We had the distinct pleasure of talking with Sistas’ actor, Branden Wellington. Known for his dynamic performances and captivating presence on screen, especially in Netlix’s Orange is the New Black, Branden has made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. From his early beginnings to his breakout roles, Branden’s journey is a testament to his dedication and passion for the craft. In this exclusive interview, we’ll delve into his career, inspirations, and the experiences that have shaped him into the artist he is today. Join us as we uncover the story behind the actor and spoken-word poet, Branden Wellington!
Being an actor is hard, but planning a wedding is harder! You’re about to wed Batwoman actress Meagan Tandy this summer. Tell us about the whirlwind of events leading up to the wedding.
You’ll never know what goes into planning a wedding until it’s your turn. She and I lucked out by finding a private venue that includes majority of the vendors you need to pull off the wedding. We’ve also been fortunate over our careers to have developed relationships with designers that have assisted in helping us dress for the big day. The challenges have been hitting deadlines for the venue, organizing our guest list through multiple spreadsheets, and making sure we’re spending quality time with each other through the process. Meagan has been running most of this as she has experience in producing events through her annual Girl Talk Conference. We’ve done our best to enjoy these last days before tying the knot but its been stressful days.
You joined Tyler Perry’s Sistas in Season 6 as the character Tony King and were quickly promoted to a series regular for Season 7. Is there some sort of “relief” knowing you’ll have a steady paycheck? What’s your advice to actors who are just starting out regarding doing whatever it takes to pay your bills?
The most important thing is to focus on the process of acting and landing a job. In the beginning of your career, I think the most important thing is to gain experience. Do short films, plays, a graduate thesis film, build a community of actors, and have monologue Mondays. The way you can make time for this is by working nights at a good restaurant, catering, or work for an events staffing company. It’s a delicate juggling act in the beginning, but you have to find your balance and make yourself available for auditions. I also recommend finding roommates who are open minded and driven. NY can be expensive, but with a good team around you, you can all work together to keep the rent down and the creativity up. If you’re rich, disregard.
Tell us about your auditions for Orange is the New Black and Sistas.
My audition for OITNB came at a time when my career as an entertainment / sports host was taking off. To that point, I had done a bunch of plays, short films, and under 5’s — and if I’m being honest I was getting frustrated with the whole process. While I was in the waiting room for my audition, I got a call about a job offer to join an NBA team as a sideline reporter. At the moment I made up my mind that this was going to be my last acting audition and I was going focus on sports. I went in and read my sides from the page and they did a general interview afterwards. A week later, I got a call from my manager telling me I landed the part. That role grew from a co-star recur in Season 6 to a guest-star recur for Season 7.
After OITNB, I moved to LA and Covid took the world by storm. Casting directors weren’t seeing actors in person as much those days. When the audition for Sistas came around it was self-tape and pages of dialogue. It was a guest star recur as a love interest to one of the leads. The breakdown stated that I was well dressed and worked at the airport with her, so I wore a blue suit. white dress shirt, striped tie, and brown dress shoes. They needed to fill the role as soon as possible, so I got the sides and recorded the self-tape on the same day. To this day I stand by the quote, “the best ability is availability.”
Early in your acting career, you had bit parts, such as a guard in Gotham and a firefighter in Blue Bloods. What type of hospitality, if any, do day players receive on network shows?
Every show has its own identity and flow. On all of the network shows, I had my own trailer or dressing room. Sometimes there was a group lunch with food trucks being brought in and sometimes it was individual meals that you ordered from what was available and the PA would bring it in. My favorite experience as a day player probably came from the show Younger. During lunch, we all sat at a table and started doing music. Beatbox and rapping like the high school lunchroom. Hilary Duff joined us and sat in on the fun as well. We tried to get her to rap but she let us work. I still smile thinking about it. It was a fun day.
You were born in Indianapolis, IN. Give us details about your childhood. Did you ever have braces, because your teeth are perfect!
Thanks for saying so. I never had braces so I pride myself on a good smile and getting routine cleanings. I grew up with a split family — my mom and dad got married to two wonderful people who have been in my life since elementary school. I’m one of eight children and I was always the jokester in the family. That carried over into the classroom and caused me a lot of trouble growing up. I found a place where my energy and carefree nature was encouraged when I joined my high school theater program. That set the foundations for a career in acting that I continue to work on to this day.
Let’s discuss spoken-word poetry. You’ve done several projects for the NBA and won an Emmy award for writing. Please detail, for those who don’t know, exactly what spoken-word poetry is and how you apply it to your life. What got you interested in poetry?
Spoken-word is another form of storytelling through poetic prose. It’s more performative in nature as opposed to poetry — hence the word “spoken”. I fell in love with words and rhyming at an early age and I found it to be a productive way to express myself when I was younger. The love I have for it has carried into adulthood and ultimately my career as a professional. If someone wanted to get into this field, I’d say write about something that you love or that you’re curious about and go perform at a poetry spot. In New York, it was The Nuyorican Poets Cafe (physical location closed) and The Inspired Word NYC.
How important is collaboration with directors and fellow actors to you? Please share an example of a particularly successful collaboration.
I lived with a few actors who I went to college with in New York after graduation. They were, and still are, my tribe. When I wanted to produce my 1st spoken word video, they were instrumental in helping me bring that to life. They produce a lot of original content and got their director to do my video, while my roommates handled sound, editing, and storyboarding. That video went on to do over 800k views on YouTube without any subscribers, all word of mouth. That collaboration helped launch my career as a professional spoken word artist and now I often write for the NBA, USA soccer, and various other brands and organizations over the years.
How do you continue to grow and improve as an actor? Are there any specific practices or studies you follow?
I love watching other actors work. A big part of my growth is going to see plays or binge watching a noteworthy TV show and paying attention to the choices that are being made. I take private lessons when I’m not on set and work on script analysis, character development, and practice how my facial expressions and movement look on camera. You don’t need to be booked to do this — it’s the process that ultimately leads to working. I love the process.
Outside of acting and poetry, what are some of your personal passions or hobbies that you enjoy?
I’ve been a day trader for years and run a Discord room (social platform) Monday through Friday where I’m actively helping others learn these skills. I enjoy gaming. The cool thing about that is that videogames have a need for actors as well and I’ve been fortunate to play a role in my favorite game, NBA2k (back to back years). I also enjoy playing Overwatch 2 on PC.
Branden Wellington. Photo Credit Tim Schaeffer.
You’re a big guy, formerly from New York. Anyone ever cross the street when they saw you coming? 
The most frustrating thing to me had to be my growth spurt. I was 6’2 as a freshman in high school and wanted to pursue a career in basketball before joining theater. I’ve been the same height since. Being tall early, they teach you how to play as a big man and I never really developed the skills to be an effective guard. I lived in New York for 13 years. New Yorkers aren’t scared of much, if anything I have turned to the side when crossing the street because they’re fully ready to shoulder check me. Haha!
Anything else you’d like to say?
Perseverance gives birth to success. Whenever you feel like giving up just remember that endurance is going one more step.
You can follow Branden Wellington on Instagram.
