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Brianna Brown has appeared in her share of hit movies and noteworthy TV shows, though parts such as“jewelry salesgirl” (“Entourage”), “Alison's friend” (“Knocked Up”) and “bar girl” (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) didn't exactly bring her headlining status.

Brown, a 28-year-old Minnesota native, hopes to change that with the release of “Timber Falls” in theaters on Friday, Dec. 7. The horror/thriller, which marks Brown's first starring role on the big screen, centers on a young couple, Sheryl (Brown) and Mike (Josh Randall), who gets kidnapped by some crazed locals while on a camping trip.

Brown talked to 210SA about her first starring role, the trappings of life in Hollywood and being starstruck by a former New Kid on the Block.

What's it like starring in your first movie?

Hopefully, the movie goes over well because I'm really proud of my performance ..... I think it's rare in a horror/thriller to say you're proud of a performance, but I felt like (the movie) has a storyline and character arc, particularly for a woman.

How so?

With women, it's usually T&A, where women usually serve a certain purpose. Sometimes the heroine fights back, but usually it's pretty gratuitous.

What were your thoughts when you saw the “Timber Falls” script?

I thought of it as kind of a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” meets “Misery.” I like that (my) character was intelligent and had a career and was in love, that there was a conflict within the script between the two characters. There's a decent amount of time showing the setup of their relationship so that you have time to care for the characters. To be on a journey and get abducted by crazy Christian zealots in the woods, I think it's really an interesting plot.

Since the plot revolves somewhat around sex, did that make filming awkward?

It's based on sex, in that the villains feel justified in doing what they're doing to us because we're intimate without being married. That's their justification, but as far as sex scenes go, there's only one love scene that's very minimal. It shows their relationship, and it's not just gratuitous romping ..... It's always awkward when you're intimate (during filming) with someone you're not in a relationship with ..... It's very technical and not romantic, at least for me. It's not a big turn-on and definitely something where you're really acting.

You worked for Judd Apatow on “Freaks and Geeks,” “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” How did you end up working for him on three separate occasions?

The first job I ever did was “Freaks and Geeks.” I was in the pilot, and that's what got me my (Screen Actors Guild) card. It was the first job I did in L.A. I met Leslie Mann (Apatow's wife) through a play-read several years ago, and she and I hit it off and kept in touch. Parts have come up, and they've been able to put me in.

What is it about Apatow's films that resonate so much with audiences?

I think his comedies are really well thought out. Most comedies are very formulaic, and his comedies do have a formula to them, but the characters are so well thought out. Every scene is realistic to the world, like the “Superbad” guys who are really sexual in trying to figure things out. People can relate to that. I think he has threads of truth throughout every storyline.

As a young actress in Hollywood, is it easy to get caught up in the excess that life can bring?

A lot of people who get really into the drug and alcohol scene didn't have to work as hard to get where they are in their careers. For people who had to earn each step, they really appreciate what they have. Obviously there are always exceptions, but I think the other thing is realizing that every event you go to, there's going to be alcohol. In other industries, that's not the case. You have to realize what your tolerance is and what your limit is ..... The biggest thing is staying grounded and knowing why you're doing this. The reason people get into drugs and alcohol is because they're not happy with what's going on in their lives. That's why they medicate themselves.

After moving out to California, when did you first get starstruck?

I've been starstruck by the oddest people. I've worked with big actors where I was not starstruck, but I was in awe of who they are. There were two people I really felt speechless around, and one was (former New Kids on the Block member) Joey McIntyre. I saw him at a party, and he was at the bar next to me, and I was speechless because it brought me back to being a little girl who had his picture on my wall. The other one was the guy who played Geordi on “Star Trek” and was on “Reading Rainbow.”

You were starstruck by LeVar Burton?

Yeah. I went in to an audition, and I think he was the producer on it, and I had to be sexy in this part. I got into the audition and saw him, and I got so nervous because it was like this little girl having to be sexy in front of the “Reading Rainbow” guy.
 
Clint Hale | 210SA