MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE star Brittany Curran

 

 

You are well known in the TV world with many recurring and guest roles on popular shows such as THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY, GHOST WHISPERER  and most recently MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE, which has been your favorite and why?

 ”That’s a hard question! I love working on all of them for different reasons. On SUITE LIFE I get to laugh all day and have fun with the cast members, who are my friends.  The Chelsea character is extremely fun to play, not to mention her and London have such a good chemistry.  On MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE I get to work with awesome producers like Mike Royce and acting geniuses like Andre Braugher, Ray Romano, and Scott Bakula.  I’d have to say that GHOST WHISPERER might be my favorite. The character I played, Kristi, was amazing and had so much range; we filmed in the town square at Warner Brothers but mostly at Universal, which is my favorite studio.  Also, I kind of became friends with Jennifer Love Hewitt.  I love her! She was so fun to film with and our little girly chats were so great. Jennifer treated me with so much respect and made me feel extremely welcome like I was one of the regulars. She is the one who turned me on to TWILIGHT and the last day of shooting she gave me her cell number and told me to call her when I finished the first book.  So awesome!!”

 

Have you seen both the TWILIGHT films? What did you think?

I have seen both TWILIGHT films and have read all four books. I’m such a dork! Of course, I liked the books better but I thought that the baseball scene in the first film was pretty awesome. The Muse song “Super massive Black Hole” really made that scene.  Also, I love Jackson Rathbone; so naturally all of his scenes are my favorite too.

 

 Do you think this whole vampire theme will keep growing?

I think it’ll have its ebs and flows. You know, when Bram Stoker’s classic DRACULA was released in 1897 it was actually a commercial failure, of course soon after was deemed a brilliant piece of literature. So I think that it all depends on the times and exactly WHO vampires will be popular with. It’s a huge fad right now because die-hard preteen and teen girls made it a fad; TWILIGHT isn’t exactly the most sinister portrayal of vampires

 

 In MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE, you work closely with some big names such as Ray Romano, what is that like?

 “Working with Ray is an absolute dream come true. I’ve admired him ever since I was a little kid growing up and watching EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND.  Just the fact that it’s normal for me to go into work everyday and say “Hey, Ray”…. “Hi Brittany“… then a hug is just crazy. There’s times when I’m acting with Ray and his character’s pain seems so real that it makes me want cry.  His dramatic work is so sincere and honest. Or, there was this one scene where my character Lucy is ferociously texting her ex-boyfriend at dinner.  I remember we were shooting in stage 23 at Paramount Studio. At the end of every scene Ray would improv the funniest new line. I must have cracked up at the end of 7 different takes. It’s such an honor that I get to learn from his comedy.  I’d like to think he learns a little from my drama!”

  

You appeared in both THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY and the spin off, THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK – which show in your opinion did you like better?

ZACK AND CODY was great because it was the original, but I might have to say that I like ON DECK a little better. I think the humor in ON DECK is geared towards a more mature teenage audience and I laugh a lot watching it. I also love how they travel to different countries in the episodes. ON DECK is also more fun because I’m closer with some of the cast members now, so I get to go on set and hang out with my friends! 

 

How do you prepare for your roles?

 ”When I get a new script, the first thing I do is simply read it over for the story. Then I’ll read all of my characters lines’ out loud – a bunch of times – just to get a natural feel for the character and to establish a real person with real feelings. Then I’ll break down the scenes, give the character levels, and write all types of notes; sometimes I’ll even write journal entries as the character. I’ll also pick out a “song list” that I think most grooves with the character. Sometimes I’ll listen to the songs while I’m learning and internalizing lines; the music helps me discover different and interesting nuances within a character, it’s almost subconscious. Then, when I’m filming, I simply live in the moment!”

 

 If you could work with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

 ”Meryl Streep! She is a goddess! Sometimes before I shoot certain scenes in a film (i.e. LEGALLY  BLONDES) I’ll study her acting in a particular role and try to emulate her, just a little. Her acting reminds me that actors can be brilliant, she inspires me, and illustrates to me that I have yet to reach my full potential.”

What advice would you give to other young adults about getting more involved in charity work?

“DO IT!  If you have the means in anyway, particularly time, get involved in charity work. Helping another person is the most honorable thing a person can ever do. Service to others is of utmost importance to me. I’m highly involved with a beautiful foundation called BrittiCares, an organization for children with cancer.  I visit children in their hospital beds at the Children’s Hospital of LA, donate my blood in fact, I’m doing a run/walk for BrittiCares in a couple months.  Sometimes I buy meals for homeless; usually if I see a person on the way into a restaurant I’ll buy them a meal and bring it to them.  Every little bit counts.”

For other kids and young adults wanting to get into acting what advice do you have for them?

 “Know your vision, set your goals, and stop at nothing. Appreciate the small successes along the way and always keep you eye on the prize.  As my dad always tells people, “Look at acting as a marathon, not a sprint.” Take acting classes (I still take classes every week), read a lot, learn from the great classic actors, and take care of your body.  When you’re an actor, your body and mind is all you have, and all you need, so don’t ruin it by smoking, drinking or taking drugs.  Always remember to have fun!  Actors “play,” that’s what we do for a living; it’s so awesome and should always be enjoyed.  Some of the best fun I’ve had on the set was learning to tie a cherry stem into a knot, with my tongue (then kissing Drake) on DRAKE & JOSH; while filming GO FIGURE it was so fun to skate with my childhood hero Olympian Kristi Yamachuchi; sitting with Jennifer Garner behind the scenes while shooting 13 GOING ON 30 was like a dream come true; also, I must say it was quite a joy while shooting FOOD BOY to learn they added a kiss scene with Lucas Grabeel.  The list of fun moments and joy could go on forever.”

 

Do you have any other inspirations besides acting?

 ”I LOVE writing poetry. It’s a passion of mine. I have countless journals just scrawled with words, I really love words. I’m learning the violin. I know some French and am studying at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute. Reading is something I enjoy a lot, I especially love reading about mythology and European history. I usually have 3 books going at any one time.  I can’t tell you how excited I am that my new book just came in, Metamorphosis, the oldest Roman book written and existing in its entirety.   Dancing and singing are also two things I love to do.  Basically, I want to learn as much as I possibly can in my life.”

 

Have you ever been out of the country? If so, where?

 I’ve been to Mexico on a mission trip to rebuild an old library in Aqua Verde. That was an eye-opening experience. Although I’ve yet to go to Europe, I LOVE Europe. I always read about the great castles of France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and so on. I love reading about the history of European countries. My dad and I might go to Ireland in March and then all four of us (dad, mom, brother) may be going to Paris for our summer vacation. I hope so! I’m learning French.

 

 

Aside from MEN OF CERTAIN AGE, do you have any other projects in the works?

 ”There are a few movies in the works right now, just waiting to find out which ones stick. I’ve read some really great scripts lately and been meeting with some directors, writers, and producers. We’ll see!  My shows SUITE LIFE, DRAKE & JOSH, COMPLETE SAVAGES, SHARK and all my movies are still playing around the world. “

  

 

 

Official Website: www.brittanycurran.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/brittanycurran