Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Britton Bentley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Britton, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I moved back to L.A. on March 1st, 2020, fresh off a live performance at Junior High LA when the venue was still on Hollywood Blvd. I got a job as a PA on a tv show and threw my mattress on the floor of the empty room in my friend’s 2-bedroom apartment in Pico-Robertson area. I grabbed coffee at Maru with my friend Tao an hour before he was scheduled to go into the writer room for Atlanta with Hollywood royalty. My hopes and dreams were alive. The vision was set. He challenged me to do everything–write, produce, perform. To create without limits. Inspired by his story of spending years carrying coffee for writers before breaking in, I braced myself to grind and pursue a similar path.
I had no idea my first day on set as a PA would also be my last, as production was shut down due to safety concerns regarding Covid-19. Naturally I spent the next day tanning on the front lawn of my new pad. And one of the other tenants, an aspiring actress, told me about unemployment. Over the course of the next year I moved three times, went through the psychological challenges of shelter in place, mask mandates, and one of the most statistically violent years in L.A. in recent history. But two thing remained constant in times of drastic change: the vision for a future inspired by the ones who went before me, and the impulse to create. I decided to to view everything as a rite of passage to becoming the artist I’ve always wanted to be. The nights on the back patio chain smoking cigarettes and talking about poetry with my friend Nick while he blew up on Tik Tok, the long afternoons alone in my room writing new music and practicing the guitar.
And in February of 2023, almost three years to the date of moving back to L.A., I returned to Junior High L.A. to perform live for the first time after the pandemic. With some old friends, and new friends on the lineup. Only this time I also had racked up my first writing credit on a feature film with some legit Hollywood actors. The world had changed. As it does. But the vision was clear and the childlike impulse to make something out of nothing remains.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a writer/producer/performer with a passion for telling stories that touch on themes of finding significance and exploring a sense of destiny. My friends describe my style as New Americana. Recently I had the chance to write the upcoming feature film ‘The Iron Door’ starring Brock O’Hurn, Casey Deidrick, and Brooke Chamberlain. I have also worked on a documentary script on the life of Olympic Gold Medalist and 2-division UFC Champion Henry Cejudo. I’m also a musician and I love performing live. I have played at venues like the Whisky, Junior High L.A., and the Rialto Theater.
Currently I have a feature film in pre-production that I co-wrote with one of my best friends and favorite collaborators, Jet G. We will also be starring in the film as we launch our acting careers.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Get around people who know more than you, listen to their advice, and apply it. Fail fast. And don’t forget about the homies when you make it.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The writers strike is a very real challenge. The uncertainty surrounding the industry is daunting. I’ve had multiple meetings shut down, doors closed, and projects put on the shelf. I’ve had to go back to the café working part time to stay afloat in this time. The biggest thing I’m learning is the power of humility. Viewing the art life as a way to connect to the world around you in unconventional ways. And to understand that the very things I can’t control are the same things that I can channel to create works of art that will ultimately have an impact I can’t control either.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: brittonbentley
Image Credits
James Compas, Nic Lewis, Courtney Ann Beaudry
