In the media…
Click on Image to listen to the Interview
Michael Enright’s Audiobook segment on CBC National’s The Sunday Edition
It was an honour to be interviewed by THE Michael Enright in studio at the CBC headquarters in T.O.
PRH Canada’s Ann Jansen discusses the industry in Canada and then Michael continues with Tess and me for the remainder of this lively chat.
Post-interview happily showing off the swag!
Click to read the full TORONTO STAR article
A mention off the top in this TO Star article about the industry in Canada
Click on the image if you’d like to read more
About my Writing — An article about “The Old Pros” being selected for and performed as a staged reading as part of South Simcoe theatre’s “Four Play”
Previously, my wife Diana and I produced two staged readings in LA — The second with Katherine Helmond and Al Ruscio as part of a stellar cast, at AFI.
FROM STAGES TO PAGES — Feature Article by Anne Ritchie
Published April 2015 in the Alliston Herald
From stage to spoken page, Braden Wright has met with success. The film publicist turned audio books narrator has created a versatile career for himself, meeting hundreds of personalities along the way. “It’s my second career, the one I really wanted first,” he laughed, explaining the 25 year transition that had taken him from Saskatchewan to Los Angeles and back to Ontario to follow his dream.
The book-ends of this literary dream are family: from 25 years that began with high school acting opportunities, adding the experience of choreography and music, thanks to years of piano playing. His talents develped with a degree from University of Boston, the leading university for advertising, film, and communications, and his dreams focused on work in entertainment marketing and film publicist. The work was as versatile as his talents: one day he called for hotel reservations, only to discover the voice message he had taped for the hotel in post-university days was still in use. “I put myself on hold,” he laughed. It was that same voice that became the voiceover for BMW commercials, was found in the first of many audio books, and gained recognition in daytime soaps such as a “General Hospital”. “You can go to over 100 auditions and get 2 jobs,” he said. “The audition becomes the job”.
It didn’t happen all at once: he entered the entertainment field with the Ice Follies and Disney on Ice, honing his skills in Canadian arenas with two older sisters and skating to success as the first Goofy, to the delight of audiences from New York to L.A. “I loved puppets and theatre arts”, he said, a talent discovered when his design for Boston University mascot was accepted and the role taken by himself. “I saw how people responded to characters they loved”.
Encouraged by success of Disney on Ice, he sought work at Disney Studios, his creativity and communications background attracting him to work as film publicist. “I never thought I’d get a job”, he laughed. The film career began with “Moonstruck”, and reached its peak with the three “Pirates of the Caribbean”; film editing and promotion had become his life. A three month contract became ten years experience, focusing on long hours, hard work, and the demands of a job where multitasking is the norm. Publicists, he explained, were responsible for creating press kits, organizing press events, hosting the media, working with producer and director, supervising still photography, and a host of office duties. “forty hour work weeks are part-time; twelve hour days are the norm”. After 18 years, the return to family became the dream, emerging as a return home and pursuit of literary opportunities found in audio books.
Los Angeles days have transformed to taping audio books in Toronto, the theatre returns to community acting via Blackhorse village Players. Work in over 24 films has led, in its own way, to the creation of 18 audio books, just as popular in their own realm. Marketed and owned by Amazon, audiobooks are popular with commuters, the elderly and disabled, or as companions to exercise and jogging. Wright’s renditions are just as versatile as his career: at different times, he read Russian, Cheyenne, Spanish and Arabic to provide a full picture for the listener.
His love of theatre as well as publicist experience is welcomed in the community at Blackhorse Village Players, his talents honed on dual roles in this season’s “Office Hours”. Voiceovers and commercials are also in the career picture as he pursues a variety of opportunities in the entertainment field.
“I do the best that I can”, he said, and it’s easy to see the best covers a lot of entertainment, be it audio, visual, or behind the scenes, the voice that carries a load of talent.
This Column for some other News-Facing experiences
I worked closely with Paul Walker on a film in Utah — here, a reunion moment on the red carpet for the premiere at the El Capitan for his “Eight Below”
One of the most “real” people I’ve ever had the privilege to know.
My Third premiere for “Pirates” back at Disneyland — here with the awesome photographer Alex Berliner. Lots of moments from those events stand out but a personal favorite was finishing work while the screening was still running (during Pirates 1), and getting to walk down Main Street when it was completely lit, with the red carpet from Cinderella’s castle to the train station — and, in that moment, I was the ONLY person on the street. As a kid, I recall hearing that Walt had been seen doing just that the night before the park opened in 1955. What a magical rush to be able to experience that for myself.
I delighted in it, knowing I was having a once-in-a-lifetime treat. :)