…is as soft as she is tough. With an extensive background in boxing and martial arts, her niche and excellence lie in playing wild child, badass characters. “Creating strong women roles is my fuel”, Brette says.
Her most recent work includes the female lead, Heather Stinson, in the feature film Soul to Keep, Detective Becky Rawlings in her own short film Babs, which she wrote, produced & co-directed and Lt. Elizabeth Grant in the 1983 Wargames re-make, to name a few. Brette is well remembered for her role as the feisty, ball-busting Pam York on Nashville and “Crazy Debbie” on Rescue Me.
She’s a passionate singer/songwriter and her warm unique vocals can be heard on her country album Breaking News that she wrote and produced. As an accomplished equestrian, she’s a tireless advocate for horse safety and has maintained a lifelong love of riding.
Brette continues to produce & collaborate as a writer, producer, director and actor through projects highlighting her essence as a streetwise, straight-shooting woman.
TAKE 2 INDIE REVIEW - Q&A
Q. Brette, can you give us some examples of Wild Child characters you identify with?
Yes! A few of those are: Gemma in S.O.A, Sarah in Terminator: Dark Fate, Furiosa in Mad Max Fury Road, Erin in Erin Brockovich, Pam York in Nashville and Detective Becky Rawlings in my own short film Babs, of course. What I love the most about these women is that they’re all recklessly untethered, yet they make a mark wherever they go. I love their humanness.
Q. What type of role do you yearn to play that you haven't already been cast as?
In trying not to put limitations on future projects, I believe the best is yet to come. I love characters with an unorthodox core. I love to morph; if Sarah Connor in Terminator 2 and Sarah Bowman a.k.a The Great Western had a baby, she’d now be leading her rebel soldiers and evading the perils of war - come hell or high water.
Q. What was the spark that ignited for you to write your short film BABS?
Honestly, I’ve been in the business of creating other people’s characters my entire life but the harsh reality is that if you want to play your desired roles, you often have to create them yourself. I knew this role. I lived it.
Q. You give a riveting performance throughout Babs. How did you prepare as an actor?
Thank you!! I knew the demands of the role. As an actor, and a woman in recovery for many years, I made choices based on these demands. There are infinite pockets of magic that we use in bringing a role to life. Sometimes you surprise yourself with a choice that totally exceeds the obvious. If the actor embodies it, the audience will too.
TRIVIA
Brette used to exercise thoroughbreds at River Downs in Kentucky.
Of the four actresses who have portrayed Martha Wayne in film and TV, which is currently on the hit tv series Gotham?
Answer: Brette Taylor