Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
I’m Branden Wellington from Indianapolis, Indiana. I also grew up in Hollywood, Florida as 1 of 9 siblings. I wear a lot of hats under the entertainment umbrella but mostly I’m an actor, poet, comedian, and voice over artist.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I’ve been told that my versatility is an asset. I’ve seen the fruit of sharpening many skills from acting to writing and from comedy to poetry. More than anything I’m infinitely blessed to have found opportunities that have allowed me to showcase a variety of my skills.
Photo credit: Tim Schaeffer
Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now. Who did you tell first? What has it been like since that moment?
I always knew I wanted to be an actor and entertainer since I was kid. It’s hard to say when THAT moment was- maybe kindergarten when I got in trouble for sneaking one of Spike Lee’s movies to school for show and tell. I always enjoyed film and TV.
It became very clear to me when I was entering high school that acting was the course I was prepared to point my life towards. I sat down with my mom after my middle school graduation and we decided that if I wanted to hit my life goals, it’d be best if I went to a magnet high school on the other side of town because they had a good theater program.
That laid the foundations of practicing and showcasing my work. After high school, I left my hometown and went to study acting at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Since graduating, everything that I’ve done professionally has been in service of fulfilling this dream.
There was a time when I wasn’t getting acting work so I did poetry, comedy, hosting, writing, voice over work, modeling- pretty everything that I could to prove that I belong in this space. If the right person saw me while I was showcasing any of my other skills, I honestly believed that it would open the door for me to book acting work.
In a way it kind of happened like that. I worked as an in-game host for the New York Mets for 5 seasons and a former guidance counselor saw me and introduced me to my first theatrical manager. I got my first theatrical agents doing voice over work for Viacom.
Now that I have achieved one of my goals of becoming a series regular, I can look back and say that every opportunity played a vital role in helping me grow as a person and as an artist. Never shun an opportunity because it doesn’t look exactly like you thought it should- but try to find a way to connect back to the main road.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
Personally- I had to overcome a slew of personal tragedies with the toughest being losing my oldest brother to suicide. I prayed a lot and blogged my way through that depression to help me find clarity. What I realized is that some things you never “get over” you just “get through”.
Professionally the biggest challenge I had to overcome is keeping a healthy mindset when you face delayed gratification. You may not and more than likely will not get everything you think your talent commands up front.
SO WHAT! Be faithful in little to show that you can be faithful with much. We live in a microwave society that pretty much promotes and supports instant gratification. Everything can be ordered online, some things take time. Train for the marathon and you won’t pass out after a sprint.
If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career (or business) to the next level….who would those 3 people be?
I believe that to take anything to the next level you only need 2 people to believe in you. The first is yourself and the second is somebody else. It’s hard to do anything when your biggest enemy is self doubt- believe in yourself. It’s ongoing mastery, but when you begin, you’ll move differently.
It’s through that movement that you’ll attract the 2nd person and it’s very important that you do. There’s no such thing as a self-made anything, everyone needs someone, your journey is about attracting the right people and being the right person for others as well. If we were meant to do life alone, God would’ve put us here 1 at a time.
Photo credit: Tim Schaeffer
What is one interesting thing your fans don’t know about you?
As a child, I wanted to be a rapper. I was fascinated by words and rhymes. To some degree, I’ve followed this passion by growing into a spoken word artist who’s been fortunate enough to perform in arenas and stadiums across the country.
What is one important lesson you learned about acting while working on Orange is the New Black?
I learned many lessons on set, but I love working with Tyler Perry. He is efficient at everything he does. I also learned that there’s not much wasted time on set – we’re filming a lot in a short time span – so when you’re there, you’re working and that’s a great feeling.
Secondly, I’ve also learned about his storytelling and how there’s always a message and a larger conversation to be had at the end of it. In my opinion, Sistas is a conversation piece about an array of relationship dynamics.
What advice would you give to young people who want to work in the entertainment industry?
Find your success. Success is not just measured by achievements or accolades but by how true you stay to your ideals along the way. Success is also enjoying what you do. Don’t overcomplicate it. Life is long, but the days go fast—make sure you’re filling up the majority of those hours with things that make you feel good.
Direct links/URL to your social media profiles or website.
IG and X: @B_Wellington / @b_wellington
Facebook.com/BrandenWellington