I saw a play version of The Secret Garden when I was a kid, and I just instantly wanted to be up there as the lead. I was shy, so I wrote and acted all through school, and then I took a leap and started focusing on acting.
Just saw the new teaser for the film I’m in, A Week In London! https://t.co/a2oO6mGfLI Can’t wait! #actress #movie #comedy
— Bridget Fitzgerald (@smileybridge) December 2, 2015
Did you study acting
I did study acting for years. I was always in plays in school, took drama in high school, but it wasn’t until I got to college that I really started to focus on acting. I took classes at Western Carolina University. I then went to intern at Flat Rock Playhouse, the state theater of North Carolina, where we took daily classes on all forms of technique. When I moved to New York City, I continued my studies, taking eight years of improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade.
What acting technique do you use
I use improv a lot when I’m working both because it’s second nature now and also because a lot of sets demand it, especially commercials. For Joe’s War (a feature film I’m in), I was improvising for eight hours opposite an incredibly accomplished actor, Armand Assante (original Judge Dredd). It felt like I’d danced the lead in a ballet after the shoot was over! I also like to use Meisner for serious roles because it feels natural and also complimentary to the improv work.
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting
Acting is technique as well as emotion. Film acting is about hitting your mark over and over again and making it look real. It’s a craft, and it takes a while to get good!
Do you take courses to improve your craft
I take classes at the Actors Workout Studio in Los Angeles or workshops at SAG-AFTRA to get better. I also highly recommend Jack Plotnick’s workshop. He really frees you up!
What acting books do you read
Acting In Film by Michael Caine is a great resource.
Bridget Fitzgerald as Jodi in Pearl The Assassin II
How do you keep fit as an actor
I am always working out and working out! 🙂 I have a daily exercise routine I follow involving both free weights and cardio. I mentally am kept fit by working on new material. If I’m not auditioning, I’m going to workshops. There’s no excuse to not be ready to go.
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next
It depends on the production. For my lead in Happy Place, that was very rehearsal heavy. For Joe’s War, not as much. I learn my lines and I try to come in with the character I brought to the audition and work from there. But always be ready to change. It’s a group art.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
I memorize the lines until it’s in my rote memory. It feels like it’s naturally what I want to say at that point. Then I just work with the other actor. You can say anything you want – the scene is what your reactions are with the other person. That’s where the real magic starts to happen.
Happy Place
How do you stay fresh on set
On a film set, it’s not about staying in character all day. It’s about control. Release the character. Bring her back. If you did your homework and built her, you know how to build her again.
Describe a memorable character you played
I played an art school student, Liz, who is going back home to reconnect with her father after her mother dies of cancer in dark comedy Happy Place (Candice Knutson director, Rob Nachman DP, 2016). It was a great joy to me because Liz had all these elements of comedy and also deep pathos. It was great to make people laugh and cry. Photos attached.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
I was in the chorus for a scene in Singin’ In The Rain, and I had one line: “That was just awful.” And other people could have been like, well, just say it. But not me! I imagined this whole character, this crotchety old lady from Brooklyn, and so I delivered it like that, and before the show, was improvising as her, saying (in a thick Brooklyn accent) “I’ve seen better looking things in my stool.” And then that became this running joke for the season at the theater, this hilarious old lady. Years later, I would pull that character back to do a line in short film “Dying Wishes.” So just, I guess, use what you’re given! Enjoy it! Play in it!
What do you want most from a director
Clear vision. If a director knows what she or he wants, then it’s easy for me to understand and deliver.
What actors do you long to work with
Tom Hanks would be the absolute best.
Bridget with Armand Assante
Why
He’s a quality performer every time. He’s been a thousand different men, and I think he’s one of the great actors of our time.
What advice would you give to actors
You were given a dream for a reason. Now it’s on you to make it a reality. Hone your craft. You want it? Go get it. No excuses. You’re given one life. Live it! And enjoy the process. Also, you never know in this business what’s coming. Be positive, help people like you have been helped. I can’t say thank you enough to all the people who have helped me come this far.
Hot Date
Briefly write about your career
Bridget Fitzgerald is an actress, comedienne, and model. She stars in, wrote, and created sitcom Musie (Time Warner) and web series WatchTheAdmin (Three Cities Film Fest). She is currently fundraising for her next web series (an Ovation TV finalist) . She has been in feature films “Joe’s War”, “Ol’ School”, “Things I Don’t Understand”, “Pearl: The Assassin”, and the upcoming dark comedy “Happy Place”. She has modeled or acted in commercials for many products including: IBM, Fiat, Always, Olay, Dell, Burger King, USPS, and White Castle. She is gratefully living her dream of being a working actress in Los Angeles
