If you’re trying to build a life as an Entertainer, this episode is a nice reminder that the “career path” usually looks more like a scribble. Actor and comedian Brian T. Shirley sits down with host Big Ben Kennedy, and the conversation bounces from Charleston comedy history to oddball acting gigs, with a quick detour through nude-scene chaos (because of course).

Two Charleston lives that kept almost bumping into each other

Ben and Brian kick things off with the kind of small-world stuff that makes you double-check your own memory.

Their near-misses include:

  • Same orbit, different lanes: they’d crossed paths for years in the Charleston scene, but never actually shared a stage.
  • Same internet radio network: Brian ran the BTS Radio Show, and Ben was connected to the same network through shows like Big Ugly Radio.
  • Same church connection: Brian even attended the church where Ben and his wife got married over two decades ago.

They describe it like two asteroids that kept passing close, and somehow never hit. Until now.

Before podcasts were cool, Brian was already doing the thing

Brian’s early media work was an internet radio show back when that was the move. Instead of chasing big names, he pushed independent music, actors, and comedians, and kept the show going for years.

That habit of building relationships paid off in a very “wait, what?” way. Brian talks about staying in touch with actor Will Roberts, who later appeared as General Leslie Groves in Oppenheimer. It’s one of those stories that makes the entertainment world feel huge and tiny at the same time.

If you want to see what Brian’s up to now, his home base is Brian T. Shirley’s official site.

Cross-promotion, saying yes, and not being a comedy hermit

Brian shows up already promoting the episode, which Ben appreciates because plenty of guests do not. Ben’s logic is simple: cross-promotion still helps you, because half the audience is yours the second your name is on the screen.

That idea connects to a bigger theme in the episode: say yes. The old improv rule, “yes, and,” comes up as both a stage tool and a career tool. Ben admits improv doesn’t always click for him on stage, even though he can riff in conversation all day. Brian, who started improv way back during his Comedy Zone days, sees the value in taking the shot anyway because you never know what it leads to.

Charleston comedy throwbacks, road reps, and Canada boot camp

The talk gets delightfully inside-baseball for comics, in a way actors will still recognize: you need reps, not just dreams.

Brian walks through coming up in the 1990s comedy workshop scene, building a core group of comics, then branching out to work clubs in places like Greenville, Savannah, Columbia, and Augusta. He also shares a wild stretch of road time in Canada that he describes like comedy boot camp, including a brutal show (the kind you remember forever).

Ben adds the key lesson: the same joke can work five different ways depending on the crowd. You can keep the words, but change the speed, tone, and attitude. It’s not something you learn from a book. You learn it from rooms that don’t care about your feelings.

“Entertainer” as a job title (not just a vibe)

A big takeaway for anyone trying to work in film or stage is how Brian stacks skills. He’s not only a stand-up and actor. He’s hosted trivia, done DJ work, worked unusual corporate-style events, and kept expanding the toolbox.

One of the strangest gigs he shares is lawyer training workshops, where attorneys practice cross-examinations. They hired Brian as a witness, paid travel, paid prep time, and required improv experience because scripted answers do not help lawyers train for real humans.

That’s the point. The weird gigs often want the exact combo you’ve built by accident.

Snack break: Goldfish and Arizona tea, the budget-friendly champion

Brian’s snack choice is pure simplicity: cheddar Goldfish and an Arizona tea. Ben jokes it might be the cheapest episode snack order yet, and Brian laughs that it’s proof he’s a comedian (free food always wins).

It’s a funny moment, but it also fits the show’s energy. It’s not “fancy content.” It’s two working performers talking shop with snacks in wooden bowls.

Nude scenes, short films, and the kind of credits you never forget

The conversation takes a hard left into Ben’s film work, including an indie film called The Money Shot, where he chose to flash rear nudity as a joke. He expected a private chuckle. What he got was public screenings where audiences cheered. Then his kid’s friends found it later, which is the sort of sentence that makes every parent wince.

Brian shares his own story of doing a nude horror short years ago, before later having heart surgery, which adds an extra layer of “yep, time sure happens.”

Brian also talks about working on student films through Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), including projects that earned recognition in the college-level Emmy space. He mentions a short called “Doorway,” and a co-star who had to leave set to fly out for Oppenheimer. The six-degrees effect strikes again.

If you liked the show’s mix of local culture and guests, Ben also interviewed a Charleston food spot owner in Divine Inspiration and Vegan Cookies with Annie O.

The long game: keep posting, keep meeting people, keep going

Ben and Brian circle back to the same idea from different angles:

  • Consistency matters, because people might binge your work later.
  • People watch quietly, even if they never “like” anything.
  • Diversifying keeps you sane, because you can focus on the lane that’s moving.

Brian’s been doing stand-up for over 25 years, toured beyond the US (including Canada, the Bahamas, and Japan), served in the Air Force earlier in life, and kept building through acting, writing, and content projects. It’s not one straight climb. It’s showing up, again and again, until the work starts stacking.

Conclusion

This episode lands as both a hang and a real look at what an Entertainer life can be: part comedy, part acting, part hustle, and part “why am I on a giant screen right now?” If you’re trying to act, the biggest lesson is simple, keep building skills people can actually use. Then say yes when the odd opportunity shows up. What’s the weirdest gig you’d take if it came with a credit and a good story?

You can catch more episodes in the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ blog!