Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Brinkley.
Hi Brad, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The short-long version is that I came into dialect coaching by way of acting. Dialect work was a part of my undergrad degree, as well as the MFA Acting program I went through. When I relocated to Atlanta, I began teaching vocal technique, movement work, and dialects in various universities and private studios, which is where I met the fantastic Cynthia Barrett (also an accomplished actor and veteran on-set coach). Every once in a while, Cynthia would have more work opportunities than her availability allowed her to accept, and since she knew I had the skill set, she generously offered to let me interview for them. Several years later, I’ve had the privilege of working my way up to full-time on-set dialect coaching for multiple film and television productions.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Strangely, the dialect side of my career has been incredibly smooth. I can honestly say that every opportunity has more or less been a gift, with very little front-end work on my part. Only two struggles come to mind. One is balancing on-set coaching with my acting career. I’ve had to pull back from auditioning quite a bit and become more selective about the types of projects my agent (the lovely Jana VanDyke) submits me for. The other bump in the road is ego. For a long time, I suffered from tunnel vision regarding my acting career. In my mind, if I was earning income from anything besides performing, it was a “failure.” It took me a long time to realize that 99% of actors have to piece together various income streams, especially in the southeast region. Now, I’m able to enjoy having a foot in both performing and coaching, experiencing more steady, stable income, and building relationships with showrunners, directors, EPs, and actors across multiple shows and networks. This would never have happened if I had limited myself solely to acting.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is mainly about helping actors and the creative higher-ups tell good story. Sometimes, I help reduce accents. Sometimes, I get to create the sound of a region or a town with an entire ensemble (for example HEELS, on Starz). Regardless, my passion is giving the actors a big vocal sandbox to play in. I like to keep it light, give them plenty of room to explore and help them find a sound that is fun for them to play and fits the world of the show. I have what I think of as a tuxedo aesthetic with a jeans-and-tee-shirt attitude. I care deeply about art and process, but I don’t take any of this seriously enough to get stiff and pretentious. Plus, training and working as an actor helps me relate and speak to performers in an efficient, effective way that doesn’t disrupt their process. If I do my job well enough, I’m very hands-off during production, trying to sneak in notes as infrequently as possible. I try my best to give actors the tools they need in a way that’s lighthearted and easy to understand.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m a Bible guy. That’s the bedrock of everything I do. Within that text, I constantly go back to Romans, James, and 1 John. The Bible is my “desert island” book.
Some voice and dialect resources that I love are the International Dialects of English Archive, the book Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristen Linklater, and the podcast Voice Work.
I’m more of a reader than a listener. Here are a few incredible, my-life-is-definitely-better-because-of-them books: The Leadership Challenge, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Addicted to Mediocrity, Leaders Eat Last, The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change Your Family.
Contact Info:
- Email: brad@brinkleyvoice.com
- Website: www.brinkleyvoice.com
Image Credits
Photographer = Ray Bengston (Eyekool Photography)
