Balancing, Power and Vulnerability | Brittany Guess
Brittany Guess, a Louisville, Kentucky native, is an actress and producer, known for Christmas Everlasting (2018), Side Chick (2016), Homeland (2011) and Last Day (2016). I meet her on the set of Side Chick in 2016, as an Assistant Director, however, it wasn't until 2017, that I truly had the opportunity to get to know more about this talented beauty. Brittany started her journey as an actress in 2013 with a short film called The Job. Since then, she has taken a leap of faith and moved to Atlanta, in the pursuit of something that has taken root in her heart. I have to say, I'm glad she did. Brittany is a candid, warm, fun-loving and transparent spirit. Something I resonate with and admire. She's a single mom, who seems to be applying all her lessons in life thus far to live a life that is "Goddess Revelation" certified and approved. More and more there are women like Brittany, who want to make the necessary changes or take the steps needed to have a life that is truly fulfilling on a deeper level. I have truly been blessed since I truly made the same changes or steps in my own life. And like she has shared with me, it definitely hasn't be without your so called "hardships" but they often have been valuable and greater blessings in the long run. I am honored to share the Side Chick film set with her whenever I can. I take it as another awesome sign that I am surrounded by amazing like-mind women. I am grateful for the idea of this "Goddess Revelation" series and the women who choose to be apart of it. But, I have to make it clear...this might be the first time you've heard about Brittany Guess but it definitely won't be your last.
Check out my interview with this Goddess Below.
Q & A
1. Were you named after someone? I wasn’t necessarily named after anyone, but my first and middle names were somewhat of a tribute to both of my grandmothers—Brittany (inspired by Brenda (my maternal grandmother) and my middle names, Joy and Kehaulani (inspired by my paternal grandmother Joyce, who was Hawaiian and had the same Hawaiian middle name as well.)
2. Where were you born? Orlando, Florida
3. What did you want to be when you were a child? Growing up I just always remember wanting to be a pediatrician. I feel like that was over once I went to middle school and had a dose of Science class reality.
4. When did you decide you wanted to be an actress? My last semester of college. I was never one of those actors that just “always knew” or the one with VHS tapes of me back in 1990 performing in my grandmother’s living room. In college, I always wanted to take an acting class, but it never fit in my schedule until my last semester and from the first day of class, I knew acting was something that I had to pursue…like, I needed it to be apart of my daily life.
5. What would be your dream role or film? My dream role would be any type of action role or superhero. So, the perfect example-- one of my favorite movies is Columbiana and whenever I watch that movie, I legit imagine myself playing Cataleya. The beauty of this role is that the character had such an amazing balance of power and vulnerability and because those are two of my strongest assets, playing a role like the role of Cataleya would be a freakin’ dream.
6. What has been the hardest part in developing and maintaining your career so far? There have been different levels of “hard parts” as I’ve gone along. I think it’s a continuous journey and you’re forever developing and evolving in this career because you’re always learning. While I feel like I can’t speak to a current part that is particularly hard for me right now, I think in the past it’s just been trying to figure this industry out while understanding it’s not something I well ever truly “figure out”, maneuver the market here and stay positive/keep pressing forward when faced with consistent rejection.
7. What would you tell your younger self when it comes to where you are now in life? I could literally write her a book! There’s so much that comes to mind for this question, but for the sake of anyone reading this, I’ll keep it short. I would tell her, she has no idea how much God loves her and is truly FOR her, and while it won’t always be easy, God will use every single thing she goes through for her good, so just trust Him. I’d tell her to love herself and never, ever, ever allow another person to define who she is or her worth. I’d tell her to never settle but to go boldly after everything she wants and lastly, I’d tell her time is a gift. Don’t waste it.
8. What do you want to be known for and what is your true passion in life? My true passion is speaking life into other people and helping them understand their true worth and value… and doing it all with a smile and a couple wise cracks. I am a jokester! I mean, my friends will tell you just how goofy I am! But I love making people laugh while making people feel comfortable and also making sure they understand just how valuable they are.
9. What have been 3 key points in branding yourself so far? To be honest, I haven’t really focused a bunch on branding myself. Social media, in my opinion, is the best way to do this and I used to use my social media (Instagram specifically) to showcase work that I’ve done or currently doing but I haven’t strategically branded myself in a particular way. I have a love/hate relationship with social media. While I understand the benefits of it, I would be totally fine if social media shutdown right along with the government. �� Then people could get back to living real lives again, but I digress. I do think that it’s important though to be authentically yourself, from what you choose to post, all the way to your captions. People are drawn to those that are transparent and unapologetically themselves.
10. What advice would you give to aspiring actors? My advice for aspiring actors would be to understand who you are and bring that fully to your work. Stay true to you regardless of what may seem to “work”. Staying true to yourself is the only thing that’ll really differentiate you in the industry. Always be a student of the craft whether taking classes, watching film or getting together with friends to work. Never compromise or forsake your morals for anything or anyone. It’s not worth it. Trust God to lead. This industry can be tough. Rejection is inevitable and there can be a lot of time spent in the unknown on this journey. This can lead you to question identity and self-worth, but never attach your value to anything you accomplish (or fail to accomplish) in this industry. You are so much more.
Now for some fun questions. 11. How do you relax? A dark or barely lit room and a candle. I love being alone and to myself. In sweat pants in my bed with a lit candle (maybe a good book) is my haven.
12. What is your must-have item when you are on set? I don’t really have anything like that currently. I just have to make sure I take a trip to crafty because I’m all about a good fruit snack or potato chip! Me and junk food kinda got this thang going on ��
13. Do you have any goals for 2019? Yes! I am excited to be on set again this year and believing God for major moves. I’ve set specific goals for myself this year, but outside of acting, I am launching a business, so I’ll be taking a dive into entrepreneurship which will be new for me, but super dope. It’s also feeding a whole new part of me creatively so I’m pretty excited about it. I also have goals to grow more personally and spiritually and dedicating myself to that all year.
14. How do you keep yourself motivated and positive? First, my faith fuels me. Gratitude is also a way of life for me. There’s literally always something to be grateful for and I allow that to be my focus. It really does shift perspective and allow you to maintain a positive outlook. I am also super blessed to have solid friends (and family) who motivate me, celebrate me, speak life into me, pray over me, hold me accountability and push me constantly to become the highest version of myself. They love me without limit, and that alone makes me feel like I can really do anything and everything. And on days when life is tough or when I feel off, I call God.
