Saturday, July 10, 2010

Brittany Alexis Palmer

Brittany Alexis Palmer has done everything from Head and Shoulders ads, to major soap opera roles (Guiding Light), to small roles in major movies (GI Joe, Blond Ambition) and big roles in indies (Spy Games) AND she has even been approached to appear in an extremely impressive photography book by Patrick Ecclesine, a book that led him to become a co-recipient of the SCIBA ART & DESIGN BOOK AWARD of 2009 http://www.facesofsunset.com/ ...the other http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZSHzx5mmpM recipient? Annie Leibovitz's At Work! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEjho8I8XBY In this book, she was photographed as a 'Merry-maker,' and dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, she was even quoted in his book! And this is what she said, "I see people with lots of dreams walking along the yellow brick road (Sunset Boulevard). It's a strange feeling. It's exciting, there's so many possibilities, and everyone looks really beautiful, there's a shimmer to it all, but you don't ever know what's real or tangible. And there's a lot of witches and monkeys. It's really easy to lose yourself on the Yellow Brick Road." Did I already mention…Brittany’s done it all?

Click link to get clips of her work: @ http://www.brittanypalmer.com/reel.html 

Is there another Brittany Palmer?

There is! (laughing)

Okay, I was wondering about that actually. When I was researching, one of the pictures that came up of you looked a little different.


Yeah, it can get confusing sometimes with two actresses with the same first and last name! I know one time I gave my email to someone with my website and they told me to clarify it. I think she’s some kind of…oh, I have no idea. I heard we look a little similar so it’s sort of a little scary…she’s very sexy. All I know is we both have dark hair and dark eyes!

She’s a pretty well known actress I believe. So I read you were ‘Kerry’ in All My Children?

That’s correct. I also did some reoccurring work on Guiding Light; I was Darlene….

You were on both soaps? I didn’t know that…that’s so cool.

Yeah, Kerry was super fun. I just loved all the people so much, everyone from the casting director, Judy Blye Wilson, to all the people on set! It was my very first time on camera though so I was a little nervous.

I bet.

My second day was my make out day, it’s like you’re waiting back stage in your robe and people were like, ‘Ahhh, you got that scene today….’

The last thing I was looking for on the way here was what you did in the upcoming GI Joe movie...did it come out yet?

It did, I was a swing dancer in that movie, I haven’t seen it yet…I’ve been dancing since I was two, it’s my first love I would say. I did get a chance to see myself in the LeAnn Rimes video though…
http://www.slack-time.com/music-video-9367-LeAnn-Rimes-Swingin

I saw that…I’m linking that. Your dancing was amazing, you totally stood out too.

Thank you.

Did you get to talk to her?

For a bit…she was really cool; she’s worked very hard to learn the West Coast Swing

And you?

I already knew how to do it, there’s probably twenty styles, maybe not that many but definitely a lot!

Did you audition for the video?

Not really, they just called me and said, ‘we need you…’ the dance community is very small…I actually did audition but it was a very brief process, they were basically like, “here’s a camera, here’s some really fast music, Go!”

How many commercials have you been in?

I’ve been in four different ones; I did one for Ford with Toby Keith, the country star, like four or five Head and Shoulders commercials, Dr. Pepper, print ads for Finesse

And what about the Depression.com one?

Oh yeah, there was that one too (Laughing). When my friends saw it they were like, ‘Wow, that’s very funny because you are definitely not a depressed person!!’

Your acting was great in it though, I think like the LeAnn video, you stood out the most in this. So, what’s the next big project for Brittany Alexis Palmer?

When I get back to LA I might be doing a James Van Alden shoot…he’s been making some of his own films which have been really interesting…he’s a big photographer who does mostly cinematic photos.
http://www.jamesvanalden.com/frames/master.htm

I want to check him out…and what’s your NYC job you’re here for now?

I also own a business called Merrymakers which involves mostly entertaining. I’ll be hiring actor friends to put on musicals… last year we had a children’s’ event and we did Jack and the Soy Bean Stock

Oh, that’s hysterical!

It was… it was an environmentally friendly show. Over the years I’ve made friends with all these musicians, actors, artists… I just love working with all of these friends. It’s sort of like having many lives. When I do this kind of work, I get to be in charge and I really love that. So this week we were looking at the space to transform a set and next I’ll just have to see what my team can do.

I love it, sounds very creative.

I started it right when I moved to the city; I was a dancer, singer, and actress but I wanted to work with my friends and be in charge of a production…so Merrymakers has been around since 2003. My business partner is Angelica Greuner. I’m the creative one…I kind of come up with a plan and create for it and she’s in charge of the other half…decides the numbers, the budget. What’s nice is that this year we decided to go bi-coastal; it’s always just been here in NY….

