INTRO BY KAT VISTI
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN GUEST
Brian Guest is a triple threat. He's an actor, writer, and comedian. Brian is now starring alongside Josh Duhamel, Luke James, LeToya Luckett-Walker and more in USA Network's TV series Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. Brian has made appearances on other shows like NCSI: Los Angeles, Rush Hour, Southland, and Narcos. He also recently finished filming and Indie dark comedy called The Oath. We sat down with Brian to learn more about his recent projects.
When it comes to your passions, which came first – writing, acting, or comedy?
BRIAN: "The egg came first, not the chicken. We all accept that as fact, right? I mean that chicken has to come from somewhere! Honestly, I’m not sure which came first- writing, acting, or comedy. They all started percolating around the same time for me. I do come from a gigantic extended Irish family where fighting for stage time in my grandparents living room is probably how I sharpened my early comedic chops. And they were good chops- high grade 10 year old humor. When I first started “acting” I was very attracted to dark gritty plays by Sam Shepard. And now that I’m thinking about it, my 3rd grade book report I did on a Jackie Robinson biography might be the finest thing I’ve ever written. So I truly have no idea. But if I do know something, it is that an egg comes before a chicken."
Do you find that you favor one over the others?
BRIAN: "They are all sort of intertwined like a co-dependent threeway relationship. A threeway that works! Each one needs the other. My writing needs the acting. The acting needs the comedy… and so on. Each one needs the other, and brings out the best qualities in the other. Awwwe, best threeway ever!"
You play Tim Searight in Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G – what was it like working on this project and what made it different than previous ones you’ve done?
BRIAN: "I’ve never worked on a project that had that long of a title, so that was new. I mean it literally takes up half my resume. So many things were cool and different working on this project. Anthony Hemingway (Director/Producer) is just so talented. I’ve known him for years, so getting to work on this with him truly is a dream. And the other actors that worked on Unsolved are ridiculously good! When you boil it down, this story is iconic and riveting. Kyle Long wrote an amazing show based on LAPD detective Greg Kading’s (Executive Producer) book Murder Rap. If you are not watching, you’re a real knucklehead. That’s right, a head made of just knuckles."
Is there a project that you’ve done that has really stuck with you in the back of your mind, even when you continue working on other things?
BRIAN: "I’ve has some pretty great experiences on sets with some pretty great people. One thing I’ll never forget is when I was going to the bathroom with a microphone pack around my waist. It fell into the toilet. That has always stuck with me. Take the mic pack off before you go to the bathroom."
You recently finished filming the indie dark comedy, The Oath, alongside Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish. Can you tell us a little about the movie and your role?
BRIAN: "The movie is going to be awesome. It’s a satirical thriller that takes place during the Thanksgiving holiday. I play Avery, a friend of Ike Barinholtz’s character Chris."
What was it like working with the cast for this project?
BRIAN: "It was fine. Ike and Tiffany and the rest of the of the cast might look funny in TV and movies, but wow, what a bunch of stiffs in real life. Zero humor. Zero fun. Just kidding! They are hilarious and awesome! Ike wrote, directed, and acted in the film. I mean seriously Ike, when do you sleep? Go home. Catch up on some nap time man!"
Is there anything else we can expect from you in the near future?
BRIAN: "I am going to go on a worldwide tour talking about why the “egg” came before the “chicken”. I have zero scientific knowledge in chemistry or biology, but I have passion. And isn’t that all that matters?"