“Five things I’ve learned over the years that would have been nice to know in the beginning: Number one: Being an actor — not just pursuing acting, but being an actor — is expensive. I am talking financially. Sidebar: that is part of the reason I started an online conversation with a fellow actor friend called ‘Actors Talking Money.’ We are working to turn it into a podcast because I feel like people don’t tell us how much it costs to not only pursue this art form but to stay in it and stick with it.”
I had the pleasure of talking with Brittany Inge, an artist who has steadily carved out a space for herself in an industry notorious for its volatility. For Inge, the path to the screen and stage wasn’t paved with instant stardom, but with the grit of regional theater, the discipline of the Atlanta arts scene, and a series of redirections that she now views as blessings. She describes herself as a “DMV person” through and through, having cut her teeth at the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in D.C. before heading south to Spelman College in Atlanta.
In the beginning, acting wasn’t even the primary plan. “I knew I wanted to pursue the arts; growing up, I always wanted to perform,” Inge recalls. “I just wanted to be Whitney Houston initially. That was the goal. It was that simple to me — just grow up and be Whitney.”
However, the reality of the music industry shifted her trajectory. After graduating with a music degree, she realized the opportunities she wanted were scarce without a theatrical component. She “stumbled [her] way accidentally into a community theater situation, got bit by the bug,” and became obsessed with the craft. Atlanta’s vibrant regional theater circuit became her training ground. It was here she learned the ropes, secured a local agent, and booked her first commercial, starting a spiral of work that hasn’t stopped since.
But the journey wasn’t without its humbling moments. Inge is open about the learning curve required to move from an aspiring singer to a working actor. She recounts a humorous early audition where, lacking formal acting training, she finished a monologue and dramatically announced to the casting director, “And scene. Thank you.”
“She very politely but sternly said, ‘Don’t ever do that again,’” Inge laughs. The lesson was immediate and lasting: “Don’t believe everything you see on TV.” It pushed her back to the drawing board to build the muscle memory and skill set required to walk into auditions with genuine confidence, rather than just bravado.
That dedication to craft eventually paid off with career-defining experiences. One standout moment was working on the BET series Boomerang, executive produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry. For a solo episode in the second season, production actually flew her to France rather than using a soundstage. “The fact that they didn’t just ‘movie magic’ it up — we got to actually travel to Paris to shoot some of it — was a dream come true,” she says.
Yet, it was her Broadway debut two summers ago in the play Home that tested her limits. The production featured only three actors playing over 40 characters. “It was tremendous. It was exhausting. It required so much discipline and athleticism,” she admits. Without costume changes or elaborate sets, the actors had to rely entirely on voice and posture to convince the audience. “We had to make folks believe us because we were standing up there in the same costume for the whole show.”
Inge’s career is also a testament to patience. She firmly believes that “no” is often just “not yet.” In 2021, she tested for a series regular role on Reasonable Doubt but lost out to another actor. She was devastated at the time. Four years later, she booked a role on the show’s third season that felt perfectly aligned with her current artistic sensibilities. “I look at all of it as my steps being ordered,” she says.
Currently, viewers can find her navigating two very different worlds on television. On CBS’s Elsbeth, she plays Julia Payne Wagner, the daughter of Wendell Pierce’s character. She describes the experience of working with Pierce as “tremendous,” noting his generosity as a scene partner. While she shares Julia’s professional confidence, Inge notes a key difference in their personal lives: “I am not going to say she wants to defy her father, but she’s always trying to prove that she’s grown… I want my mom to be happy with me. I want my dad to be happy with me.”
Simultaneously, she stars in The Ms. Pat Show on BET+, a three-time Emmy-nominated sitcom known for blending raw humor with difficult social commentary. Playing Ashley, a character who also attended Spelman, Inge brings a familiar “big sister energy” to the screen. However, she notes that Ashley is far more rigid in her worldview. “Ashley is not going to let up,” Inge explains. “Brittany is more like, ‘Well, I read the book and you probably should read it, but hey, if you don’t want to, it’s fine.’”
Beyond the characters, Inge is focused on the practical realities of the artist’s life. She is developing a project called “Actors Talking Money” to address the financial transparency often lacking in the industry. “Being an actor — not just pursuing acting, but being an actor — is expensive,” she states plainly.
Her advice to newcomers is pragmatic: hone your skills to armor yourself against rejection, understand that you have the power to say “no” to auditions that don’t feel right, and maintain boundaries. “It is okay to be weird, quirky, mushy, lovey-dovey artists, but also to go to work, treat it like work, and leave it there,” she advises.
