Actor Nate Brassfield learned independence at a young age. He was raised by a single mother.
Brassfield along with his two sisters had to create opportunities for themselves. “In order to create opportunities, you have to Act. I think often times people misperceive this idea; they jump to the idea of manipulation or lying. But that’s not it, not at all. Good acting of any kind is rooted in truth.”
“The truth is, I’ve been acting my whole life; we all have. I say this for many reasons. I still remember my first character, “Uncle Henry”. I would perform improv dialogues and some short monologues as, “Uncle Henry,” for my mom and my sister, normally after dinner. I was about 5 at the time. It cracks me up to think about it. I wonder, “What was in the young child’s mind to make him decide that’s what he was going to do?” “I would start by going down to the basement and putting on some sort of costume, whatever I could find. I would put myself into the mental state of “Uncle Henry,” then I would come back up the basement stairs and knock on the door waiting for my mom or sister to answer.”
Brassfield began his acting career in theater. A Director he knew through the acting community in Ann-Arbor was casting a show-Neil Simon classic, “Lost in Yonkers.” After a short audition, he got the part as “Eddie,” the emotionally fractured father of boys, “Arty and Jay.”
He also went to military school for two years before enlisting in the Army. He recalls his experience being of both joy and sadness. He was never deployed to war, although he did volunteer to go. He was spared the tragic experience of battle-unlike many of his brothers. His unit was deployed to Afghanistan a few months after he was discharged and several of his brothers didn’t come back. “I was somehow graced with the fortune of not having to go to war. At the time it all seemed like a series of logistical coincidences that prevented me from deploying. Looking back on it, however, I don’t think it was a coincidence at all.”
His biggest accomplishment in the military was becoming a Paratrooper. “Once a paratrooper always a Paratrooper.” No one can ever take that away from me. I was awarded “Keeper of the Wings” in Airborne school, as the youngest Paratrooper in the battalion. I was 17 at the time. I was also awarded expert Marksmen, as well as several presidential fitness awards.”
Has your military experience influenced your acting? “Acting requires a great deal of discipline, courage, and strength. Although it may be contrary to popular opinion, good acting requires honor as well. You have to honor the craft. The Cast, Crew, Director, Agents and every single person on set who, in some way or another, has the power to make or break that project.” “Most importantly, you have to be honorable to yourself. I think we can all think of Actors or Celebrities who have lost control and forgot to honor themselves and the tragic ramifications that usually follow. In that place, success and growth halts, so honor is incredibly important.”
Brassfield’s recent films include, “Faith Under Fire” with Dean Cain and “Son of The Wolf,” both directed by Joel Paul Reisig. He is also working on a TV pilot called “The Patron,” directed by Michael Steinbeck. “I’m really excited about all of these projects and am curious to see what people’s reaction will be. Some of what I’ve learned has been technical and some creative. “Really what I’ve gotten most out of the film work I’ve done is learning how to get better at my job. Also, how to complete the work at or above the Director’s expectations.”
What advice would you give upcoming Actors? “This is a good one for me to talk about. I’ve made great strides in my career, a great deal of the time I still feel somewhat lost. It’s not all bad. I think this sense of not knowing what to do forces you to figure it out as opposed to everything being laid out for you, as many professionals’ paths often are. I think the most obvious thing is that you have to be all in; completely and utterly devoted to it. As with anything you want to achieve, but especially when it comes to a career in acting. If you’re doing it for fun or as a hobby that’s fine. Don’t confuse yourself, because aiming for professional aspirations and being a hobby are two very different things. Don’t confuse activity-with achievement.”
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Instinct Culture 
What a great interview. 😁
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