Today I’m sitting down with actor-musician, Brandon Jay McLaren. Starting out as an athlete and a marine biology major, Brandon has gone on to craft a full and dynamic career as an actor over the course of nearly 20 years. Beginning as early as age 12, Brandon began booking commercials with the encouragement and support of his mother. Though he continued to study acting throughout high school and college, upon graduation, Brandon began feeling the pressure to go out and get a “real job.” Despite this fear, Brandon couldn’t ignore that gnawing feeling inside him to continue to pursue the craft and reached out to a casting director who had seen him perform 4 years earlier and decided to go all in. Since then, Brandon has gained an extensive list of credits that only continues to grow. You’ve seen him in AMC’s “The Killing”, Lifetime’s “UnREAL”, Bravo’s “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”, NBC’s “Chicago Fire”, Jordan Peele’s “The Twilight Zone” reboot, and most recently, on the top ranked Netflix hit series, “Firefly Lane” and the TV movie release of “Marry Me This Christmas.” But Brandon’s artistic endeavors don’t stop there. He is also a musician who regularly collaborates with his brother, Brent McLaren, whose songs have even gone on to be featured in some of Brandon’s television and film credits. Today, Brandon offers practical advice for actors on everything from Zoom callbacks, to screen testing, to auditioning, and the importance of choosing an agent that is as excited about you as you are about them.

Guest links:

• IMDB: Brandon Jay McLaren
• INSTAGRAM: @brandonjaymclaren
• ITUNES: All Yours - Single

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Credits:

• WRITER: Erin McCluskey
• SOUND DESIGN: Zachary Jameson
• WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings
• ASSISTANT: Elle Powell
• SOCIAL OUTREACH: Bebe Katsenes