Meet Tim Bennett-Huxtable: Screenwriter & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tim Bennett-Huxtable and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tim, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Never give up!

I’m obstinate. I’ll make a tactical retreat to develop new strategies, but I would be loath to abandon something I’ve devoted time, energy, money and creativity into simply because there wasn’t an immediate return-on-investment. I play the long game.

I may need to shelve a project for awhile, but I’m always thinking of ways to dust off old scripts and breathe new life into them, whether as a TV/film project or adapting/re-contextualizing to other media.

Though, it is important sometimes to take a breather and find gratification in things outside of career, particularly in a business of constant rejection. It’s too much an assault on the psyche without taking the time for self-care.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I work in different media, but most everything I do has some kind of comic bent, even the more experimental projects. Often darkly comic, but the darkness is usually buoyed with whimsy or, at least, heart.

I suppose I’m proud of my ability to take a step back from things that are maybe not working in their current state and deconstruct and re-arrange them in ways not originally intended. Often with dramatically unexpected results. I find I can breath new life into comatose projects this way, even things that have been dormant for decades.

It wasn’t an easy path to get to where I am today, and it was a winding road with detours and closures. I certainly haven’t made it to my destination yet, but maybe I’ve learned to navigate around the hazards. Or maybe not. I’ve definitely learned how to avoid some pitfalls, but more importantly, I’ve learned that it’s a long haul, so you have to allow yourself breaks to stretch your legs and enjoy the scenic lookouts.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m definitely partial to my Marina del Rey neighborhood, so if I had a best friend visiting our Best. Time. Ever. would begin and end there. A jog on the beach from the jetty to Venice Pier. A smoothie from the Cow’s End. A bike ride on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, maybe all the way up to where it starts in Temescal and back down to Dockweiler for a visit to El Segundo Brewing. Dinner at Gjelina on Abbot Kinney. We would definitely have to hit the Museum of Jurassic Technology, maybe Sage Plant Based Bistro first for early lunch, and do the Stairs and probably Father’s Office since we’re over there in Culver City, twist my arm. We’re gonna have to fit in a visit to the skatepark in Venice Beach and maybe hear a bar band play at Hinano Cafe, or hoof it up Admiralty for the impressive beer selection at Tony P’s. And we’ll carve out a day to hike the Zuma Ridge Loop in Malibu, with a stop after at Lily’s for a burrito. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friend Bob Harper has been such an inspiration and motivation as a collaborator, a mentor for me as I’ve dived into the world of animation, and a tireless cheerleader. He’s one of the most imaginative people I’ve ever met, with spot-on instincts, and a deep well of knowledge. It’s really something else to spark off of each other creatively.

Website: www.timbennetthuxtable.com

Instagram: @timbennetthuxtable

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.bennetthuxtable

Image Credits
LAHux