Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Shirley.
Hi Brian, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my journey in entertainment about 30 years ago, but it was much earlier than that. I remember writing skits, making up silly characters, and wanting to be on the Carol Burnett show when I was a kid. I started writing short stories in my early teens and attempted to write a few novels. I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved being creative on paper and acting out various characters I either made up or saw on TV. I was a timid kid, especially at school, but I seemed to come out of my shell when I had to do an oral report or anything that involved a performance. Later in high school, I wrote for the school newspaper and did a Spanish class skit where I was a Spanish Johnny Carson in front of most of the school. I also wrestled for 4 years and lettered in that sport. When I graduated, after messing around for a few years, I went into the USAF. After getting out of basic training and getting to my squadron, I got back into writing. I also helped with squadron functions as an emcee and helped write and organize some of the events.
When I got out, it took another year or so of bumbling around, then I joined a comedy workshop and got my first taste of doing stand-up in front of a crowd at a professional comedy club, The Comedy Zone. That did it for me; I was hooked after years of performing, touring, and growing as a performer. I realized I needed to do more than be a comedian. I needed to diversify my talents, and I was fortunate enough to be able to expand on what I had done to survive as an entertainer. I have found new avenues, connections, and ways to make an income I never dreamed of. I’ve been paid to do stand-up, be an actor (background, featured background, supporting, guest star, voice-over), live events), host trivia, DJ various events, and create content. I love challenging myself, setting goals, and creating new material. Sometimes, I will have a week where I will do stand-up one night, host trivia another night, do some VO work from home and spend a day or more on a film set. Those are full, exhilarating weeks, and I love the variety of things I get to do. This keeps me well-rounded as a performer. I make whatever I do about the people I’m performing for and make what I do come from a good place in my soul.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think anyone has a smooth road, despite what people may say. I have been my own worst enemy at times, drinking and partying too much when I was on the road and also not taking care of my health. I have also burned my share of bridges, which has held me back at some point. The big one was, well, very nearly the big one. A massive heart attack on 9/11/2018 slowed me down for a little while, but I was determined to come back and did for a little while. Then COVID hit, and it went to hell again for a while. We all recovered from that as best we could, and I started getting a lot of work. Then, last year, in November, I had another health scare; what we thought was another heart attack turned out to be a blood clot. I’m on medication and doing well again, and it has not slowed me down. These are just some of the challenging things; there are more. It will be worth the struggle if you can rise to each challenge and make something good out of it. It’s hard to think that when you’re going through these tough times, but somehow, I kept going.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a writer, first and foremost. To me, everything starts with the writing. The story matters most, whether comedy, acting, animation, etc. Then, you figure out what creative medium you will use to express that story. I’ve been known mainly as a comedian, but now I’m also starting to get known as an actor. I also make my own content, so I’ve produced, directed, and acted on some projects or collaborated with others on projects. I want to continue growing as a performer, whether as a comedian, actor, voice-over artist, writer/director, or events host/emcee. I’m very proud that I can still do all these things at a high level and make a living at it. That’s what I’m most proud of, but also all the little things that have been small victories to get me here and push me forward. I still get excited when one of my short films is accepted to a film festival, no matter how big or small the festival is, especially if we are a finalist or a winner! I say “we” because these films have been a group effort, and I’m very proud of the people I have been lucky enough to work with. There are some very talented people in the films. I’ve made and been a part of; check them out, and you’ll see. I know of at least one actor who has gotten work from other directors when they saw them in my short film “Anguish.” That’s something to be proud of all the way around. I’m setting myself apart from others by continuing to push myself and grow in every way possible. I have done things in the last ten years, or so I could not have imagined when I took to the stage for the first time all those years ago. We all have something to contribute somewhere, and the best you can do is be authentic to what you are creating. Put as much as your soul into what you do, and you’ll reap the reward; that’s what I hope to keep on doing, more and more.
What were you like growing up?
I was a timid and silly kid at the same time. I loved to laugh, and I also loved to make other people laugh. I would make up silly words or names and write silly sayings, then watch people read what I had written; it made me happy to see their reactions. Even if they didn’t laugh, it taught me something about what I was doing. We moved around quite a bit when I was a kid, so making and keeping friends was tough. I was also the nerdy kid with braces and glasses, so that didn’t help much. I was picked on quite a bit as a kid until about 10th or 11th grade after I had been wrestling for a few years. I still have no tolerance for bullies and consider them the scum of the Earth. They’re all cowards if you ask me. I also came from a broken home; my mom took care of me and my brother with the help of her parents. We made the best of it but lived in some ratty apartments until I was about 13. She worked hard to get us into a decent condo, and I lived there until I was 18, just a few years before entering the USAF.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://briantshirleyactor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briantshirley1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.t.shirley.5/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briantshirley/
- Twitter: https://x.com/briantshirley
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@btscharleston/featured
Image Credits
Steve Curtiss (Personal Photo)
