like the old dad, just like, don't meet your heroes.
Speaker 3:But when you do meet one and it goes great.
Speaker 1:It's just like I always knew this is how this would be. Yeah, yes, you know, I always knew this is how this would be.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know, I felt that too with Paul Rudd. I was like oh, how's he going to be? I don't know. And you know, class act exactly like you think he would be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was that was also a really relieving experience too, cause it'd be like, you know, like oh hi, like oh hi, mr rudd, no, you can call me paul.
Speaker 2:he said I could call him paul exactly yeah, and we started actually shooting the day after the afc championship in 2024, which was the ravens versus the chiefs. Um, and I'm from baltimore and clearly a ravens fan and he is a Chiefs fan, so we had an immediate icebreaker in the makeup trailer. So, yeah, it just got better from there.
Speaker 1:It's like how about that game? We'll see you next year.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3:Well, speaking of Paul Rudd, the movie Friendship comes out on May 9th. Could you tell us a little bit about that movie? Of course we know you don't want to spoil it, but could you tell us a little bit about your role, a little bit about the movie.
Speaker 2:So the movie is a buddy comedy. It's about two guys who kind of shouldn't be friends. Maybe they shouldn't be friends, we'll find out if they should be friends. It's like two people that it's. Yeah, it's really funny to see how they meet and and it's really told in such a grounded way. So you have to just be ready for anything. And I play Paul Rudd's boss. We work at a news station, so I got to kind of see him in all of his anchorman glory. Essentially he's actually the weatherman and I'm the anchor woman. So yeah, that was. It was really fun.
Speaker 1:I definitely want to check that one out and see Is Paul Rudd you, uh, tim Robinson?
Speaker 2:Yes, tim Robinson, have you seen? I think you should leave.
Speaker 1:I have seen a couple of it the one where he crashes the hot dog. Uh, and he's in the hot dog, so he crashed in like a men's warehouse okay, it's like in a hot dog mobile and everybody's like what, what happened? He's like, oh my god, who did that? And everybody looks at him and looks at the car and it's like, and he's just playing it off while shoplifting see it gets so uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:I love it. It's, it's, it's amazing. I really, I really love how their different senses of their different comedic senses work in this movie. It's just gold.
Speaker 1:Have you seen Tim Robinson's bit where he does like he does not know how to drive?
Speaker 2:I don't know if I've seen that.
Speaker 1:Because you always see it like in traffic. He's like, do you ever learn how to drive? And he's just in a minivan, just like, bump it, install it, you know, out in the middle of the parking lot. He's like no. Oh my goodness, and he's like just move and he goes. Oh, it's easy for you to.
Speaker 2:I love it. That's actually what we all want to do, right.
Speaker 3:I just know that whenever I'm scrolling through reels and TikToks and stuff, I always see his little meme kind of video where he's going. You sure about that, you sure?
Speaker 1:about that? You sure about that? Or I didn't do? You know, I can't say the word and I've got to get the hot sauce.
Speaker 2:Or mayonnaise.
Speaker 1:No, no, brandy, no, we don't do that here I'm going to write that down. You, better not. You and Hayden will have to hold me down Anything you're working on now that you can reveal.
Speaker 2:Just actually, I've decided to release an EP this summer, so I have like six songs ready to be released and I'm kind of working on the rollout for that, all of the visuals, and trying to make a cohesive moment for all these songs that I've written, which is really exciting because again, it's like me, with my voice, and so not something I'm putting on, but authentically me. So, yeah, I'm really excited about that 's. Uh, my first single comes out june 1st, okay, and then july 1st, or we're aiming for the beginning of the month. So, yeah, more to more dates specific dates to come shortly will this be on, like spotify and itunes?
Speaker 2:everywhere you can stream music.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what kind of genre music are we talking here?
Speaker 2:It's definitely pop and dance. It's going to make you move. It can be. You know good cartoons yeah.
Speaker 1:Everybody needs a good cartoon because you get all pumped up and ready. And then there's some songs and albums you just don't listen to while you're driving because you'll miss the exits.
Speaker 2:Oh, I didn't think about that.
Speaker 1:I was driving back to Georgia Southern, which is a university here in South Georgia or close to Savannah, and it's about 45 minutes from Savannah, but you have to drive past Georgia Southern to get to it. And I'm driving along, I'm listening to Pink Floyd, I'm lost in the moment and the next thing I know I just see an exit sign for Savannah. I was like what? Oh no, I drove an extra 45 minutes for nothing.
Speaker 2:Then you get to listen to the album again.
Speaker 1:I turned it off. I was like, Nope, you're not getting me twice.
Speaker 2:Cause.
Speaker 1:Then I ended up in like Macon or something, or Atlanta. I'd be like how? No, this is just out of control.
Speaker 3:You can't drive and listen to Pink Floyd. I did that Friday listening to some music. I drove right past the exit for work. I had to get off and come back around to the next exit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're excusive. I was listening to music. Might not fly with your boss.
