In Conversation with Brian DeRozan

“A Slice of Life”

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Brian DeRozan is an American Actor and Filmmaker. who was born in Oakland, CA and raised in the mid-west. He holds a BFA from Kansas State University where he played football before graduating and moving to Los Angeles. Brian was recently cast as a recurring Romulan Officer in the new Star Trek: Picard and acted across Logan Marshall-Green in the 2019 thriller, Telling Lies. He just completed an episode of Very Frightening Tales alongside legendary actor, Joe Estevez.

In his role as Filmmaker, Brian founded Videohead Films in 2017. His first film, Pure found success on the festival circuit and was nominated for multiple awards. His current projects include the comedic web series, Dirty White and festival bound, The Color Happy. Brian lives in Los Angeles, loves to travel the world and enjoys reading classic literature.

Brian generously  agreed to be interviewed by Splash Magazines Worldwide.

How long have you been an actor?

Technically I’ve had 2 acting careers. The first began in my twenties when I was new to LA. It took me a while to find my footing and a support system but eventually I started booking workin theater and commercials. After a few years I felt I was just running around in circles, so I transitioned into a career in finance. I needed to grow up and make some money and although difficult, that decision served me very well. Several years later I came back to acting only his time as a writer and filmmaker as well. In total, I’ve been acting more than ten years.

What are some of your most recent productions?

As an actor, a recurring role as a Romulan Officer on Star Trek Picard. As a writer and/or filmmaker, Black Face, The Color Happy and A Slice of Life.

Talk about the episode that you wrote and starred in for Very Freighting Tales?

A Slice of Life is about a man going through a midlife crisis. He moves to LA to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an actor and immediately gets caught up in the wrong crowd. Unbeknownst to him, his life is in danger. I play a rideshare driver who used to be an actor himself, but for unknown reasons has gotten out of the business. The two men meet in a chance encounter and I end up getting involved with his suspicious horror film audition.

What inspired you to write the piece?

My inspiration for writing A Slice of Life comes from my love of horror films and a fascination with the pursuit of dreams. The script ended up being a combination of several themes that I ind interesting. One of them is the urban legend of people moving out here to pursue their dreams but end up disappearing instead. Another is that fame and fortune can be attained, but not without a steep price.

What were some of the challenges?

The main challenge was Covid and keeping everyone safe on set. It’s difficult to wear a mask at all times and keep socially distant when you’re in a scene with other actors. Additionally, there were challenges with a limited number of shooting days and finding the right locations that were available and within the budget.

What was it like to work with veteran actor Joe Estevez?

Once Joe was cast I had no idea what to expect, but I knew from his work that he was incredibly talented and had been acting his entire life. As soon as we met I knew that this was going to be not only fun, but a great learning experience. Joe was very kind and generous to work with. When I wasn’t in a scene with him I just stood off in the wings and watched him work. I learned a lot. He was so free and connected. It was inspiring. I’d love to work with him again.

What are your plans for the holidays and the new year?

I usually stay in LA during the holidays and enjoy time with friends, eat way too much food and think about goals for the next year. Since we can’t really spend time with friends I’ll probably just focus on a few projects that I hope to complete. I have a couple of scripts that are close to being finished and I want to wrap post production on Black Face. I’m especially excited for 2021 as I believe things will eventually open back up and we can all do what we love again without Covid restrictions. For me, that means more work on larger projects and hopefully some travel.

Photos: Courtesy of Brian DeRozan

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