Growing up in Eastchester, NY, I immediately had an interest in the performing arts. As a child, I would always play “make-believe” and act out stories. I started acting in shows while in middle school with the Eastchester High School Player’s Club and Eastchester Youth Council Summer Theatre and continued until graduating high school. During Chemistry Honors in 10th grade, I remember catching myself daydreaming about being on stage. It was that moment that made me realize the only thing I wanted to do was perform. I started going on auditions in NYC and was cast in my first play outside of school! When time came to look at colleges, I was very torn about auditioning for BFA acting programs. With all of the demands of the profession and the unfortunate reality where many actors struggle to support themselves financially, I was afraid to spend my four years of college just studying acting. Being an actor is scary – you have to stand in your own truth, be vulnerable, face a lot of rejection, and accept that the industry is very unpredictable. In feeling discouraged and worried about my chances at success with acting, I convinced myself I needed to use college to prepare for a back-up plan.
Potential movie poster for my short film, Half Empty!! @toastypete @StorysmithCo #repost #movieposter #shortfilm pic.twitter.com/jikDrucFdp
— Brandon Salerno (@brandonsactor) April 16, 2016
As a result, I enrolled in NYU’s College of Arts and Science to pursue an academic degree in environmental science while continuing to pursue acting on the side. I quickly realized that I had made a huge mistake. It was move-in day in late August and I remember every new freshman was asking each other what they were studying. It felt so disingenuous to say that I was pursuing a science degree and that acting was just a hobby on the side. College was supposed to be where you grow into yourself and I was starting off all wrong. In being too afraid to take the risk to do what I really loved, I essentially forced myself to accept a future that I didn’t want. It was a very hard time. After weeks of not enjoying school, I decided that I needed to stop feeling bad about myself and do something about it. I began looking into transferring to programs where I could study acting from multiple perspectives and then put those techniques in practice in my work outside of school. Thankfully, I didn’t have to look far – I was accepted to NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study where I was able to create my own concentration focusing on acting, entertainment business and educational theatre. It was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made! When I returned to my new program at NYU in my sophomore year, I felt so incredibly motivated and confident. I was able to overcome my fears about acting and finally pursue the path that I had always wanted ever since playing “make-believe” as a child. I learned that life is too short to spend one second of it unhappy, but you have to be confident to make the change for yourself! In my heart, I knew that acting was my dream – I just needed to throw away the negativity, take the risks and accept it. There was a bump in the rood, but I overcame it. Since then, I have been auditioning non-stop and trying to expose myself to as many different techniques, teachers, directors and types of projects as possible. I have even created my own work including a YouTube comedy channel called Happy Accident and a short film about alcoholism called Half Empty. I’m very excited for the next steps of my career!
Did you study acting
Yes, I have studied acting! I began taking my acting training more seriously in November 2009 while rehearsing for my high school’s annual fall comedy. That year it was While the Lights Were Out, by Jack Sharkey – a hysterical murder mystery farce! I played Roderick Remley, the creepy butler. This character wasn’t the most instrumental to the play’s plot, but I developed very specific physical and vocal mannerisms that made me stand out in performance. I remember on opening night that members of the audience were hysterical laughing whenever I would speak and afterwards told me that I had “stolen the show”. After that performance was when I started pursuing more formal training, especially in comedy! Since then, I have completed a summer conservatory program at Stella Adler Studio, Improv 101 and 201 at Upright Citizens Brigade, a Shakespeare Intensive with The Pearl Theatre, Clown 1 with the Movement Theatre Studio, On-camera technique at Kimball Studio and numerous performance classes directly through NYU including NYU Gallatin Arts Workshops, NYU Tisch, NYU Steinhardt and Fiasco Theater.
What acting technique do you use
I definitely incorporate a lot of different techniques when approaching a role. I have a strong foundation in Stella Adler Studio’s technique, which focuses on playing psychological actions and using the imagination. However, since completing the studio’s summer conservatory, I have also studied Stanislavski and Lecoq through other programs. In addition, some of the acting classes that I have taken didn’t focus on a specific, established technique, but rather they had their own original terminology and exercises to help achieve the same level of acting. Ultimately, these different techniques that I have worked with can be applied in numerous ways depending on the style of the performance. Based on the demands of the role, I may find one approach more useful than another.