I really love how as the CEO of your company you were commissioned to be photographed for the famous photography book, Faces of Sunset Boulevard: A Portrait of Los Angeles by Patrick Ecclesine! This book really reminds me of Veronique Vial’s Woman Before Ten and Jacqueline Hassink’s Car Girls!


That was such a fun shoot. It was freezing…

In LA (laughing)?

Well, we took the shot at night… we had to walk across Sunset Boulevard so many times (laughing)…we had to wait for the light…and there was this homeless guy who insisted on giving me a rose and then he started to freak out and began to attack the lights! He was chasing me and I was in these heels!

Oh no!

Finally, the assistant had to just pull him out off the street and put him in a cab…it was so funny but Patrick did not find it funny at all! It was in all the book stores, it came out at Christmas and it sold out right away! I had a bunch of family members who wanted to get it BUT they had to wait a long time….

That’s so awesome. And it also got nominated for a major art award!

Oh my gosh…I didn’t know that! Wow!

Yeah girl, you’re in one of the most famous photography books of 2009 and if I hadn’t interviewed you, you would have never known! (Laughing). It was up against Anne Leibovitz’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO4pjdVseEs (A Photographer's Life 1990-2005, American Music, Stardust: 1970-1999, Olympic Portrait, The Dancers, Shooting Stars) latest book on photography, At Work! They were both the co-recipients for the SCIBA ART & DESIGN Book Award! I mean Anne Leibovitz…only the most famous photographer in the world right now. I would love to interview that guy…can you make it happen?

Maybe…I’ll try, he’s super busy but, he may be interested…he’s very talented. They spelled my name in that book the same way the other Brittany spells it…I also didn’t know when they had an exhibition of the photos at the Arc Light Movie theater, there was this huge picture of me there…my friend took a picture of it and sent it to me…I never knew it got chosen to be displayed.

Did you get to meet anyone else in book?

No, each shoot was an entirely different part; I really like Patrick’s stuff…

Any one picture stood out to you?

I was impressed by Henry Winkler ('the Fonze' from Happy Days) and his son Max and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger….it was really great he (Patrick) was able to get all these famous people to be in it…I bet he had to snap them pretty quickly…probably didn’t get a lot of time with those guys.

I was impressed to see Pamela Des Barres! What was your role in that Jessica Simpson movie, Blond Ambition?

Oh, it wasn’t major… (Laughing) I just stole a cab from her in one scene…

That is major!


It was pretty funny…

What was she like?

She just seems sweet…she posed for a lot for pictures, the paparazzi were all over her…I’ve NEVER seen such an explosion like that in New York. They also shot in New Orleans…

Any indie films?

A few… I did this Russian Film called Spy Games in English…I might be doing that again in September. I played Agent Susan. That was fun….

Did you have to go to Russia?

No, we shot in New York for my part. It was mostly ADR so they had to shoot separately and then we sat and spoke our parts again and had to remember how we did it and do it all again. I’ve done some great Indies…another was Fire Cracker Flower, really interesting and artistic, it’s been in tons of festivals, it’s in black in white also. And Jason’s Big Problem… it was so silly…kind of raunchy comedy, very fun to do. I’m a little conservative, and not sexy like…I’m more comfortable in the swinging dance world.

I also read you were even a straight ‘A’ student in school and got involved in EVERYTHING! (She was named Miss Teen Glendale Arizona at the age of 16, studied Classical Acting, Opera, Dance and Musical Theater at the Shakespeare Sedona Institute and University of Northern Colorado, won the Sandra Day O'Connor Award from the National Society of Christians & Jews, graduated early Magna Cum Laude, was a cheerleader, member of the cross country team, dance theater, choir, honor society, flute player in marching band, and Student Body President of Greenway High School.)

It was sort of expected in my family. Everyone worked really hard. I got dropped off the whole day at school; I always just had to have a million things going. I’d get bored if I didn’t have a bunch of things to do. My dad was in the military and my mother was principal.

That’s really impressive.

At first she ran a day care from our house, and then she became an art teacher, then taught everything…and then became a principal. My father was an army master sergeant, and then he became a business teacher. I got all my business savvy from him and I think that’s why I don’t like being dependent on anyone. I think it’s always better to be in charge and my business is so fun.

Once we even created a scene from Narnia…we have a huge team so it’s really whatever you’re looking for. We work with whatever they want; ballroom dancing, a play, a singing gig, there’s just a huge variety...

Can you compare NY to LA?

When I first got to LA I felt like the pace just stopped. But I really like having the bi coastal attitude, I really feel lucky that I get to work in both places, it’s tricky though because sometimes right when I’m landing in LA, New York calls me and says, ‘Ok, there’s a commercial to shoot.’ So now I spend a few months a year in both places.