Ultimately, Inge’s work is driven by a desire to see people treated with humanity. If she could inspire a movement, it would be simple: “Feeding someone if you can feed them if they’re hungry… If we all did a little bit of our part, then everyone would be cared for.” It is a grounded philosophy from an artist who keeps her feet on the earth, even as her career continues to climb.
Yitzi: Brittany, it’s so nice to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share with us the story of your childhood, how you grew up, and the seeds for all the amazing work that has come since then?
Brittany Inge: Let me see how I can give the “Cliff Notes” version. I’ll go medium. I was born in Philadelphia, but my initial childhood was in New Jersey, and then I moved to Maryland. I consider myself a “DMV,” Maryland person. I went to high school in D.C. at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. I was raised by a brilliant, strong, beautiful single mother. My dad is very present, alive, and well in my life, but my mother raised me. I went to Duke and really got my footing there as an artist. I knew I wanted to pursue the arts; growing up, I always wanted to perform. I just wanted to be Whitney Houston initially. That was the goal. It was that simple to me — just grow up and be Whitney. As I got older and started doing my own training, I tried to forge my own path. Duke Ellington was the first real training ground for that. From there, I went to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and I actually got my degree in music. When I graduated from Spelman, I realized that there were not a lot of musical opportunities that didn’t involve theater. I stumbled my way accidentally into a community theater situation, got bit by the bug, and started training, studying, and reading all that I could about acting. I became obsessed. That is where my training started, and I grew from there.
Yitzi: Please tell us about the next chapter. Tell us about your first breaks and first entrees into the entertainment scene.
Brittany Inge: The next chapter was lots of professional theater. I started in Atlanta; there is a great regional theater presence there, and that was my training ground. This is where I really cut my teeth, as theater actors say. From there, I was able to get an agent. My first agent was a local agent, so I was auditioning for a lot of smaller roles, but eventually, I booked my first commercial. Then I booked my first co-star role, and it spiraled and grew from there.
Yitzi: You probably have some amazing stories from the different parts of your career, different places you’ve been to, and the different sets you’ve been on. Maybe this is hard to single out, but can you share one or two stories that most stand out in your mind? Or, if you were to write a memoir about your career, what stories would have to be in the memoir?
Brittany Inge: That is tough. One thing coming to mind creatively was having the chance to travel to Paris, France, to work as an actor. Having the chance to travel abroad and visit Europe on somebody else’s dime was impactful and life-changing in a lot of ways. I was on a show called Boomerang that had two seasons on BET; it was executive produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry. In the second season of that show, my character had a solo episode. It was just her taking a trip to Paris. The fact that they didn’t just “movie magic” it up — we got to actually travel to Paris to shoot some of it — was a dream come true. I would have to tell that story and all that went into it. The second one would probably be my experience on Broadway. Two summers ago, I made my Broadway debut in a show called Home. That experience was life-changing. It was tremendous. It was exhausting. It required so much discipline and athleticism. I learned so much about myself personally and artistically. I would really have to dig into that in a memoir for sure.
Yitzi: There is a saying that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake that you made when you were first starting acting and the lesson that you took away from it?
Brittany Inge: Yes, I do. I love this question. When I first started acting, I had not gotten a sufficient amount of training yet. I went to an open call for a theater audition. I did my song first. The casting director said, “Oh great, you have a lovely voice.” She was excited. I had trained enough in music, so I had her there. She said, “Great, let’s see your monologue.” I started the monologue and completely blanked because I hadn’t built up any sort of skill set or muscle memory. I eventually got it back and finished the monologue. When I was done, I very dramatically and sincerely said, “And scene. Thank you.” She very politely but sternly said, “Don’t ever do that again. Just so you know, nobody… you don’t have to say ‘and scene’ when you’re done. You just finish.” I said, “Got it. Thank you so much.” It was very embarrassing.
Yitzi: Great story. So what’s the lesson that you took away from that?
Brittany Inge: The lesson was: don’t believe everything you see on TV. Television will have you thinking that is how it works. I am an advocate for television, but sometimes you can’t believe everything. The lesson was also to get more training to make sure that I am fully prepared for the rooms that I want to step into. I was not prepared in that moment. I did not have everything that I needed to walk in confidently. I had to go back to the drawing board, get some more training, and go from there.
