Budding entertainer Lily Brooks O’Briant is a busy bee! From working with St. Jude’s Children Hospital and participating in staged musical theatre productions to being a full time high school student, the 15-year-old sits down with Celeb Secrets her to discuss stage versus screen acting, female role models in the industry, and opportunities she has taken to give back to communities around her.
Best known for being a series regular on Netflix’s The Big Show Show, O’Briant had a young start to acting, booking some of her first roles as Matilda in the national tour of the Broadway production of Matilda The Musical and also a role alongside Dolph Lundgren in the 2015 film Shark Lake. Some of her other credits include playing the lead in the film Marina, where she won a Wasserman Award and a New York City Film Festival Award for her portrayal as Marina; and Kylie in Mandated.
When asked to give advice to other young creatives in the industry, she brought us honesty and transparency. “This industry can be very emotionally exhausting, especially because of the amount of rejection that you experience,” she explains. “I was told no over 400 times before I was cast as a series regular in ‘The Big Show Show.’ I am still told no, but I keep trying because I love acting.” Her reputable enthusiasm is so inspiring!
Check out our full Q&A with Lily below and don’t forget to leave a reaction at the bottom if you love this post. You can also connect with the young star by giving her a follow on Instagram at @lilybrooksobriant.
CS: You are best known for having been a regular on Netflix’s “The Big Show Show.” For audiences who aren’t familiar with the series, can you tell us a little bit about the story and your role?
Lily Brooks O’Briant (LBO): “The Big Show Show is a Family sitcom on Netflix. The show is about WWE wrestler “The Big Show” and his family’s adventures after he retires from wrestling. From dealing with having 4 girls in the house to dealing with the crazy shenanigans the girls get into, the show is fun to watch and has something for everyone in the family.”
CS: Your career started on Broadway! What was it like performing in Matilda? Do you hope to do live theatre again one day? Or do you prefer film and television?
LBO: “Yes! I played Matilda on the National Broadway Tour of ‘Matilda the Musical’ at age 9. Playing Matilda was such an incredible experience and I wouldn’t be where I am today without everything that I learned from playing Matilda. Theatre will always hold a very special place in my heart because it is how I started acting and it is what sparked my passion for the performing arts. Although I have been focusing more on film and TV acting recently, I will always enjoy playing roles in theatre and musical theatre. I just recently worked on a staged reading for an amazing musical theatre project with Katharine McPhee Foster, Bobby Conte (who is starring in ‘Company’ with Patti LuPone on Broadway), Kevin Chamberlin (from Disney’s ‘Jessie’) and so many other incredible performers that I feel confident will be on Broadway sometime soon!”
CS: It is really impressive that you are pursuing your talents at such a young age – What challenges does being a young person in the industry present to you?
LBO: “I have known exactly what I wanted to do since I was about 5 years old and haven’t stopped since. I wanted to tell a story and be a strong role model for girls all around the world who want to pursue their dreams. As Matilda says, ‘Even if you’re little, you can do a lot.’ As a young person in the industry it can be very tough to keep up with auditions, acting projects, school, acting classes, singing lessons, studying, etc. The only way that I am able to keep up with everything is with my amazing mother. She always makes sure that I get everything done and is always there to help me out. I really don’t know what I would do without my mom.”
CS: It isn’t a secret that you love giving back and helping others. Can you talk to us a little bit about your involvement with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Girl Rising and Heal the Bay?
LBO: “Of course! Giving back to organizations such as St. Jude and Heal the Bay is something so important to me. I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee which is where St. Jude is located and ever since I was little I have known about the amazing things that St. Jude does for kids all around the world. A few of my family friends were treated at St. Jude and St. Jude Children’s research Hospital helped them beat cancer. When I grew my platform, I knew that I wanted to use it to do good and help the patients of St. Jude by raising awareness for St. Jude and the amazing things that they do to fight childhood cancer for children all over the world. I started ‘Team Young Hollywood / Broadway’ to mobilize help from friends to raise money for St. Jude and raise awareness to help end childhood cancer. With Heal the Bay, I have been a beach girl for as long as I can remember. My mom used to take me out to the ocean when I was very little and we would swim in the ocean and ride the waves. The beach has always been my relaxation place. When I found out about Heal the bay, I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of the organization and help clean the beach. Girl Rising is an international organization that supports educating girls and young women and helps them find their voice to bring meaningful change in the world. I am passionate about helping support other girls and women to learn, grow and find their voice.”
CS: Do you have any acting idols you look up to? From whom do you garner most of your inspiration? Is there a celeb you wish you could collaborate with?
LBO: “My biggest acting inspirations are Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Graham. I look up to Reese Witherspoon in many different ways. She has a production company called ‘Hello Sunshine’ that works to create projects with strong female leads. She is an amazing director, writer and actor and that is something that I would love to one day achieve. Lauren Graham is an inspiration to me as well because her comedic timing in ‘Gilmore Girls’ is something that I continuously learn from watching.”
CS: If you could recreate any movie or TV show and cast yourself as the lead, what would it be?
LBO: “This is a really tough question because there are so many movies and TV shows that have shaped me as an actress. One of my favorite characters of all time is Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy. I would love to play Meredith because she is such a strong female lead who continues to inspire girls who might want to become doctors one day. I also would love to play Rory in Gilmore Girls. I watched Gilmore Girls with my mom and ever since then it has been one of my favorite shows.”
CS: What advice would you give other young artists about the industry?
LBO: “The biggest piece of advice that I could give any aspiring young actress is to never give up. This industry can be very emotionally exhausting, especially because of the amount of rejection that you experience. The best thing to do is to learn to never give up and to just keep going if it is something you love to do. I was told no over 400 times before I was cast as a series regular in The Big Show Show. I am still told no, but I keep trying because I love acting. I also want to direct and produce someday and won’t stop trying even when I’m told ‘no.’”
CS: What can your fans and new audiences expect next from Lily Brooks O’Briant?
LBO: “Well, I guess you’ll have to follow me on Instagram (@lilybrooksobriant) to see what is next in store for me!”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, what is a secret that people don’t know about you?
LBO: “A secret about me that you probably don’t know is that I am a BIG Disney fan! When I was little, my family and I would take trips to Disney World as our family vacation. When I am sad, I watch Disney movies with my family and it makes everything better!”
