Meet Brian Tichnell | Actor and Acting Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Tichnell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Answering this question is a lifelong journey in the making. How do I discern whether perseverance is aiding me as a person, or draining me of my resources? If you’re doing a hard workout, sometimes you have to push yourself in order to get the desired result: to be your best self…but sometimes pushing yourself leads to throwing your back out, and now you’re worse off than you were before.
I suppose the real question is: for whom are you doing it? What are you trying to prove? What is the hope at the end of the tunnel? It takes vigilance to keep those forces that wish to co-opt your tenacity into fruitless endeavors. On the other hand, you have to be careful to not allow self-care to be an excuse for cowardice and inaction. To be or not to be. To keep going or to not. That discernment is sharpened over time.
I’m an actor. I am an actor because I love acting. If I take on a role or work on a project that jeopardizes that love, if it dims my spark rather than ignites it, what am I doing it for? And if I’m doing it just so I can prove to the world that I didn’t “give up”, I’ve missed the mark entirely.
So, short answer…I don’t always know: but I do know that ‘keep going’ and ‘let go’, are both important positions to take in order to sustain a long and meaningful career. Is it hurting you? Are you doing it for yourself or for others? Let bravery and discernment lead the way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Since we’ve last spoke, I’ve landed a recurring role on the Pitt on HBO MAX. It’s truly a blessing to be a part of an amazing show that has become such a cultural phenomenon. To have any hand in a story like that is an honor. And because of this, I’ve got a few more appearances coming up this year on various projects. Including a lovely comedy film: The Mother the Menacer and Me, which is available to rent or buy on Amazon and AppleTV. Making that film was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had on set.
I couldn’t have achieved any of this without my incredible management team.
I’ve also had the opportunity to direct my first stage production this past year at Mission College. We did an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, adapted by the immeasurably talented Juli Crockett. The show was a blast, and I must admit that I’ve got the directing bug now, and have more planned productions on the horizon.
I’m also continuing to teach acting with the Michael Laskin Studio, my creative home in Los Angeles. My aim while teaching is to offer a space for artists to work on the their craft in its purest form. As the world becomes seemingly more chaotic, and the mechanisms of power continue to reveal their corrosion and mismanagement, it’s more important than ever to keep creative fires stoked at the base level. Storytelling for its own sake. Acting as an investigation into the human condition, on the micro and the macro level. There is no cheat code to achieve illusory success. Those old models of thinking are dying and they are dying fast. We have to hold on to what is pure.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The spot that I’ve recently become in love with is Della Terra on Beverly Blvd. It’s an unassuming Italian Bistro next to Pan Pacific Park and the food is wonderful.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In our last interview together, I went through the list of all the folks that have aided me throughout my life. My success is absolutely tied to the company I keep. This time I’d like to focus on the one person who truly guides me toward the light. My wife, Kimberly Guevara, is my true north. Should I keep going or give up?….the real answer is, what does Kimberly think? I cannot measure in words the amount of confidence I place on her. She is a brilliant actor herself, (just filmed on a network show this past week!) she’s intimidatingly smart, particularly of the ‘street’ variety. And she has no qualms with giving me the plain, painful truth, whatever it may be. I can trust her. There is no quality more valuable than trust, and she has mine. She has never steered me wrong. And she’s beautiful, hilarious, and fashionable to boot!

Instagram: @briantichnell

Image Credits
Tandem Photo
Curtis Stage
HBO
Ghost to the Post Prod.
Crista Downey