Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bridget Murray. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Bridget with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
When I got my first job in this business, I was a PA in the office of a lower-budget TV show. My mom’s cousin (and one of my favorite individuals) Paula was a Production Coordinator in Atlanta, and introduced me to the Coordinator there. Despite my clear ability to make a life working my way up through the office, she knew I really wanted to be an actor. But she got me this job. She said that working in the office will give you a sense of how all of production works, how even the smallest productions truly take a village, that every time you watch your favorite movie you’ll know there were one or two people responsible for setting up chairs or running out for coffee. She said once you do this job, you will always treat anyone on set with respect, regardless of their title.
So I spent nine weeks in Atlanta in the middle of the summer. I drove to the office at 4 AM to print new pages, I arranged chairs, I learned how to make coffee from a pot (I only had a Keurig back at school). I didn’t shop my resume around or ask for favors. I was there because Paula believed this was important for me, so I was there to do a good job. I befriended grips and costumers. I learned the difference between production design and art department. And in the first few days the Coordinator called my cousin and said I was great.
About two weeks in, I was tasked with running some errands for the show and taking so-and-so’s assistant to the airport after. Now I’m not entirely sure why they gave someone like me with horrible navigational skills and maybe 1.5 week’s experience driving in downtown ATL the job — maybe it was a test — but I failed. I got turned around on the interstate and drove about 5 minutes in the wrong direction, which in Atlanta traffic is 25 minutes. The assistant missed her flight and called the office. I drove back thinking I’d be packing up and ending my summer early. My career was over before it even started. I couldn’t even drive to the f***ing airport right.
I got back to the office and started hurriedly taking out trash and making more coffee so no one could see the tears in my eyes. While I fussed in the kitchen, the Coordinator came in to grab a chocolate (you’ll find sets are full of people’s favorite little treats to get them through). She gave me one, and told me what her mom always said about mistakes — it’s just a mistake. Then we just chatted for a while. And we got back to work.
When I step onto any set as an actor, I think about that summer. Doing something that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do made me learn more than an acting intensive could. I saw every single person hustling to be in their station, to make the thing good. I make sure I’m showing up on my A-Game, because everyone else there is doing the same. And if a mistake is made in the hustle, I remember that a mistake is just a mistake, that the more important thing is to keep moving.
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’m an actor based in Los Angeles, CA. I grew up taking myself around the theatre scene in Indianapolis, IN. I know I would not be the thinker I am today without the powerful performances I was lucky enough to see. I perform to honor the perspectives and lives we, as just ourselves, could probably never understand otherwise. I seek to earn that understanding for my characters. And I genuinely love it.
I’m currently working on putting up a play in Los Angeles — Sister Cities by Colette Freedman. We’re aiming for a 4-week run this fall of 2024. We’ll be launching some merch to raise a bit more funding and ultimately contribute some of the proceeds from the play to the ALS Foundation.
I’m excited to be stepping into the driver’s seat on a project again (I’m an Aries s0 I love control), also because the women I’m currently collaborating with are so aligned. And just so cool. Another thing I’ve learned in this business is to recognize that when you’re intimidated by someone, it probably means you’re inspired by them. And when you’re inspired by them, you should probably do everything you can to work with them. I followed this advice on my last short White Elephant, and my intimidating girl crush is now my best friend and writing partner Riley Dismore. I’ve somehow convinced her to help me be better forever! How lucky am I.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1 – How to say “No” in the right way. When you’re like me and you’ve come into the industry on a different path, people who like you will naturally ask if you will work for them in that capacity. I was a Production Assistant for a long time when I first moved here because I needed the money, and I actually landed a job at a small media company that allowed me to write, direct, and act all at some point down the line. Now that I’m able to focus on my acting career, unless it’s for a good friend, I won’t usually take a production gig. But I didn’t come here turning down work and experience! Once I felt like my experience had grown beyond those roles, when people approached me with production work, I was able to politely decline.
2 – Make. Your own. Stuff. Everybody tells you to, but it’s true, and it’s not because of the reason you think. Making your own stuff when you’re just starting your career is not for the people who will see it. It’s for the people who will help you make it. When you make a short film, you naturally connect with people outside of your own field of interest and diversify your network. If you do a good job and create a good environment on set, that DP and AD and Sound Op remember you and have you in mind for their next thing. Next time one of their film buds needs an actor, they could throw your hat in the ring. Work begets work.
3 – Trust that last thing. Every project you work on — whether it’s a film, a reading, a self tape — trust that if you bring your energy to it, you are being lauded in rooms you don’t even know about. Show up, do a good job, and trust that the people you did it with will remember you when they have the right opportunity for you.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I like to look like I have it all under control (re: Aries), but I struggle with self-worth and imposter syndrome constantly. After hitting the five-year mark in LA, it really sunk in, and it can make every opportunity feel like an all-or-nothing situation. I have to actively remind myself that I’m not running out of time, that my worth goes beyond my career, that no one is mad at me!! In those moments in the spiral, you need someone else’s voice in your head to break up your own thoughts. I can’t recommend a phone call with a Good Friend Who Believes in You enough. Be really honest with them (and yourself) about the feeling you’re experiencing, and they’ll tell you exactly what you need to hear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bridget-murray.com/
- Instagram: @bridgetnmurray
Image Credits
Headshot – Leah Huebner