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting
Acting isn’t just an art form – it’s also a business. I think that a lot of actors, including myself before attending NYU, focus primarily on their artistic development and don’t fully view the profession from a business perspective. There are so many components to marketing yourself within the industry that aren’t always taught as much as the artistic techniques. For example, the correct format of a headshot and resume, building a website, how to network with casting directors, agents and managers, identifying your “type”, etc. all have an influence on an actor’s career. I categorize these things as the “business side”. I think that many times, however, this side is not fully understood by new talent and not learned early on. I found it most helpful to take classes on acting technique alongside courses on entertainment business because as I learned about myself as a performer, I was able to think about different ways to translate those skills so that I could be a marketable talent in the industry.
Do you take courses to improve your craft
Yes! I am always looking at new classes that I can take to try different approaches or work with new teachers. Right now, I have found it very helpful to attend workshops with casting directors, in which they talk about their casting experiences and give feedback on a scene or monologue that I present. I have learned so much from these workshops and also have made some new connections! The casting directors that I have met so far have definitely given me a better insight into the casting process overall and what I can expect at an actual audition with them. Looking ahead to the near future, I hope to also enroll in more improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade!
What acting books do you read
The most recent books that I have read focus on comedic theories and performance styles. Some are Why is That So Funny? by John Wright, The Moving Body by Jacques Lecoq, Taking Laughter Seriously by John Morreall and Commedia Dell’arte: An Actor’s Handbook by John Rudlin.
How do you keep fit as an actor
I think the best way that I keep mentally fit is trying to find the positive side of everything. If something doesn’t go how I originally planned, or I end up not getting a role I really wanted, I’m sure there was something that I learned through the experience that can help me in the future. I also always use humor to keep my spirits up! Joan Rivers, who I absolutely loved and respected, would say “when you make someone laugh, you give them a little vacation and maybe you take the worst thing in the world and make it funny”. I try to follow that in my daily life, to stay positive and stay focused. Physically, I’m always trying to make healthier choices. Mostly, I rely on movement classes or projects to keep my body conditioned for the necessary physical work that comes with this career.
How do you prepare or a role
When I’m offered a role, I definitely do some work on my own before the first rehearsal. I’ll read the script and try to get a sense of who this character is, what is their backstory, and what happens to them in the arc of the production. I try to pinpoint the general Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. While looking over certain scenes, I will probably begin to get a sense of my character’s objectives, but I would wait for rehearsals to discover these choices and let them come organically.
How do you breathe life into a character
For me, it is helpful to clearly pinpoint my character’s objective and actions he would play to achieve that objective. I then simplify this analysis by improvising the scene on my own or with my scene partner. The table work is very beneficial, as it solidifies my acting choices. However, it can sometimes lead to overthinking. I use improv to keep the material fresh and fully express my character’s intentions without just the assigned lines. I then merge the two approaches in performance so that I can use my foundational work to really understand my character, while also being fully present and reactive.
How do you stay fresh on set
I stay fresh by just trying to remember the intention and feeling before the cut. When I am fully clear on what my character wants in the scene and I am fully committed to this objective, I feel more prepared to just jump back into the moment before. It also helps to block out all of the nerves as much as possible. I may also go over my lines, rehearse with another cast member or do some warm-up exercises to stay in the moment.
Describe a memorable character you played
I play the lead role, Charlie, in a comedic YouTube series called Flying High With Charlie by OutliciousTV. Charlie is a gay flight attendant dealing with a very turbulent dating life. He is anxious, innocent and very involved with his job. Things seem to not always work out for Charlie as planned, resulting in many hysterical situations. This was definitely one of my favorite roles that I have played so far! Season 1 has received over 100,000 views and is now streaming on Amazon Prime! Season 2 is set to be released later this summer!
