Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryant Daye.
Bryant, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Oddly enough, I ignored my path since I was a child growing up in Boston, MA. My brother was a thespian, and I was an athlete who viewed theatre as “uncool”. His theater teacher tried endlessly to get me on the stage; however, it never worked.
In my early 20s, I was a private equity investor and enjoyed it, but didn’t feel fulfilled. I often questioned and dwelt on what my purpose was, and most of the time, it felt like life was about making it to the weekend.
With finance being so black and white, I ventured into the arts and started working on a clothing line with a close friend. We shot a promotional video for the brand, and since there were limited resources, he encouraged me to act in it. All it took was one take for it to become a watershed moment.
I created an account on Backstage and enrolled in my first acting class. My first few years of acting consisted of several short films and commercials with brands such as Apple, the Boston Celtics, and Timberland. Although I enjoyed working on these sets, there were stories that I wanted to be a part of that only a movie could portray.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road hasn’t always been smooth, but then again, I find comfort knowing that I’m on the right road.
One of the main struggles that I encountered was purely mental. As I mentioned, I was working at a private equity firm and had a great fish in hand, but knew I had to throw it back.
It was a constant back and forth of trying to come to grips with what was happening and how my life was changing. I envisioned myself as a businessman owning a brownstone in Boston’s South End since I was a kid. However, that vision of myself became obsolete the further I dove into acting and the unknown.
Another challenge that I faced was being based in Boston, where there isn’t an abundance of TV and FIlm opportunities. I would daytrip to LA once a week for acting classes as well as auditions when they presented themselves. It grew to a point that the only way I could manage it was to be bi-coastal.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since officially leaving the business world behind this past March, I am a full-time actor and screenwriter.
I reflected on the current TV landscape and grew tired of seeing black men in shows centered around violence and drugs. I thought to myself, why is there comfort in trauma? I also felt that Boston, being a major city in the U.S, lacked TV and Film opportunities.
To address this, I wrote a series called ‘Turbulence’ that I’ll be filming in Boston this summer. It’s about a former finance guru who dives into the comedy scene, where open mics, dating mishaps, and unexpected twists deliver the biggest laughs in his quest for a fresh start.
I’m most proud of the fact that I realized that the glass is always half full. I love LA, but wanted to film my first project in Boston to leave the door open for the other actors who are following a similar path.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is riding in the back of my dad’s convertible Mustang with my siblings, singing Jodeci at the top of our lungs while he downshifted through turns. The wind whipped around us, our hats nearly flying off, and for a moment, it felt like nothing else in the world existed but the car and the music.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @_bdaye
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryant-daye-7425b585/
