Creating High Stakes: Bruce Herbelin-Earle On "Limelight"
Bruce Herbelin-Earle is an actor and writer, known for Free Rein (2017). Recently, he starred in the short film Limelight, the sixth narrative short in the Amazon Exclusive anthology A Series of Light. We had the pleasure of chatting with him about the role, life on set, and much much more!
A Series of Light is an anthology series which explores the darkest sides of humanity, through technology, connection, intimacy and heartbreak. Limelight follows an aspiring actor, as goes to extreme lengths in the audition room to get the role he's desperate for.
How did you hear about Oxygen Films and get involved in this project?
Gage came to me with a script he was excited to talk to me about, we arranged to meet in London for a readthrough and a catchup, and he explained that it was inspired by his despair with current events, political and social — and wanted to combine the two within an industry that he knew all too well about...
What resonated with you most about the script?
I think the rawness in how Gage wanted to shoot the project was enough for me to agree to do it. His idea to shoot the monologue in a quiet, still, long continuous take, excited me. In earlier drafts, my character is ignited by a conversation with his girlfriend/partner, but I had trouble creating the high stakes that my character needed to go back into that audition room with a gun — I suggested a mad idea that he could receive a call from his mother, essentially telling him that she'd be stopping his funds because she'd had enough of him. The idea that she could be French came swiftly after Gage and I started to develop the scene.
How did you prepare for the role and develop your character?
Lots and lots of rehearsing within the four walls of my bedroom, unfortunately! In the early stages I'd set up a tripod and started to record b-roll on my phone. While watching it back, sometimes I'd find nuances and mannerisms that I liked. The hard work came when Gage and I figured out areas in the script where the tension escalated and whether I wanted to play those moments still and psychotic, or loud and proud. I'm keen on keeping things basic when it comes to pinpointing beats within a scene. I try not to overthink things and like to play around when I get on set to see if I can draw anything more out of the "moment". At the end of the day, Nils is an actor who's desperate for break — I think a few of us know what that can be like... He just happens to go a little further than I think most of us would.
Are there any fun or humorous tales from the set that you can tell us?
The shoot was many months ago so it's hard to remember anything in particular, but I'm sure Gage has some behind the scene footage somewhere and I'd love to see it.
What drew you to the performative arts? How did you fall in love with acting?
In the beginning, way back in the days of school performances, it was the opposite of anything "academic" and relied more on self-expression and confidence. Performing Arts class was an escape from Math, English, and Science. There weren't any guidelines and, as students, we were encouraged that there was no "right way" of doing things — a lesson that I'm constantly reminding myself to this day. I remember playing one of the ugly sisters in my year 5 performance of Cinderella and just remember hearing the audience howling at two 10-year-old kids in a dress, wig, and heels, clip-clopping down the aisle, shouting "CINDERS!! WHERE ARE YOU CINDERS!!"
The feeling of being able to create a reaction like that in front of an audience of around 100+ people was certainly eye-opening. Also, the fact that I was greeted with nothing but smiles and handshakes from parents that I didn't know post-show went a long way to boosting some early needed confidence. You can imagine that this was a pretty big thing to go through as a 10-year-old kid. I was congratulated for being a clown, and it was after THAT performance, that I had been bitten by the "bug", how cliche...
What are some tips you give those aspiring actors out there for how they can hone their craft?
There are books written by the great masters of acting, read them. Then decide for yourself the kind of actor you want to be by taking snippets of what you learn from each of them. Mel Churcher, Stella Adler, Larry Moss, Patrick Tucker have all written books based off their experiences in the industry. Many of them give you the do's and don'ts. Take what you want from these books and apply their techniques into your acting.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us?
I have a few things coming up at the end of the year which I am looking forward too, none of which I am allowed to speak about! Eurgh, annoying isn't it!
Wanna learn more about A Series of Light?! Check out the links below!
A Series of Light review
Gage Oxley On His Anthology A Series Of Light
Jack Parr on “Greenlight”
Jake Watkins On "Redlight"
Rochelle Naylor On "Whitelight"
James Coutsavlis On "Starlight"
Charlie Harris on "Blacklight"
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!