MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Anthony Bradford, Actor

New York-born Anthony Bradford started performing on stage from an early age, as a first grader appearing in his school’s production of “The Nativity”, where he played one of the three wise men. He continued to perform and enrolled in an acting program in junior high, where he continued to study acting as well as perform in every school play. During high school, Anthony continued his acting studies while playing football, track, and tennis. Academically, he earned a 4.2 GPA and was also class president. He appeared in a handful of student films and was also an anchorman for the school news. He appeared in his school’s production of “Anything Goes”, where he played the Captain.

He enrolled at Haverford College his freshman year, where he participated in tennis and squash while taking acting classes at Bryn Mawr College, Katharine Hepburn’s alma mater. After transferring to Bucknell University, Anthony majored in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and also studied Business and French. He also participated in lacrosse and is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. As a member of Colleges Against Cancer, he was one of the officers who helped organize the school’s first ever Relay For Life, a cancer fundraiser. Although very busy, he made time for theatre, taking every theatre class the college offered.

Upon graduation, he took a job with an investment bank. At the end of 2007, he gave his notice and started going on auditions. On his second audition, he landed a role on the miniseries “Amazing Sports Stories”. He appeared in two episodes. After that, he was cast as the Murder Suspect in an episode of truTV’s “Haunting Evidence”.

Anthony has appeared on “All My Children” and works as a recurring Under 5 on “One Life to Live”.

Anthony recently completed filming of “Transition”, which he wrote, produced, and plays the lead role. It is based on the true story of his younger brother, a cancer survivor. He plays determined high school senior Chris Jamison, who has recently beaten cancer and looks to win back his starting spot on the lacrosse team and piece together the life he almost lost.

Anthony just finished filming a Principal role in the James L. Brooks film, “How Do You Know”, which stars Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson.

He continues to hone his craft studying with Seth Barrish and Lee Brock at the award-winning The Barrow Group in New York as well as The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.  Whom You Know is so pleased to present Anthony Bradford as our latest Mover and Shaker!  Peachy Deegan interviewed Anthony Bradford for Whom You Know.


Peachy Deegan: When did you realize you were a skilled actor?

Anthony Bradford: I knew I wanted to act since I was young and did my first school play in elementary shool.

What do you enjoy the most about acting?

Being taken to another place. In my opinion, when you are in the middle of a scene, it is comparable to when you get "in the zone" playing sports. It's stimulating and calming at the same time.

What actors do you admire most and why, both current and past?

I admire Paul Newman very much, not just because he was a great actor, but also because he was a very grounded, educated, and giving person. He also was in a happy marriage and devoted to his family, which is very admirable.  [Peachy: We LOVE Paul Newman!  I used to see him race his Corvette at Lime Rock Park...see Cruising Peachy]

Do you act in French?

I speak French but have not had the pleasure of playing a role where I can use it. Hopefully I will.

What did you do in investment banking and do you miss it?

I did banking because it's what I thought I was supposed to do when I graduated. It was a very interesting experience and I liked the people I worked with, however, it wasn't what I really wanted to do and one day I just decided to go for it with acting.

Tell us about Transition please.  We love lacrosse (everyone that played field hockey played lacrosse, but Peachy only played one season since she kept getting hit in the head with the ball!) and have covered more cancer charities than any other cause.
"Transiton" is based on my younger brother, who after beating cancer (Stage III Hodgkin's Lymphoma), became the leading scorer and captain of his high school lacrosse team. I  love inspirational films and decided to make a positive with what happened to my brother and also get lacrosse out there. It is the fastest growing sport in the country and my favorite sport. I have given a copy of "Transition" to Sloan-Kettetering in NYC, which is where my brother was treated. I hope the film will inspire the kids currently going through treatment there, that there is life after cancer.

Tell us about How Do You Know please.

It stars Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson. Reese's character is in a love triangle with Owen's and Paul's characters. In the film, Owen is a professional baseball player and I have a bit role in it as one of his teammates. It will be in theaters Dec. 17th. It was an honor to work with James L. Brooks.

What or who has had the most influence on your pursuit of excellence?

My family. They have been so supportive of me and I am very thankful for that.

What are you proudest of and why?

I am proud of going after what I always wanted to do. I am very happy that I made "Transition" happen and am grateful for everyone who was involved with it.

What would you like to do professionally that you have not yet had the opportunity to do?

So many things. 

What honors and awards have you received in your profession?

Just to work, to me, is an honor. "Transition" has been selected and screened at a bunch of festivals, including The Cannes Short Film Corner, NYC Downtown Film Festival, All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival, Hoboken Film Festival, Staten Island Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, and FirstGlance Philadelphia Film Festival.

What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan?

SoHo..but specifically, I love catching a show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

What is your favorite shop in Manhattan?

I'm not a big shopper.

What is your favorite drink?

Beer: Guiness or a wheat beer
Mixed Drink: White Russian

What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan?

Osaka Sushi. Great sushi, prices, and everyone who works there is real cool.

What is your favorite Manhattan book?

"Weird NY" talks about some cool places you can check out in Manhattan. "The Great Gatsby" takes place in Long Island, so that may be a stretch in terms of it being a Manhattan book, but it's one of my favorites.

If you could have anything in Manhattan named after you what would it be and why?

30 Rockefeller Place. SNL is one of my favorite shows and that's where it shoots.

What has been your best Manhattan athletic experience?

One time I had to audition for a football player for Law and Order, so that was pretty fun. We did some drills at the pier. Also, sprinting countless blocks to get to an audition on time.

What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else?

Just walk around and explore, whether it's finding a cool hole in the wall pub or being able to just take the subway to get to a place.

What has been your best Manhattan art or music experience?

Some of the people who play music in the subway are really talented.

What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?

I pretty much like everything about Manhattan except when it's freezing in the winter.

Other than Movers and Shakers of course, what is your favorite Whom You Know column and what do you like about it?

Events-Daylight and Nightlight and their respective "Upcomings." I like that it lets you know about so many interesting things that are going on in the city.

What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?

I write and throw with my left hand and kick with my right foot. With many other tasks I'm ambidextrous. I love working out and do crossfit workouts to keep in shape.

How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?

They can check out my official website at www.Anthony-Bradford.com (email is anthonybradfordinfo@gmail.com)
Also, they can go on www.TransitionTheMovie.com to check out the film's trailer and put themselves on the mailing list. Thanks for your time!