‘Most fun I’ve ever had’: Actor living, flourishing in Utah County

PROVO, Utah (KSL.com) — A Utah actor is leading a Hollywood life without stepping foot in Tinsel Town.

Brando White, of Provo, doesn’t have dreams of moving to Los Angeles, as one might assume an actor would. He says the industry has undergone changes that may make a move to California forever unnecessary. In addition to more studios existing outside of Hollywood, COVID-19 restrictions led to auditions routinely being held remotely, which has allowed the local to shine.

White, who turns 37 this year, said Utah is an advertising mecca and he can make a good living doing local and national ads in between those coveted film and television roles. Recently, he was featured in national ads for both Mugsy Jeans and BoatTrader.com.

He currently has two films in post-production, including an expected 2024 holiday release from Orem’s Candlelight Media titled “Enchanting Christmas,” about a child’s wish to bring an ice sculpture to life. Much of the filming took place in Utah this past winter. The second is also a Candlelight production called “Romance on the Ranch.”

Another, called “The Loved and Lost,” debuted at the Zions Indie Film Fest in Orem this year and is now making the rounds at film festivals across the country. White is the lead actor in both “Enchanting Christmas” and “The Loved and Lost,” co-starring with director Anna Thalman in the latter film, about a young couple with children, in the middle of a financial crisis. White also cowrote the film.

He starred with actress Andi McDowell in 2020 in the Paramount Network film “Dashing in December.”

In 2023, White had a lead role in “The Counterfeit Kid,” a western about a farmhand impersonating an outlaw — both are presumably looking for the same hidden treasure. He received a nomination for best actor for the role that year at the Wyoming International Film Festival.

In addition to film roles, White had a speaking part on the hit television series “Yellowstone.” In the episode, which aired in 2019, he plays a Montana state trooper and shared screen time with notable actor Danny Huston.

A star is born

White didn’t act while growing up, and he didn’t have family who did, either. It wasn’t even on his radar.

While pursuing an art degree — White is also a painter — at Brigham Young University, he decided to take an introductory acting class. He enjoyed the class and took more. His instructors told him he had talent and should pursue acting as a career. That led to two stage performances at BYU and to the making of two student films.

Currently, acting is White’s full-time profession, whether it be in film and television, or commercials. He hasn’t needed a side job for some time, something for which he is grateful.

“I still try to look at it as this fun thing that I’m doing, rather than this important thing I have to accomplish. So far, that’s served me well,” said White.

Shortly after that introductory acting class at BYU, an opportunity for a film part became available in 2016. The script was about a lone man in the woods, trying to survive. The director told White filming would begin in Colorado in six months and he prepared for the film by losing some weight and growing out his beard and hair.

It was his first paid acting job, and the film never made it out of post-production. A dispute between the producers and director kept the film from ever being seen. White, however, had been bitten by the acting bug and knew he wanted to stick with it.

“My ‘moment’ involved a long day of shooting — I’m in a tent and being soaked by a rain machine. I look up to see a bit of sunlight poking through and I know right then that this is the most fun I’ve ever had … and that I could see myself doing this,” he said.

Following a couple of roles in short films in 2017, White was cast in a YouTube Red television series, “Youth and Consequences,” that aired the following year. In true Hollywood fashion, White, who was 30 at the time, played a 19-year-old.

That audition and role caught the eye of Salt Lake City talent agent and casting director Jeff Johnson, who offered White representation.

Having an agent led to the audition for “Yellowstone.” White was able to experience his first truly big-budget production and was caught up in the whirlwind of everything happening on set, the many extras, and being able to converse with actors who had larger roles than his — including Huston.

“Dashing in December” filmed following his appearance in “Yellowstone” and White had to learn to line dance for the role. He plays a supporting character, a friend of the lead, and was pleased most of his lines made the final cut.

Much of his dancing, however, did not, which White says is likely a good thing.