Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Brinks.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been so fascinated by movies and how there’s an entire industry dedicated to the imagination. It’s amazing how a team of people can transport audiences into these worlds that they create. Those thoughts have always captivated my mind ever since I was really young, but I had no clue if there would ever be a possibility for me to work in this industry. I never thought of being an actor until I got up and finally tried it.
That’s when I made the connection that it was how my brain worked and navigated the world. I always thought that I would be an Olympic horseback rider, a musician, or a professional photographer. It isn’t until now that I am working in the entertainment industry that I realize that these other passions were really just stepping stones getting me to where I am now and the artist that I’ve found myself to be.
When I was 14, I moved to Aspen, Colorado from San José del Cabo, México to start high school. I joined a class called Fall Play Production, thinking I would only be working as a producer of the show. Instead, as a class, we were in charge of everything from the lighting design to the marketing, including holding auditions and casting ourselves. This was the best way to learn everything all at once and find what aspect I loved most. Both to my surprise, but also not a surprise at all in a strange way, I connected with acting.
It was my light bulb moment and without even questioning it, I fully pursued it from then on. Up until I graduated, I performed in every show that came through town while sometimes doing 6 shows at once during my senior year. I was so blessed to work with Juilliard grads and Broadway choreographers at Theatre Aspen as it laid the foundation for my study of performance.
It was truly the family connection between castmates that made me dive even deeper into it, but I still knew that I wanted to move on from live performances and work in film, which is a whole other beast entirely.
I graduated in 2019 and moved to Savannah to get a B.F.A. in Performing Arts at SCAD. My freshman year didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped after breaking my foot just a day before moving to college, causing me to miss out on a lot of filming that I was so eager to start. Then, of course, Covid hit just as I felt like I had settled enough to start working. As the world shut down and forced me to move to online classes, I realized that it would probably be best if I took a break from studying because I didn’t feel like I was getting enough out of the classes over Zoom.
This was my lowest point because I had been so ready to get to work as soon as I landed in Savannah, and already a year had passed and I had nothing to show for it. During Christmas break at the end of 2020, I took some time to really get everything in order for the new year and I was going to hit the ground running as soon as the holidays were over, and I did just that.
I started with background roles in almost a dozen movies like J.D. Dillard’s “Devotion”, Netflix’s “First Kill”, Lifetime movies, and other shows that came through town. Then, through networking, I scored a photo double and stand-in job for Jaimie Alexander in a movie with Gerard Butler. After getting that, I began to make a name for myself amongst the casting agents in town for any photo double, stand-in, or background gigs.
In the fall of 2021, I joined “The Menu”, which was the first movie that I would be on board for from start to finish. I learned everything I possibly could from the brilliant cast and crew that I worked with. I was in awe watching the brilliant Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, and so many other amazing actors become their characters fully the moment. I am so grateful for that crew and how they gave me opportunities to perform full scenes and fill in for Anya during rehearsals.
To be quite honest, I was very proud of the performances that I gave, but of course, the cameras were never rolling on me as a stand-in. Nevertheless, it was such an important learning experience because I always believe you can get something out of every opportunity, even if it’s not within your dream job title.
Any compliments about my acting that came from those accomplished actors or the wonderful director, Mark Mylod who I love dearly, really made me feel like I could relax and understand that I really did know what I was doing. Anya was also such a wonderful mentor to me by comforting me as I knew she’d been in my shoes before, and knew what I was going through with all of her advice.
When that show wrapped, I got called in as a photo double for the final week of filming Hulu’s “The Girl From Plainville”, which led to my next job of being hired on the spot as a full-time stand-in for “Halloween Ends”. I was almost hesitant about taking this job because I really wanted to move on from standing in and start getting cast in projects, but I knew that it would be another learning opportunity that I could always get something out of.
After another 2 months of working with an amazing creative crew and the brilliant Jaimie Lee Curtis and David Gordon Green, I really felt like I was ready for the next step in my career. So much so, that I turned down my next full-time stand-in gig with the risk that actors know all too well, about not knowing when or where your next paycheck will come.
I’ve been lucky to have recently landed a role in a small project and have finally gotten some footage for my portfolio. To be completely honest, I did think that I would be further than I am and have a few speaking roles under my belt, but I can never even imagine complaining about where life has brought me thus far.
