Quadruple threat Brittany Charlotte Smith in conversation with SesayArts

Meet Brittany Charlotte Smith. She’s a Macedonian-Canadian star on the rise, who is a bona fide triple threat involved in a staggering range of current creative projects. 

Actually, quadruple threat might be a more accurate description, given her improv and sketch comedy bona fides. You see . . . while she was training at Toronto’s The Second City, the company took note of her talents, and hired her to perform with their House Company. And last year, viral sensation Doctor Mike featured one of her comedy sketches on his YouTube channel. The video currently has over 14 million views. Earlier this year, she also performed in Habib The First Arab Superhero by Wishful Genes, which won Outstanding Comedy Short at TOSketchfest this year.

Her myriad projects now include an increasing amount of filmwork, so Smith must now divide her time between Toronto and Los Angeles. To wit: she plays a supporting lead role in Lifetime’s I Won’t Let You Go, which premiered this fall; and she recently wrapped two big projects (one for Disney+) that are due out in 2023. Some other credits include Christmas à la Carte (Lifetime), a series regular role on the series According to Kids (CBC), and appearances on Suits (NBC) and Deadly Influencer (Lifetime).

And that’s not all! Recently, Smith has also been developing new projects with diverse creative partners, including Alright Alice Productions and Monday Morning Media, in association with Coffee Partners Media in Toronto. She is working on a pilot with her writing partners, as well as scripts for short films. 

Smith also wrote and co-stars in two short films which are currently on the festival circuit. Artifice, directed by Gavin Michael Booth, will screen at The Yonkers Film Festival. The Care Giver, which she also co-directed and depicts the overwhelming stress that caregivers and healthcare workers face in their everyday lives, is gathering serious accolades. Her work on it earned her the overall Outstanding Performance award at The Best Actor and Director Awards, a Special Mention at the Accolade Global Competition and the Sherman Oaks Film Festival’s Programmer’s Prize. Toronto audiences can catch The Care Giver this December at Toronto Shorts International Film Festival and Health In Focus Film Festival, December 1-3. And finally, on December 9th on Lifetime’s It’s A Wonderful Lifetime, audiences can enjoy Smith’s performance as Lena in the US premiere of A Recipe For Joy.   

As if all of this display of on-screen and behind-the-screen talent were not enough, Smith tells us that she can also pluck her way through a song on the acoustic guitar and read tarot cards – though for friends and family only! We caught up with the incredibly warm, funny and enterprising Smith, who discussed her training, a bevy of current projects, and a lifestyle choice which is rooted in a 13-year old bet.

SM: What would you like people to know about you and why you chose to pursue a life in theatre and film? Has it been what you hoped it would be?

BCS: My name is Brittany Charlotte Smith. I’m a Macedonian-Canadian currently living between LA and Toronto. I have always loved performing ever since I was little, and I feel particularly drawn to singing and dancing. After studying musical theater for years, I eventually got into film and TV acting, as well as improv and sketch comedy. My career hasn’t been what I’d hoped it would be, because when I was 5, I wanted to be a Spice Girl (a dream I’m still holding out for.) Despite this, I’ve had incredible opportunities in my career so far that I feel fortunate to have been given. 

SM: You have a lot of training in improv and have a talent for sketch comedy. What appeals to you about this artform?

BCS: What first drew me to improv and sketch is how fun it can be, while also forcing you to be a good listener, and to be present. The best part about improv is just that… not having anything prepared! It can feel stressful, but it’s really freeing knowing anything can happen, working off the cuff from a suggestion with your scene partners. You’re writing a story in real time for the audience, it’s like a magic trick. Sketch requires a lot of crafting; your character, set up, and making sure your jokes and delivery hit. Improv and sketch can be so different, even though they come from the same world. 

SM: Has an improv scene or idea ever stumped you during a show? If so, what did you do? (I’ve always been curious about this…)

BCS: Of course! That happens to everyone who has ever done improv and happens at every level. Sometimes you just have to hope that your scene partners have a good take on a suggestion or idea, and you can just ‘yes, and’ it. If no one does, you can ask the audience member for more information on the subject, which sometimes sparks something. If that doesn’t work, you can ask for a new one, or just go for it and see what happens! 

SM: You recently had a movie premiere on Lifetime, a thriller called I Won’t Let You Go, based on a true story. Tell us about the movie and what attracted you to the role.

BCS: I Won’t Let You Go is about recently eloped Angela who wants to start a family with her husband, only to discover she has a stalker. The film was directed by the amazing Meeshelle Neal, and working with her and the whole team was a dream. I play Janie Higgins in the film, one of Angela’s best friends, and she was a lot of fun to portray. Throughout the film Janie gets to be playful, loyal, and heartfelt. I was really drawn to her because she just adores her family and friends and would do anything for them.

SM: You just finished filming The Marriage Rule in which you play the funny best friend. What can you tell us about this film and when we can expect to see it?

BCS: This summer we wrapped The Marriage Rule directed by the wonderful Alpha Nicky Mulowa. It’s a romantic movie (with a dash of comedy) about a restaurant that is left to two co-workers who can only inherit it under certain romantic circumstances. It was a lot of fun working with this talented cast and crew. I play Evie, who will do anything to make her best friend’s dream come true, whether they like it or not. She was a blast. I am hoping the film will be out in early 2023!

SM: I know that you are very proud of your Macedonian heritage. What has been the response from the Macedonian-Canadian community to your career, which seems to be gathering momentum, especially now that you are working in both Canada and the US?

BCS: Well, my mom is very proud, that’s for sure! It is always wonderful meeting Macedonians who work in the industry. The reception from my community at home in Toronto and here in LA has been very supportive, which has felt heartwarming. 

SM: Tell us something about you outside of acting. Anything that might surprise us?

BCS: I became a vegetarian on a bet (true story), and I’ve been one for 13 years. A couple of weeks in, I actually started to educate myself on why people choose a plant-based diet, and I decided that it was something that I aligned with and wanted to continue doing. 

SM: What would you like to add that I didn’t ask?

BCS: I’d love to talk about two short film projects that are in the festival circuit right now. One is Artifice, directed by Gavin Michael Booth. It spans five stories about our raw connection to each other and our slow progression into a computer-run dystopian future. We recently premiered at Chatham-Kent International Film Festival and won for best editing. We also have been the official selections of the Hamilton Film Festival (Nov 5^th) and Windsor Film Festival (Oct 27th- Nov 5th). 

The second film is The Care Giver, which Kenzie Yango and I co-directed. Our short film is about a physician who begins to drown in the overwhelming stress of being a caregiver, and how burnout can affect all aspects of their life. We are so proud that it has already won a number of awards at festivals, and can be seen at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival and Health In Focus Film Festival (Dec 1-3). I am really passionate about these two films, and I’m very happy I can finally share them with the world. 

Connect with Brittany Charlotte Smith on Instagram or through her website.

© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2022