Yitzi: There is another saying that “no” is not rejection but redirection. Do you have a story like that where you got a “no” to an opportunity but that led to an unexpected better opportunity or blessing or success?
Brittany Inge: I have hundreds of stories like that. I feel like that is this whole career journey. People often talk about acting and how there’s so much rejection in it; that is a big narrative around this industry and this craft. It’s true, but I look at all of it as redirection. I look at all of it as my steps being ordered and being placed in the rooms, spaces, and around the people that I’m supposed to be with. One specific example is back in 2021 when I auditioned for a show called Reasonable Doubt. It was a new show at the time, and it was for a series regular role. I ended up getting a callback and then testing. It got very close. It was down to me and one other actor. I did not get that role. At the time, I was obviously devastated and “feeling all the feels.” Four years later, Reasonable Doubt is in its third season; I got an audition for it, and I booked it. It’s been a really great and special opportunity to be on the show in the capacity that I was this past season. I think the role that I booked was the role that was meant for me. It felt very aligned with me and the stories that I’m excited about telling.
Yitzi: What’s been the most challenging project or role you’ve taken on so far and why?
Brittany Inge: The most challenging project has to have been Home on Broadway. In that show, there are only three actors, but there are over 40 characters. The cast consists of one man and two women, and both women in the show play 20 to 25 different characters. That was exciting but also terrifying. It was extremely challenging to find different ways to change our voices and postures to become these different people with minimal costumes and minimal set design. We had to make folks believe us because we were standing up there in the same costume for the whole show, the same wigs; there was no real change visually. That was a big challenge, and also a big growing and learning experience. But I loved it. I loved every minute of it.
Yitzi: Please tell us about the exciting new projects you’re working on now and what you hope to be working on in the near future.
Brittany Inge: I am so excited and blessed to be a part of two really awesome shows right now. The first one is Elsbeth. It airs on CBS. They are on their mid-season break right now, but the show will return on February 26th to continue season three. I was so excited to join the cast of Elsbeth this season as Julia Payne Wagner, playing the daughter of Captain C.W. Wagner, played by Wendell Pierce. First of all, I love the show. I was a huge fan of The Good Fight, which is one of the first places that Elsbeth was introduced. I am obsessed with the show and the Elsbeth character, but I was also really excited about the opportunity to work with and learn from Wendell. It’s been a tremendous experience. He is so generous, so warm, and the best scene partner ever.
The other show that I’m currently on is in our fifth season: The Ms. Pat Show, which airs on BET+. We are a three-time Emmy-nominated sitcom. I am very proud of that. I think we’re the first BET show to get Emmy-nominated. We just dropped a new episode this week that deals very heavily with our president, ICE narratives, and things like that. I am very proud of the stories that we’re telling and our courage to speak truth to power and use our art as activism. I am excited that they let the episode air.
Yitzi: Let’s talk more about that. Let’s focus on Elsbeth. How would you compare and contrast Julia Payne Wagner to Brittany? How are you similar, and how are you different?
Brittany Inge: I would say that Julia and I are similar in that we walk to the beat of our own drums. We’re both pretty confident in our abilities, especially in our professional lives. There’s a confidence that Julia carries that I can identify with. Where we are not similar is her determination to give her dad a headache. I am not going to say she wants to defy her father, but she’s always trying to prove that she’s grown. I am not that daughter. I want my mom to be happy with me. I want my dad to be happy with me. I want them to be proud. I want their approval in a way that I think Julia isn’t exactly looking for, at least not in this season of her life. So we’re different in that way.
Yitzi: Let’s talk about the Ms. Pat Show. As you mentioned, it’s been Emmy-nominated and has a cult following. It’s very highly rated on IMDb. What do you think it is that captures people’s hearts and minds about this series?
Brittany Inge: I think it’s the way that we are able to keep folks laughing while also making them think and reflect. Laughter is a way to make the medicine go down easier. It’s a sitcom, and we deal with very topical issues. We’re always trying to confront different things that are happening in the world or in our community and teach people, but we use comedy to do it. Ms. Pat’s style of comedy specifically is so raw and unfiltered. I think people identify with her approach but also get fed and left with a message and something to sit with. I think that’s the magic of the show.
Yitzi: So similar question, how would you compare and contrast Brittany to Ashley in the show? How is she similar, and how are you different?
Brittany Inge: With Ashley, I am similar in the sense that Ashley and I both went to Spelman College. I love that they incorporated that on the show. I am not the oldest of my siblings in real life, but I do bring that big sister energy to a lot of my friend dynamics. I would say Ashley and I are similar in that way. She’s a big sister, she’s kind of supporting everyone and making sure everyone’s good. I definitely relate to that.
