On being a part of The Oval, he said, “When I got the message that I was going to be cast in The Oval, I literally shouted at the top of my lungs with exuberance. I was in my parent’s backyard playing with my young nephews at the time, and I think I scared them a bit with my enthusiasm.”
“The Oval is the third show that I have had the chance to work with Tyler Perry, and I absolutely love every minute of it. Tyler gave me, what most would consider, my big break as a series regular in 2016 on the show Too Close To Home. We continued to develop our personal and professional rapport since then, which has led to a real sense of creative freedom while shooting The Oval. So far, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
He noted that it feels “great” to be an actor in the digital age. “The digital age makes it fun to be able to so easily connect with fans and to create my own content and to consume content and so on; however, I do find fascination imagining the mystique of a movie star before the digital age. When catching a glimpse of your favorite leading man, or woman, would have been like seeing God. I think less access sounds refreshing,” he said.
“Leave a little more mystery. Mystery is always fun, right? Sometimes I get a hankering for the 90’s to come back…just before the smartphone came around. I am extremely grateful to have grown up in that decade. A time when, as kids, we still spent our entire summers outside, exploring, getting sweaty and sunburned, and never thinking twice about a little six-inch screen with every single distraction at our fingertips. Is it possible to raise kids without an iPad these days?” he inquired.
On being a part of a Brad Everett Young’s “Dream Loud” campaign, he said, “I love what Brad’s ‘Dream Loud’ campaign stands for. Art and music allow the brain to leave to confines of a world built on rules and regulations, and to experience a universal language that unites us all.”
Benedict continued, “Without creative, right-brained thinking, our analytical left-brains would be useless, right? The arts remind me that life is not black and white. They help me tap into deeper emotions than could never be expressed by simple words. I think all too often kids are taught to play it safe in life, and that the likelihood of their dreams coming true are slim to none. That, to me, is analogous with stifling a flame.”
“Belief is everything. My mom always reminded me that growing up, ‘if you believe you can or you can’t, you are correct.’ Well, I want every young person to get a chance to believe they can,” he added.
For young and aspiring actors, Benedict encouraged them that they can “do it.” “If you want a real shot, you better believe in yourself. Spend less time figuring out what everybody else wants, and spend more time trusting your gut and expressing your intuitive wisdom. It is so challenging not to get overly analytical sometimes in an effort to get it right, but in the end, the most compelling people to engage with, regardless of the craft, are the people who are bringing their own personal perspective and flavor and have enough confidence to do it all with a smile. Defensive-natured humans will most likely find it very challenging in the land of Hollywood,” he said.
He listed Matthew McConaughey as his dream collaboration choice in acting. “Matthew McConaughey is the king of cool,” he exclaimed. “Matthew McConaughey has always been somebody I look up to and I love the way his career has unfolded. While there is an abundance of dream acting partners, I feel like he could teach me something about the way I think I want to live life.”
For his fans, Benedict stated, “I am just going to leave fans with this excerpt from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt, referred to as ‘The Man in the Arena.’ These words have inspired me for years and I hope to inspire you as well.”
He continued, “Roosevelt said, ‘It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat’.”
To learn more about actor Brad Benedict, follow him on Instagram.
