Brittany Johnson
Getting an axe in the back might not seem like the best way to start your TV acting career, but for Humber grad Brittany Johnson, that’s exactly what it was.
“I was incredibly blessed to have worked on Murdoch Mysteries. I was in the Murdoch Halloween episode so we had some quite terrifying prosthetic wounds – mine were so real they made me feel a little queasy!”
Brittany, who graduated from Humber’s Acting for Film & Television program in 2013 and who plays Diane in the episode, says the entire cast and crew were unwaveringly kind and helpful. (Click to watch Brittany in episode 7x14, Friday the 13th, 1901.)
“I was fortunate enough to be working with a cast of five other stellar women, each of whom supported me and offered guidance at every turn.”
You might also have seen Brittany on CW’s Reign, NBC’s Man Seeking Woman, the Hallmark Channel’s The Good Witch, or even a McDonald’s holiday commercial.
Good Training and a Strong Network
Brittany attributes much of her success to her training at Humber, adding that a large part of why she enrolled in the program was because all of the teachers are or have been working in this field. “Nothing is more valuable than good training and your network of people.”
“At Humber I was provided a safe and nurturing environment to learn and grow within my craft. A large part of what we do is opening ourselves up – taking the time to explore the dark and dusty corners of our humanness, which can be a very scary and vulnerable process. My instructors really took the time to create a space where we could do that. I will be forever grateful for that.”
And, Brittany adds, she also got all the practical skills and tools she uses to this day as she pursues her career.
It’s In Your Blood
Brittany says she was always a performer, even as a young girl. “If you have the arts in your blood, that is all there is to it. You just know.” Though she changed her trajectory somewhat in her late teens, Brittany says that’s only given life and depth to her work.
And it is work. But, she says, she loves every bit of it.
“The list of things I love about acting grows with every script I read, every character I connect with and every challenge I face. But it can be a love-hate relationship: receiving eight pages at 7pm the night before a 9:15 call time can really test your work ethic!”
From Flint to Fire
The key, Brittany says, is to remember that there will always be people who are better, stronger, or prettier than you are, but you can only bring yourself and your work ethic to the table. More often than not, she reminds us, that won’t be enough – and it won't have anything to do with you.
“But then, every once in a while,” she says, “my flint will be what starts the proverbial fire. Those are the wonderful moments that we love, but they are few and far between, so you have to learn to love the process, because 95% of the time all you have is the journey.”
It's great advice from a young actress who seems to have figured out a recipe for success.
Thanks, Brittany, we're looking forward to seeing much more from you!
To find out more about Brittany and keep up with what she's doing, check her out on Facebook at OfficialBrittanyJohnson.
