The emotional toll was real. Brendan credits a trusted set, clear boundaries, and craft muscle memory for getting him through heavier sequences. For the film’s climactic “truck scene,” he chose to stay in the character’s headspace between takes—headphones on, energy contained—so he could leap straight back into heightened emotion the moment cameras rolled. “The imagination can be just as powerful,” he says, “and the body doesn’t always know the difference.” Experience taught him how to let that intensity pass once the day was done.

Beyond technique, the story’s themes of trauma, family dynamics and survival, gave the work urgency. Brendan speaks openly about household abuse and its long tail, especially on children who adapt in very different ways just to get by. What moved him most was the arc of Stacey herself, who ultimately becomes an advocate. “That’s the important part. We’re bringing light to what this does, and somehow she turns it into strength for others.”

Authenticity was a team effort. Brendan calls working with Elisha Cuthbert “delightful” and elevating—her on-set fluency raised everyone’s game. Serendipity helped, too: he shares a long history with several cast members, including an actor who’d been his coach for years and a longtime theater collaborator. That built-in trust paid off in the film’s most intimate moments, like when production set up a real, enclosed driving environment for the truck sequence—no crew crammed in the cab, just two actors running the scene repeatedly and discovering new layers each pass. “That’s where the magic happens,” he says.

What does he hope audiences take away? Awareness, first. These aren’t manufactured beats for melodrama; versions of this story happen all the time. And if the film reaches even one person sparking healing, courage, or accountability, that’s a win. Professionally, the project stretched him in ways the camera doesn’t always allow. He loves the range (yes, he still has fun doing commercials) but was grateful that producers remembered his stage work and trusted him with something darker: “To be asked feels great—to be honored with a story that carries more weight.”

As for what’s next, Brendan’s just back from a pair of commercial shoots in Vancouver and Toronto, settling into Los Angeles, and jumping into class to keep the tools sharp. There are a few irons in the fire he can’t discuss yet—“feelers out,” as he puts it—but for now he’s focused on building community and staying ready.

This conversation only scratches the surface. Brendan goes deeper on craft, character, and the real people behind the headlines in the full video. Watch the complete interview below for the uncut, emotionally rich version.