And the lifestyle…

LA: there’s the dog, house, beach…in New York…you get musicians on the street, art everywhere, I love it….

Any celebrity you particularly admire?

Well by just being in LA doing various things, I got to meet Julia Roberts! She’s just really sweet. But I really love Kate Winslet…she’s made some great choices and is very versatile…and Meryl Streep, she’s everyone’s favorite, Judy Garland, and Audrey Hepburn; they’re dancers, singers, and actors… and Audrey was such a big humanitarian…

What is your ultimate goal?

Do I have to have one? I don’t think I have just one!

The ultimate goals?

I’d like to do a lead in a film that is truly inspirational, learn to fly a plane, totally random, um…I don’t know…buy a big house with lots of land and horses, have a family…

Finish this sentence, ‘Do….

Live, laugh, love…’

‘Don’t…

Have regrets…’

Is there any question I forgot to ask and should?

You didn’t ask about the Children of our Villages…

Oh, that’s right…what is your involvement in that?

It was started by Erin Buckley. We’re both all about empowering youth. She did a peace core in Nibia, Africa and came back and had this idea that if we could get the kids to learn in a creative way; have them write a story, and create their own short film…we could bring awareness over there. She just got back from there again and we had a huge benefit in LA where we had entertainers and raised a lot of money for it. She got to show them their film over there. These kids were learning how to fend for themselves, find work…

Sounds amazing!

I kind of function as the ambassador… I don’t have all the time, but, it’s Erin’s baby…that’s a film you should really see…

I would like to.

I can’t pronounce it, it means “I am giving…” they came up with this story where there’s the first child president…the story goes: a little girl is told she can’t be president, she’s too young but then she wins the election…

That’s so cute... the kids came up with it?

Yeah. It’s really quite powerful. I mean these are kids who are told that they’re orphans and they’re not treated very good… but if you give them just a simple task, it’s brilliant…they were even editing the film! I’ve been researching about bringing this to India next…

Oh, I think you should, it’s supposed to be so spiritual there. I’d love to go. So of all these things: dancer, actor, singer, entrepreneur…which one relates to you the most?

Well, I’m an artist I guess, I’m just an artist. All those things relate… they all contribute to each other in some way, you know?

What is something that you’d like to see changed?

Health Care. My nephew was hit by an oncoming car and it cost my sister a fortune! She’s just a teacher! I mean I know a lot of people are against national health care but something does have to happen! There are good and bad sides to both but something needs to happen and quickly. It was really hard to watch what was happening for my own family. I set up a MySpace and got some donations from people for her.

Must have turned your whole world upside down!

My other sister is a lawyer, she got involved and they finally got a settlement…thank god for that otherwise they’d still be in this huge mess! The medical bills were atrocious! I just did a trip to Vermont. There people have chickens hatching eggs, they are growing their own food…it’s just so different…

What about plays?

I did operas and musicals…the last opera I did was Oedipus, it had like 20th century music… To transfer from theater to film took a little adjusting…

Really? Why?

On film you have to be more subtle…and on stage it’s a little bit of a different feeling…the last film festival I attended in March…was for Jason’s Big Problem…the role is just so far from me, the whole process of it was really fun though.

How long did it take to shoot?

Several weeks or something…..

Do you see yourself ever directing?

Yeah and possibly writing or co-writing….

Well, thank you so much for sharing your adventures with me. Your work as an actress, business owner and model impress me and I’m really in awe of all your humanitarian efforts, it motivates me to get more involved, thank you Brittany!

You’re welcome!

4 comments:

Mimi said...

HI!!!!
I hope you remember me Brittany!!I am Corie Gibbs MOM!!! Remember Corie from Bellair Elementary school in Glendale, AZ????She found you on facebook the other day!!!
What a great story here in blogland!!!
Have a great day
write if this is you!!!
hugs,
jamie

D.lessard said...

Hey brittany,

Its David Lessard from desert sky middle school from Glendale,AZ. Wow havent seen u in 20 years and u look exactly the same. U have always stuck out in the crowd...always the most beautiful girl in the room. But saw u on facebook and i knew exactly who u were. Im so proud of u for all u have accomplished. Well dont let another 20 years go bye before u say hello.
Talk to u soon.-David Lessard

D.lessard said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
D.lessard said...

Hey brittany,

Its David Lessard from desert sky middle school from Glendale,AZ. Wow havent seen u in 20 years and u look exactly the same. U have always stuck out in the crowd...always the most beautiful girl in the room. But saw u on facebook and i knew exactly who u were. Im so proud of u for all u have accomplished. Well dont let another 20 years go bye before u say hello.
Talk to u soon.-David Lessard