Speaker 3:I'm always early, it's okay, oh, okay. Smart.
Speaker 1:Good thing you weren't running late that one time.
Speaker 3:My work starts pretty much at 7. I normally get there about 6.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got time. Get there about six. So, yeah, you got time. You got time to make a u-turn. Yeah, yeah, it's fine. Anyway, back to brandy.
Speaker 2:Any uh other acting jobs you're looking at, you're auditioning for, you want to pitch I also have a um web series that I'm a part of uh called rosemary street. It's uh kind of about baltimore and kind of rebrand, rebranding Baltimore instead of just like inner city drugs and crime. We have a great art scene in Baltimore. We are the home of Peabody Conservatory, and so just highlighting young talent, musical talent in the Baltimore area. It's kind of like Glee but in a more indie, folky rock kind of way, and we have great flashback scenes from the 80s really celebrating Baltimore. There's a classic gigging venue called Hammer Jacks, so it really has like a hometown feel. Yeah, and I'm excited about that okay, where could you catch this?
Speaker 1:uh, that'll be on youtube is it a you know to subscribe or pay, it's free for everybody.
Speaker 2:So yeah, we're. I think they release three episodes at a time and I don't think it's paid, so okay, yeah we should do a youtube show tom, we have to have visual podcasts before we can worry about a show.
Speaker 1:It might be the only way you ever get me to eat mayonnaise Out of a scoop. Welcome to Tom Tries on Entertain.
Speaker 3:This, I'll write that down.
Speaker 1:Please don't write that down.
Speaker 3:That's just me talking ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Do you have any other questions, Mitch?
Speaker 3:At the moment. I think she's answered pretty much everything I wrote down to ask.
Speaker 1:As I look through all my pre-written notes, it's like man, like we flew through that and we talked about food, which we never get to talk about food.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was thinking like I've always wanted to be on that hot wind show, like to see if how far you can make it yeah, exactly, I think I'd be good we, uh, I mean this will edit most of this.
Speaker 1:This is just kind of talking talking uh, the hot sauce, the last one, the last dab yeah that's the one that they had when we were doing the. We did the video recording too, and the audio we would go to alpharetta oh yeah, to record at mtech the atomic bomb yeah, the atomic, yeah, the whatever, the? Their last one was on hot ones. We had it and it's like lighting your mouth on fire.
Speaker 2:Really, brandy, don't, don't do it, don't buy it I should just look them up and just maybe, yeah, I should, I should probably work up to it.
Speaker 3:You know, just to it's like a, like a sport our other co-host made tom mad one time because Tom got up to leave the room and he put some of the hot sauce just on the inside of his Red Bull.
Speaker 1:Ruining a drink $5 worth of beverage Ruined.
Speaker 3:Ruined Mitch.
Speaker 2:Crazy. I know that was a good one, though.
Speaker 1:Idiotic 30-year-olds with nothing else to do, just giant toddlers.
Speaker 2:Well, it's amusing, we appreciate it.
Speaker 3:I'll have to say that you're the only other Brandy that I know, besides my wife, that spells it with an I that I've actually ever talked to.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, that's cool I was going to say.
Speaker 1:I think that's the only other time I've seen it spelled with the I.
Speaker 2:Yeah, why? I've seen it spelled with the I yeah. Why did your wife's parents choose an I?
Speaker 3:I don't know. She didn't tell me or she's never told me.
Speaker 2:you know specifically why they chose an I but yeah, mine say they didn't want it to be like the alcohol and I'm like it still sounds the same. What is your problem?
Speaker 1:The pronunciation never changed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not at all.
Speaker 1:Because nobody goes brand.
Speaker 2:I my mom always said Brandi Burkhart, mickey Mouse, donald Duck, brandi Burkhart, I'm like oh great, I'm a cartoon character.
Speaker 1:Do I have comically?
Speaker 2:large feet to you, madam. Exactly, she's like well, you're lucky, your name wasn't Rainbow Bright, all right thanks.
Speaker 1:Now go get Easy Bake Oven and tell them dinner's ready Exactly. That would be kind of funny. But, Brandy, thank you very much for joining us on our show Before we I mean we're going to do an edit and tighten it up a little bit. Is there anything you want to plug before we sign off?
Speaker 2:I don't think so. I think, that's it.
Speaker 1:You know, you got your upcoming EP that's going to be coming out next year.
Speaker 2:Yes, and the EP is called Just Like this.
Speaker 1:Check it out on iTunes and Spotify and anywhere else you can stream music.
Speaker 2:Yes, and it's a very different presentation of me, so I'm excited to share it with the world.
Speaker 1:The true Brandy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:We'll have to check it out All of it. I hope I get to hear it on the radio too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you to you, the listener, for enjoying this episode of Entertain this. We'll hopefully catch you on our next ones. I'm Tom, I'm Mitch and entertain this We'll hopefully catch you on our next ones.
Speaker 2:I'm Tom, I'm out.
