Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Range Roads’ Chad Brownlee

Acclaimed country music singer-songwriter Chad Brownlee is making his full-length feature debut in Range Roads. We had the pleasure of speaking with him ahead of the film’s premiere at Cinequest to learn more about the exciting project, how he prepared, and what he took away from it.

PC: Tell us about Range Roads and your character in the film.
Chad: Range Roads is based in rural Alberta. My character is Bruce, the ex-boyfriend of the main character, Frankie, who’s played by Alana [Hawley Purvis]. She comes back [into town] after twenty years of being away after her parents were tragically killed in a car accident. She comes back to this small town that she grew up in and was worried about how that reception was going to be.

Bruce is one of the characters that allows space for her. Her brother condemns her all the time, so Bruce is this nice reprieve. For Frankie, he’s a safe space and someone that she can talk to who has a neutral perspective on her life. He owns his parent’s farm. He’s a mechanics teacher. He’s a real down-to-earth, what you see is what you get guy. He was a really enjoyable character to embody.

PC: What was it about this particular project and script that stood out to you?
Chad: I liked the realness of it. We’ve really shown the contrast between rural and urban life, and what happens when those relationships merge. Director Kyle [Thomas] did a phenomenal job of telling that story.

PC: This is a really personal story for writer-director Kyle Thomas. What was the collaboration like working with him?
Chad: He’s fantastic. He’s always calm, even under pressure. He was very accepting of me as one of the rookies on set. He set the foundation for a really comfortable work environment. I really hope to work with him again. He’s a true pro.

PC: This is your acting debut. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway from working on this project?
Chad: I’ve been on lots of music video sets. I was in the Tooth Fairy with the Rock years ago as one of his teammates. I didn’t have any speaking lines; I basically just played a hockey player. As far as being on set, I was pretty comfortable with the way that things ran and how they functioned, but every project that I’m on now, there are surprises all over the place. I was constantly surrounded by Kyle, his team, and the other actors that were there. I was taking it all in and learning as much as I could from them. It was a really enjoyable experience.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, Bruce has a really special relationship with Frankie. How did you and Alana approach tackling the dynamic between the two characters?
Chad: She made it so easy. She was a pro. She was very engaged. She made you feel like you were the only person in the room. We were able to utilize the time we had off camera to rehearse our lines, to work through it, to really start to build what that relationship is. Once the camera started, we had a lot to build off of. I followed her lead. She was incredible.

PC: The film tackles a lot of really important themes such as grief, identity, and purpose. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Chad: Grief, identity, and purpose—those are big ones. I’d say I identify with all of those. My whole life, I’ve felt a sense of purpose. It’s hard to go through life without having some sense of identity and grief. I’ve felt grief in many different areas of my life. I think it goes back to what I was originally saying: it’s the realness of this movie that people can relate to. There are real human emotions and relationships involved.

PC: You’ve made the transition from athletics to music to acting. How has each made you a stronger actor?
Chad: That’s a good question. When that red light goes on, you have to have the confidence to perform what it is you’re supposed to perform. As a hockey player, there are massive amounts of pressure that’s put on you to succeed, to help your team win.

With music, when it comes to shows, when it comes to putting together an album, there are tons of pressure-filled situations. But with music, as well, I was able to become different characters in some of the videos. “The Way You Roll” video that I did, I put on a wig and was this different character. It’s always so great to be able to dive into those different areas within my music career. But yeah, long story short, hockey and music helped prepare me for the acting world in many different ways, consciously and subconsciously.

PC: With the film out now, what do you hope audiences take away after they view it?
Chad: Just like music, I think people will take something different—whatever message resonates with them. At the end of the day, we all live such different lives, so it’s an understanding of our different perspectives. Just because somebody moved away to a different place or decided to live a different life, it doesn’t mean it was wrong; it’s their choice. We all have our own perspective on life and what we need to do and what makes us successful. I hope people can take away the acceptance that everyone is on a different path. It’s a beautiful film.

To keep up with Chad, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Ryan Nolan