Hi, I'm Brandon Sklenar and this is how I got here with Esquire.
Let's get into it.
What was the first job you ever quit?
That's a good question.
First job I ever quit was working for a moving company in Los Angeles.
Terrible job.
They would always break people's stuff and then not report it.
They just ethically had a bit of a problem with that.
I grew up doing a lot of manual labor and when you get going, you just go and you go and you go.
And they wanted me to move very slow because they had more, they could build a client for more time.
I was moving like a giant credenza And I had a meltdown and I just dropped it.
And I was like, I'm getting the fuck out of here.
And they're like, we're not getting paid for the day.
I was like, you're damn right I'm not.
What was your first acting gig?
I was an extra on Glee.
Season one, I'm in there.
I'm in the Hit Me Baby One More Time video.
I'm on the bleachers with Cory Monteith, rest in peace.
Yeah, we're fist bumping.
You see me all over Community too, season one.
We Bought a Zoo, I think I was in that.
Super 8.
I'm in the background of a lot of stuff.
What was the worst job you had before acting?
I haven't really had a lot of bad jobs besides the moving company.
The moving company was terrible.
Being an extra is kind of rough too.
That's kind of like the lowest of the totem pole.
Have you ever been fired?
I have from the Magic Castle.
So when I got the job there, it was like six floor managers and we kind of ran the place.
I'd go out on stage and like introduce the magicians and rent security.
And then they eventually hired someone in charge of our department and someone in charge of that department.
And then it became kind of corporate.
And I was in my early twenties and I was showing up hungover all the time and kind of fucking off.
And then I remember like the GM sat me down and he was like yeah, it's pretty clear, you don't want to be here anymore.
And I was like, yeah, yeah.
And he's like, I think you're done.
And I was like, yeah, I think I'm done. and I gave him the keys to the castle.
What's the most embarrassing thing you've done for an audition?
I auditioned for this indie movie back in the day, and it's a really tiny little movie.
I was playing a psycho and was stalking this woman and I thought it would be a really good idea in the scene to bring in women's underwear and sniff them during the scene, because that's what this character would do.
And I was like, this is going to get me the role for sure, because it's so twisted.
And it had the opposite effect.
And they were so weirded out, because it wasn't in the script.
And I just took them out.
I was smelling them.
Because in the scene, he's watching her through a window, and he's talking to somebody.
And I was like, this is brilliant.
And not at all.
It was disturbing and embarrassing. and did not get me the job at all.
Have you ever landed a role you thought you'd never get?
I mean, housemate, I was surprised that they wanted me to do that.
But this is exciting, because I've never done anything like it, and it's challenging.
Well, Millie, welcome.
Thank you.
Are you hungry?
I'm sure we can turn this dinner for three into a dinner for four.
Initially, I was like, really?
You want me to do this?
I can think of like 10 other guys that could crush this.
But yeah, it worked out.
What would you say is the hardest part of your job?
You're away from home a lot.
It's like a double-edged sword, because you start working all the time, and it's such a beautiful thing and it's a blessing.
The work keeps coming and it pulls you further away.
You can get lost in the sauce pretty easily, just traveling all over the world pretending to be other people.
It's not a hard job.
Yeah, much harder jobs out there, but that's the hardest part.
How did your audition for 1923 play out?
I had been tracking the show.
It was originally called 1932, and I really wanted to work with Taylor.
And Jon Papp Sedaris, the casting director on that show, and he's cast me five times.
I would not have a career without that man.
I was like, Jon, I wanna get in the show.
And he's like, yeah, they need a big name.
And I was like, there's gotta be something I can do.
And he's like, nah, there isn't.
They sent me the breakdown and they changed it to 1923 and they cast Helen and Harrison.
So they opened the roll up to somebody that was less known and I read it and put it on tape, sent it out.
Like a week later, I was home and I was calling my manager.
I was like, have you heard anything from 1923?
He was like, yeah, you gotta go to Jackson Hole tomorrow to read with Taylor.
So I went to Jackson Hole and read with him.
He told me not to get arrested because I finished the audition and he sat back in his chair and he just kind of looked at me.
He looked around the room and he was like, what are you gonna do after this?
And I was like, I don't know, I'm probably going to get a drink or something.
And he's like, well, just don't get arrested.
And I was like, all right, I definitely just booked that.
Sure.
And then I left the room and I called my dad and I was crying and I was like, oh dad, I just booked this.
I'll never understand why you British are always so shocked to find an American anywhere but America.
Because it's so far.
Look how far you've traveled.
Look how far you've traveled.
I'm not shocked to meet you.
And I knew I was like whoever gets this role is going to change their life just because his writing is what it is.
And the character is just like, it's a character you would have seen 50 years ago, 60 years ago.
And they just don't make them like that anymore.
Which of your castmates has given you the best advice?
I had a really beautiful conversation with Helen Mirren when we wrapped 1923.
And she had some really beautiful things to say.
But they were from me, so I'm not going to share it.
No, no, no.
But you know what I mean.
It was a really beautiful moment that we had.
And definitely take that with me.
What do you think sealed the deal in landing your role in The Housemaid?
I don't know, I just had lunch with Paul Feig.
We talked about the film and our ideas for it my ideas for the character and I was just excited that they considered me for it and they were interested in me doing it.
During the lunch, he was just like, yeah, let's do this.
And I was like, oh, great, cool.
Man, this is getting a lot easier as this whole career goes on.
It used to be a lot harder.
I definitely don't miss doing 20 self-tapes a week.
I'll tell you that much.
What was your backup plan if acting didn't work out?
I didn't have one.
It's like the hardest thing.
There's no stability, there's no guarantee.
It's just you and you have to believe in yourself.
And I feel like if you have a backup plan, you're just gonna go do that.
So you kind of have to go all in.
How did you get here?
JetBlue.
Yeah.
Hey, thanks for watching.
Be sure to check out The Housemaid in theaters.
