Actor and producer Brad Schmidt chatted about his career in the entertainment business and being an actor in the digital age.
He is known for his acting work in “Yellowstone,” Truth Be Told,” and “House of Lies.”
Walt Disney once said “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” This quote applies to the cast, crew, directors, and producers of “General Hospital,” the hit ABC daytime drama.
‘General Hospital’
Most recently, Schmidt temporarily took over the role of Brando Corbin on “General Hospital,” thus filling in for Johnny Wactor during his absence.
On being a part of the “General Hospital” family, he said, “I am always grateful any time I get an opportunity to work. ‘General Hospital,’ in particular, is a seminal show, I used to watch it as a kid with my mother.”
“To get the opportunity to temporarily play Brando Corbin, this character that I love, was very gratifying,” he said.
Schmidt had great words about working with such “General Hospital” actors as Sofia Mattsson (Sasha Gilmore Corbin) and Bonnie Burroughs (Gladys Corbin), and he thanked them for being so welcoming. “I started in New York and in theatre. It was the closest feeling I’ve had to being on a set with other actors and I felt I was invited immediately into their process, and there was a connection between the three of us. It was absolutely lovely and they were all lovely and we connected well,” he said.
Handing being dialogue-heavy
When asked how he handled being dialogue-heavy on the popular ABC soap opera, Schmidt said, “I didn’t want to only learn the lines, I wanted to do justice to the character, Brando, and these wonderful actors and the producers that are trusting you.”
“It was a lot of work but I’ve done a play with Judith Light on Broadway, where I was an understudy for three roles, so I had to know the whole play in and out, so that experience as an actor, stretched me out to when I got this. Although it was scary, I knew that I could do this, and it worked out. I am so thankful that they had me,” he explained.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Schmidt said, “Simplicity.” “My life is about my family, my loved ones, and it’s about keeping life simple. If work comes into my life, I am in a great place where I feel like I have a lot to give. If I don’t that’s okay because I can give that to my family. Simplicity is really where I am at,” he explained.
The digital age
He opened up about being an actor in the digital age. “I have fully embraced it because it allows actors to be where your life takes you and it allows you to still audition. You can be anywhere and you can submit a self-tape. Although they haven’t figured out the residuals on streaming services, I am very grateful because I don’t have to be tied to California. I can be anywhere and submit my self-tapes.”
Advice for hopefuls in acting
For young and aspiring actors, he said, “If you feel like, in your life, that there is nothing else you can do except tell stories and be a part of that process, then do it. If your pulse is in it, then go for it. I always went by the mantra ‘why not me? and that’s a beautiful thing.”
“If acting is in your blood, then do it,” Schmidt said. “Not everybody gets famous overnight. Some people never get famous, some people have beautiful 40-year careers, and they keep doing it because they love telling stories. That’s the most important thing.”
Success
Schmidt defined the word success as “being happy in what you are doing day-to-day.” “Success is about the simplicity of waking up, seeing my two kids, seeing that they are happy and that my wife is happy. That is success on a daily basis, and the opportunity to fill in for Brando on ‘General Hospital’ was just the cherry on the cake,” he said.
“The cake is life and the cherry is dessert, and the cherry came and it was extra. Life is equally okay without it,” he added.
Fans
For his fans and supporters, he said, “It really does take a village. I have been doing this since my mid-20s. I have friends in acting where some have become famous and some have stopped doing it.”
To learn more about Brad Schmidt, check out his IMDb page and follow him on Instagram.
