By Christina Morgan
At 19 years old, Brennan Hillard is a fresh face in Hollywood that is going to turn some heads. As one of the stars of the new Wayans Brothers’ comedy, Dance Flick, Hillard is finally living his dream. Since age six, he’s been taking voice lessons, performing in theaters and striving to make it big. The story of how it all happened is an interesting one, and RelateMag.com had the chance to talk to him about how the role came to fruition.
At his first audition for Dance Flick, Hillard admits, “I was scared out of my mind. I thought I was going to throw up I was so nervous.” During the auditions at Paramount Studios, he flew back and forth from Arizona and Los Angeles. For his second call back, his manager told him at the airport that he would have to perform the theme song from the movie Fame. “I know that everyone thinks I’m crazy that I’ve never heard of or seen the movie Fame,” explains Hillard, “but I’ve really never heard or seen it!”
Avoiding any major freak outs, Hillard quickly learned the song at his manager’s apartment (in thirty minutes) only to find that the producers had changed the words of it when he reached the studios. With the help of a loaned boom box and some improvisation, he gave it his best shot anyway and nailed the part. Three days later, he got a call and found out that he would be playing role of Jack in the film. Hillard admits, “I didn’t think that I was going to get it. I don’t think any actor thinks they are ever going to get the part. It’s surreal when it does happen to you.” He admits to screaming with his friends upon receiving the good news.
In the film, Hillard will play a spoof of Zac Efron. “I have no idea how he will react,” jokes Hillard. “I like his work and hope that he understands that it’s all in good fun and we didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. I admire him and admire his career so hopefully he enjoys it.” Starring along side the Wayans and other great acts like Shoshana Bush and Chelsea Makela, the film is bound to be a huge hit for anyone with a great sense of humor.
Based out of Burbank, and now paying his own rent, Hillard talked a bit about other things that he enjoys outside of work. In his spare time, he finds writing music therapeutic and is also a big sports guy. Not only has he played almost every sport (the exception is hockey), he’s a huge Yankees fan. Lunch is his favorite meal of the day, and this soon-to-be-heartthrob has been taking dance lessons (break-dance, hip-hop, contemporary and jazz) since age eight. Hillard in fact performs every scene in Dance Flick himself and is proud of it.
What advice does Hillard have for other young teens looking to succeed? He encourages others by saying, “If something doesn’t work out and you are really trying your hardest, maybe try something new…but if it’s what you really want to do, I’d say go for it!” He also warns against negativity in adding, “You won’t get anywhere if you are constantly being down and giving up. There have been times when I’ve wanted to give up, but I just didn’t. You just have to keep going and keep pushing. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Dance Flick will be released in theaters May 22, 2009 and fans can now follow Hillard on Twitter (key name: brennanhillard) and MySpace. RelateMag.com is sure that we’ll be seeing more of him in the years to come.
[Shot from the movie taken by Glen Wilson. Headshot of Brennan from brennanhillard.com]
Tags: Celebrity Central, movies
