Showrunner Paul Witten's Road to the Emmys was Paved with NOs

In this episode of Brian Breaks Character, Showrunner, Creator, and Actor, Paul Witten gives us a MASTERCLASS in putting yourself out there! I brought him on the show so you can see how relentless creativity (and not taking NO for answer) reallllllly pays off!

Paul is the creator and showrunner of Dropping the Soap starring Jane Lynch. And Jane WON the Emmy Award for her role on his show.

But it wasn’t all rainbows, lollipops, and big-name comedians… Paul heard NO a lot, but instead of letting the NOs bring him down, he transformed them into finding the right community of artists and supporters for his projects.

What I love about Paul (and I know you will too!) is that he leads with kindness. In this episode, Paul explains how he surrounded himself with like-minded individuals who wanted to get on board with his project because of HIS story and then was able to make his show happen WITHOUT ONE OUNCE OF CROWDFUNDING.

He tells us how there are no rules in this business (you there in the back row, did you hear that?!?) and why vulnerability is the key to getting people to believe in (and invest in!) your projects.

And beyond all that, Paul is a joy to talk to and I can’t wait to introduce you to him. Paul is an inspiration and I hope that you learn as much as I did from this episode.

TAKEAWAYS

The power of NO and what you can learn from it
Tell your personal stories and allow yourself to be vulnerable – That is how to get someone to be a part of your project
Know your boundaries as an artist and what you need to protect and take care of yourself
There are no rules

Paul Witten is an actor/writer/producer. He recently had the pleasure of shooting “The Comeback Trail”, a feature film working alongside Robert DeNiro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman and Zach Braff, as well as a recent guest spot on Brooklyn 99. He also had a recurring role in the multiple award winning Apple+ series “The Morning Show”, with Jennifer Aniston. Additionally, Paul created, co-wrote and stars opposite Jane Lynch in the Emmy winning comedy series, “Dropping The Soap”, currently available on Amazon. Paul’s most recent short film, “A Play”, which he produced, co-wrote and stars in, is currently running the festival circuit having won numerous festival awards. Paul also just penned a half hour comedy pilot, “You Are Here”, which he will begin pitching soon. Favorite Los Angeles theatre credits include; “The Goat Or, Who Is Sylvia” (Best Actor nominee, Ovation Awards), “The Woman In Black” (Best Actor nominee; LA Drama Critics Circle and Ovation Awards/ LA premiere); “The Brothers Karamazov” (Best Ensemble LA Drama Critics Circle, LA premiere).

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Brian Breaks Character!

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Want to learn more? If you’re an actor and your goal is to have a fabulous representation, come watch Make Agents Want You for free (https://www.makeagentswantyou.com). That way, you can get off the hamster wheel of reaching out and focus on the acting you were born to do.

CONNECT WITH PAUL

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/paul_witten/

Dropping the Soap on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Dropping-the-Soap/dp/B06XHZQ3HD

Subscribe To The Podcast

Apple

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-breaks-character/id1570747490

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/2A0QC6RYtcULRMtbsIT3yq?si=xu3QstDpS9WkpoQwHVSueg&nd=1

Watch The Uncut Behind-the-scenes Video Of This Episode On Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/brianpatacca