Every job that I’ve been a part of, every actor and director that I’ve gotten to work with, has only further given me confidence in knowing that I truly have faith in my own skills and trust that I’ll be proud of my performances when the time comes.
Nothing can ever scare me away from this industry, but only draw me in further. They couldn’t get rid of me even if they tried. Because of these opportunities, I can say with confidence that I know I’m a good actor and this is what my mind was created to do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think that the biggest struggle that I’ve faced is that feeling of, “What if I’m not good enough?” It’s been hard for me because I have known wholeheartedly that this is what I was made for and it feels like this industry is just how my brain is wired, but not having enough opportunities to prove it to myself and others.
To get through any of that doubt, I’ve always taken even the tiniest opportunity that I have on set to test myself and perform a scene. Not only am I doing this for anyone else to see what I can do, but also for myself to see as well. I don’t think you’ll ever know that you can do it until you’ve done it, and you can’t wait for yourself to feel like you’re ready or you’ll just be waiting forever.
I can practice as much as I want to in my living room, but it’s a different feeling entirely when you’re doing it in front of people and cameras and lights. So, any time I’ve been on set as a stand-in, I’ve really tested the limits of what I’m allowed to do and I’ll just start performing the scene with my lines memorized and just hope that nobody stops me. I’ve been lucky not to get in trouble for that because as a stand-in I’m really only supposed to stand there and know what my actor does and help the crew know what’s going on in the scene.
If there’s an opportunity to act, I take it and I run with it. If I were to give any advice to anyone wanting to get into the film industry, no matter what area you’re focused on, I would suggest becoming a stand-in at least for a show or two. It gives you the best opportunity to see everyone and their jobs and quite literally stand there and soak it all in.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an actress, I’ve really come to learn how this is a business almost more so than it is an art. It takes a very special kind of skill, one that you can always get better at, to know how to manage both your creativity and your brand. If I were to give advice to an aspiring actor, I would say to really work on both sides of it entirely and don’t just devote yourself to becoming a better actor, but also a better business person.
On the marketing spectrum, I’ve made sure that I have a website up and running, I’m easy to find on google and social media, and all of my work is out there for the world to see. I also have really stepped out of my comfort zone when it comes to networking and meeting people in this industry.
I have met some amazing people that I’ve truly just enjoyed talking with and learning about their stories, but it all started with me stepping out and thinking “I’ve got nothing to lose, so I might as well introduce myself”. As for bettering myself as an actor, I learn from almost everything that I do.
It really is the art of empathy and understanding human emotions. I am always focusing and noting every little detail that I can pick up from movies, interviews, scripts, and even watching people on the street. There is nothing that can’t be applied as a learning tool, and I would hope that could inspire anyone else in any field that they’re in.
I am currently most proud of my work on “The Menu” and the performances that I gave while working with such acclaimed actors. Although my rehearsals won’t be in the final film, of course, I’m still very proud that they happened for me and I got to learn from those experiences, push myself, and make some lifelong friends.
I think that I am currently most known for my work as the “Dead Lover” in “Halloween Ends”, which has only just finished shooting earlier this month, but I already have a lot of fans finding me on social media. It’s exciting to be a part of a franchise and see the strong fanbase that comes with it. It really makes me happy if I can make someone’s day by replying to a message from someone who’s excited to see the film.
I do think it’s funny that I already have some fans from my Lifetime movies or Halloween since I’ve barely had a speaking part, but hopefully, this is just the start. I know what it’s like to be a huge fan of a character or a movie, so I would be the happiest person in the world knowing that my work has been able to inspire joy in someone, just as movies have done so for me.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I think one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is to listen to your instincts because they are never wrong. If this is truly a dream that you want to pursue, there shouldn’t be anything that can ever get in your way.
I truly live by the motto that “Everything happens for a reason” because I’ve found that some of the bad things that have happened along the way ended up making room for even better opportunities. It’s all about trusting that your journey is going to work out just the way that it needs to and you really just have to hold on for the ride and have a strong foundation in yourself and your talent.
Just taking it day by day has gotten me through the hardest times in my journey and just keep focusing on my dreams and where I want to be.
Contact Info:
- Email: emilybrinks@gmail.com
- Website: https://emilybrinks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.milyb.rinks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.brinks.92
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilybrinks_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAENrXiNHgRtap8l5bSyI1A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/emilybrinks?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
- Other: https://www.imdb.me/emilybrinks
