Whether she’s starring in a Broadway musical or hit series Passions and Hart of Dixie or creating her own music like her latest EP Just Like This, Brandi Burkhardt certainly knows how to keep busy. Known for her performances in Mamma Mia! and A Tale of Two Cities on Broadway, Burkhardt has recently stepped into the indie spotlight alongside Paul Rudd in A24’s new film Friendship. In an exclusive interview with Actors With Issues, she opened up about the evolution of her career, from her shy beginnings in Maryland to her upcoming EP release, and why she believes artists are never done “making it.” With honesty, humor, and heart, Burkhardt shares lessons from the audition grind, the joys of working on a creatively liberating film set, and the personal empowerment behind writing her own music.
From Shy Baltimore Girl to Center-Stage
“I always secretly wanted to be a performer, but I was a very shy girl,” Brandi Burkhardt recalls of growing up in Pasadena, Maryland, just outside Baltimore. “It wasn’t until high school… I was shaking like a leaf, but my mom and stepfather made me audition, telling me I’d regret it if I didn’t.”
That small role—and a string of pageants where singers routinely beat her piano solos—sparked a new confidence. “Maybe I’m good at this,” she thought, buoyed by honest family feedback and the thrill of embodying characters. Burkhardt’s early lesson still guides her: Embrace fear as fuel. “Positive reinforcement from audiences—and especially my family—kept me pursuing it,” she says.
Owning Your Voice in a Shifting Industry
Looking back, the actress wishes she’d stopped “auditioning to be the you everyone’s expecting.” Instead, she now strives to “make myself known,” admitting that perfectionism can stifle creativity.
When young actors ask how to get started, Burkhardt offers practical optimism: “Knock on a bunch of doors and take every opportunity… Toss it all out there and see what comes back.” Success, she adds, grows from service: “It’s not about what I can get—it’s about what I have in my hands to offer, and where I can give it.”
Self-taping has replaced many in-room auditions, and Burkhardt misses that “osmosis” of collaboration. “Now it’s really important to have a good reader who can make moments with you,” she notes. Even so, the explosion of streaming means more roles than ever—if actors can keep pace with scattered viewership and endless platforms.
Set Life with Paul Rudd in A24’s Friendship
Brandi Burkhardt’s latest screen venture pairs her with Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, and Tim Robinson in A24’s genre-bending dark comedy Friendship. Walking on set, she braced for improv chaos: “How much of this is actually the script, and how much is going to be improv?” she wondered.
Any nerves vanished thanks to an unusually free atmosphere. “I kept asking the director, ‘Why are you allowed to do this?’ It didn’t feel corporate at all—it felt very creative and alive,” she says. “You weren’t doing the comedy; it was just all there… It was a breath of fresh air to trust the director’s vision.” The experience reaffirmed her belief that great work blooms in open, collaborative spaces.
Broadway Dreams and a Debut EP
Though film keeps her busy, Broadway still calls. “I always said I hoped Mamma Mia! would stay open so I could play Donna,” Burkhardt laughs. “That show is a blast—even when it’s the eighth show of the week, the music starts and you can’t help it.” A return to the Winter Garden would feel “bittersweet” without the original company, but she’s game: “We’ll see what’s in the cards.”
Meanwhile, she’s channeling her voice—literally—into music. On May 31 she dropped “Back in Time,” the first single from her debut EP Just Like This. “It’s me coming out from behind the roles and just being myself… all original music I’ve written, and I’m so excited to share it,” she says.
For Brandi Burkhardt, artistic fulfillment is an ongoing pursuit. “There’s no such thing as making it,” she stresses. “You’re always making it. You’re always creating. Every day, get up and make it.”