As for how we’re different, I think her approach to her family is a little different than mine. I can be a little bit “let go and let live” with my family — always loving them, always supporting and encouraging, but if that’s how you feel, okay. Ashley is like, “No. That is incorrect and here’s why. Read this book.” Brittany is more like, “Well, I read the book and you probably should read it, but hey, if you don’t want to, it’s fine.” Ashley is not going to let up in that way. It’s like, “Read it and then reread it.” We’re different in that way.
Yitzi: This is our signature question. So Brittany, you’ve been blessed with a lot of success now and you’ve been in so many different shows. You must have learned a lot from your experiences. Looking back all the way to the beginning when you first started acting, can you share five things that you’ve learned over the years that would have been nice to know when you first started?
Brittany Inge: Five things I’ve learned over the years that would have been nice to know in the beginning:
- Number one: Being an actor — not just pursuing acting, but being an actor — is expensive. I am talking financially. Sidebar: that is part of the reason I started an online conversation with a fellow actor friend called “Actors Talking Money.” We are working to turn it into a podcast because I feel like people don’t tell us how much it costs to not only pursue this art form but to stay in it and stick with it.
- Number two: I wish I had known how important it is to hone your skills so that your confidence is unshakable. The industry is going to give you enough rejection and enough uncertainty, but you don’t need to take that on and take it personally. You need to find a way to be grounded in what you do.
- Number three: I wish that I had known earlier that rejection is redirection and a lot of times protection.
- Number four: I wish I had known how okay it is to turn down auditions. It is okay to say “no” to an audition, not just an offer. If it does not resonate, or if something about it feels off in your spirit, your body, or the legacy you are trying to build, you can turn it down. We have the power to say no. Our “no” holds just as much power as our “yes.”
- Number five: I wish I had known that you carry the families and communities you build on set with you forever, but you don’t have to take everyone with you and be best friends. A lot of times as actors, we try to formulate deep connections everywhere we go. I don’t think that is always normal or natural. It is okay to be weird, quirky, mushy, lovey-dovey artists, but also to go to work, treat it like work, and leave it there.
Yitzi: On a personal note, can you share some of the self-care routines that you use to help your body, mind, and heart to thrive?
Brittany Inge: I don’t love going to the gym, but I love how I feel afterwards, so I am there pretty much every day. I go for the after-effect and how I feel and look. Working out is really important to me. Yoga is really helpful with keeping me centered and limber. I am not the best at meditating, but I do try to practice it. It’s really helpful to quiet my always-swirling actor mind. Reading things that encourage me and keep me on the up and up is a big one that helps me. Finally, journaling. I do all the things. I know those probably sound like cliché things to do, but I think sometimes clichés, similar to stereotypes, exist because there’s some kind of truth to them. There’s some sort of truth to it being helpful. Those things really are helping me and keeping me sane on this life journey.
Yitzi: Brittany, because of your great work and the platform that you’ve built, it’s not an exaggeration to say that you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Brittany Inge: I think the idea that I would spread is real love and acceptance of all people. That love and acceptance would look like treating everyone person-to-person with the utmost humanity and dignity. I won’t even use the word love, as that kind of goes without saying, but the utmost humanity and dignity — feeding someone if you can feed them if they’re hungry. If we could just understand that we are here to take care of each other, that would be my message. If we all did a little bit of our part, then everyone would be cared for and taken care of.
Yitzi: Brittany, how can our readers continue to watch your shows, how could they follow you online, and how could they support you in any possible way?
Brittany Inge: Thank you. You can keep up with me the most on Instagram @BrittanyInge — straight, no chaser. You can watch Elsbeth on CBS and it streams on Paramount+. You can watch The Ms. Pat Show on BET+, which streams, and you can get that also through Amazon Prime. Reasonable Doubt season three is currently streaming on Hulu. I would love for your readers to keep up with me and keep an eye out for the ATM podcast (Actors Talking Money), because more will be on the way from us. We do currently have videos live on my Instagram page as well.
Yitzi: Brittany, it’s been such a delight to meet you. I wish you continued success, good health, and blessings. Hope we can do this again next year.
Brittany Inge: Yes, I hope so. You were awesome. Thank you so much.
Brittany Inge on ‘Elsbeth,’ ‘The Ms. Pat Show’ and Why Rejection Is Often Just Redirection was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.