Explain one creative choice you took on set
Last year, I worked on a production of Greater Tuna at NYU. This show is a crazy farce where two actors play all of the different characters. In first approaching the roles, I definitely explored over-the-top acting to fit with the comedic nature of the piece. However, my director pointed out that while this play is a parody of a stereotypical 1980s Texan lifestyle, the characters themselves are not merely stereotypes. He gave me the direction to explore the sincerity of these characters underneath all of their absurdities. Greater Tuna has some dark and serious moments intertwined with the humor and so he advised that I find the truth of those moments. After taking his note, I definitely felt a difference with my performance. My characters were not simply outlandish for the sake of being funny, but rather they had a more grounded motivation behind each action. This allowed for the serious moments to become more truthful, while also enhancing the comedic moments because my characters now were built with more specificity. In a way, I merged Lecoq and Stanislavski approaches to develop these enhanced characters while also grounding them in the truth of their circumstances.
What do you want most from a director
I want a director to have a clear vision for the project that we are working on and also be open to input from the actors. I think that it really helps me when a director has a well thought out concept for the project with a specific layout of what he wants. The director’s plan gives me more specific information to work with when developing my character and rehearsing with other cast members. At the same time, I sometimes find myself making discoveries that may not fully fit with exactly what the director wants. I would want a director to be open to hearing how I feel about the character or scene and then work with me to see if this different direction plays out more naturally than the original concept. I think being open to experimentation is not only a learning experience for both actors and directors, but it also makes the process more enjoyable and fresh!
What actors do you long to work with
I think one actor that I would LOVE to work with would be Bobby Moynihan, who is currently a cast member of Saturday Night Live!
Why
One reason I would like to work with him is that Bobby and I both graduated from Eastchester High School! While I was still in school, he came back for career day and talked about his experience auditioning for SNL. I remember going up to him after his speech and asking him about his time at EHS. It’s just such an inspiration that someone started his career at the same place that I did and he made it on one of the greatest shows on TV! It would be an honor to share a stage with him. My second reason is that he is a master of comedy! It would be SO much fun to perform a sketch together! I have so much respect for him as an actor.
What advice would you give to actors
I would tell actors to never give up if this profession is what makes you happy. I think that holds true for performers anywhere. There are so many barriers that deter actors from continuing to pursue this career. I would say that in these moments when you feel discouraged, you should take that energy and use it as motivation to make / do something new. Start a practice group, write a web series, sign up for new classes – there are so many ways to take control of your career. You can’t give up if you haven’t tried them all! With my own pursuit of acting, it took me some time to fully own up to this myself. Since then, I have never been happier.
Briefly write about your career
Past memorable theatre credits include: Stanley (Brief Encounter – Provincetown Playhouse NYC), Sosia (Amphitryon – NYU), Arles, et al. (Greater Tuna – NYU). Gabe (Baptized – NY International Fringe Festival), Laertes (Hamlet – The Pearl Theatre)
Currently, I am a member of the Commedia dell’Arte troupe called The Department of Fools. We will be performing at this year’s NY International Fringe Festival!
Past memorable TV/Film credits include: Charlie (Half Empty – Storysmith Productions), Joey (Glamourish – NorthSouth Productions), Charlie (Flying High With Charlie – OutliciousTV)
Past memorable commercials: Dollar Shave Club, #MPWR, NYU Entrepreneurs Festival Promo
In June of 2015, I co-founded the YouTube comedy channel called Happy Accident! Our first video was called Coming Out, a parody on my actual coming out experience, in which I played myself. Lohud – The Journal News and Eastchester Hamlethub interviewed our group about the video after its release! Other credits from Happy Accident include: Gay Boy’s Lament, Todd’s Tea Party, and Tumblr Girl! Episode Four: Ableism.
All of the projects listed above have helped me grow as a performer in some way. I either learned something about myself, learned a new technique, applied a new approach or worked on a type of project that I had not previously had any experience with. I am very grateful for all of these opportunities and I look forward to seeing what comes next!
