Paul Brown is one of our extremely charismatic and talented actors who is always keeping himself busy with his craft. Therefore it was only right that we interviewed him for our third edition in our ‘Behind The Lens’ series.

Let’s start with something fun to set the scene! What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?

Oh wow, well actually I think I wanted to be several things! Definitely wanted to be a magician and I made sure to get all the magic sets that you could as a child! Then I wanted to be a basketball player. I even wanted to be a sprinter!! Now I think about it, I always needed an audience!

Is there a specific moment in time that made you realise “yes! I want to be an actor!”?

So I remember when I was in Year 7 and I thought I would audition for Macbeth at my school. I got in and not only that, I was chosen to be Macduff which as I learnt while rehearsing, would become a very important character in the play. Not only that, I just really enjoyed what I was doing and the feeling that I would get from performing. When we played out our first performance, I knew from then that I would want to be an actor!

What was your first gig? What have been some of the more memorable ones since then?

My first job was when I got to make my West End debut as part of Mischief’s Groan Ups at the Vaudeville Theatre. I had the best time and to be able to work with the original Mischief group was such a valuable experience! A memorable job would have to be my most recent with Potted Potter where I toured Ireland!

What did it feel like the first time you saw yourself on TV?

Still pretty early into my career so haven’t had the pleasure of that just yet but it is something that I am working towards and look forward to that day!

Do you still get stage fright going on stage? Any tips to help with nerves?

I don’t get stage fright as much but I definitely still get nervous which is honestly great! I know it sounds cliché, but it really does show me that I still care and want to give the best performance! My only tip would simply be to remember to breathe and that can sound so silly, but if you have your breath under control, you’ll feel more in control!

If you could be on screen or on stage with any actor/actress, who would it be and why?

This is tough as there are literally so many, but for me it would have to be Marianne Jean- Baptiste! I saw her in a production of ‘Hang’ by Debbie Tucker Green and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Also the career that she has had is something I really look up to and all that she has achieved!

What are you up to presently?

So I have just finished Potted Potter in Ireland over the summer and even more recently went back to Dublin for a week again with the show! Now that I am back, I love to write and have a couple of my own projects up my sleeve that I am working on!

If you weren’t acting, what else do you think you’d be doing for a career?

I would definitely be a BSL interpreter full time! I can speak fluent BSL and to have had this skill at such a young age is a gift and so to be able to use it every day would be a blessing!

Have you had any notable mentors in the industry?

I wouldn’t say that I have any mentors per se but throughout my time at drama school, you build relationships and there is a tutor that I know that if I had any questions or worries, they would be at hand to help which is truly amazing!

Can you offer 3 helpful tips for newbies trying to make it in the acting industry?

• Be you. Again, I know it sounds obvious but there is not another actor like you, so don’t try to be like someone else. You are only doing a disservice to yourself and what you bring will be so important with your own take/view of the material.
• Look after yourself. This industry can be tough but you need to make sure that you are in the right frame of mind for this so take time for yourself.
• Always give 110%. This crazy thing that we do is a dream and even the audition itself is the joy so never take it for granted and give it your all!

And now…onto the more serious questions!

If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose, and why?

This is easy…..flying! The fact that I know I can go wherever I want by being in the sky beats getting the tube at rush hour any day!

If you got to choose a song that would play every time you entered a room, what song would you pick?

Come Down – Anderson .Paak

And finally….If you were a brand, what would your slogan be?

Let your dream become your daily reality.