Bio
Bree Michael Warner
Both Sides of the Lens:
Lighting up the Frame Inside and Out.
Working both in front of and behind the camera has created a symbiotic union of Beauty, Talent and Satiating the Space between the Senses. Creating canvases where Life imitates Art then Imitates Life, Warner began these parallel journeys almost from the start. As a self proclaimed hobbyist at the time in the realm of photography, she often found solace from the view of a camera. Perhaps it was an illusion of control, a need to be able to create that which is beautiful without the dependence of Hollywood and its Chess players, she reflects, It definitely inspired creativity within the pockets of my career as an Actor, that naturally ebbed and flowed.
There was never any doubt that this doe eyed Renaissance woman eagerly sought the world of the big screen. From her early youth as the child of two very Artistic parents, of which her Father a front man for numerous local bands and Mother a gifted singer and actress in Clevelands Civic Theatre and Light Opera, it was as if the road were already laid. There was a draw that resonated with Warner in the deepest parts as if genetically programmed. I recall on many occasions being transfixed by watching my Mother during the rehearsal process of whatever given Musical she was performing for the season. To me it was as much of a wonderment as seeing Disneyworld for the first time.
It was no surprise to find her interests in the Arts growing and growing as she too grew into a young woman full of charisma and a natural vulnerability that is both soft and feminine. It was this approachability that caught the attention of Casting Directors and Filmmakers. Warners edge comes not with sharpness but with the softness of a Gaussian blur needed to create a repertoire of characters full of depth, full of emotion. It is women overcoming the odds that most attract her. There is something in the eyes of women who must face mountains before them. You can see the struggle but more importantly you can see their triumph.
It is this look into the soul that perhaps first drew her into the world of photography. When I am standing opposite my subject and I first peer through my camera I am led into their private world. There is something humbling about this moment as if I am somehow privileged enough to earn their trust. She continues retelling stories of her experiences as a photographer as if recanting lessons in living. I remember once I had a client, a woman who had come to shoot with me. On first arrival she was frustrated and upset feeling the pressure of getting the perfect shot for her marketing team. During our shoot, I felt as though there was so much more beneath that she guarded vehemently. The pictures captured enough but not her truest essence. It wasnt until I instinctual began talking with her about her childhood and the trauma she had undergone. Within minutes she began to weep and I wielding my camera caught every frame of a woman being set free for the moment from her pain. Afterwards I went over to hug her as she had sat before me so vulnerable and open. I told her that those images of pain and relief were for her eyes only, for she had earned her release and most assuredly overcome a great many odds. In that moment I saw the beauty in those which we label broken or damaged. It is they that move us, inspire us and give us hope..
This wasnt the only occasion at which Warner understood the significance of lifes challenges. Like many in her field, the road to fame is both crooked and misleading. It can bring joy as quickly as it extinguishes it. Yet, she has discovered through her own struggles yet again that beauty underneath. Carving a career as an Actress whos compassion for the underling has warranted her acclaim from those which she has worked with, it began with a guest starring role on Any Day Now as a young teen, whos life a runaway was plagued by a poor upbringing and dreams dissolved too soon. She continued on with roles in a variety of Television Programs and it was Six Feet Under, which gave this ingénue a taste of whats to come. Having auditioned in front of Alan Ball for another role which had unknowingly already been cast, it was his curiosity and fascination with this petite pixie-like, Warner that persuaded him to add another character to the episode specifically molded for her. It was a first major milestone of many.
Throughout the journey from a small suburb of Cleveland, OH to Orlando, FL, to Los Angeles, CA and now New York City, Warner has placed markers of the map playing women who could inspire us all. Whether on Screen or behind the lens she seems to finds the ways of telling stories with the delicacy of someone whos lived a million lives. Described as an old soul with eyes that see the world from all angles by director of the film Weak, Ty Higgins, she seems melt the line between the seen and unseen. With two back to back films due out this year she has continued to forge forward, script in one hand and camera the other.
MOST RECENTLY:
Playing the daughter of Catherine Hicks in the television drama The Truth about Layla, directed by Michael Crisscione and also starring One Life to Lives, Scott Bailey shes amidst a family being torn apart by the trials of struggling to cope with Mental Illness of one of its members. It was a challenging role as in these circumstances there is no easy solution, no hero and no villain. You simply do the best you can with what youre given. It was that personal struggle between Love, Obligation and ultimately Self preservation that gave the role its heart. Continuing to jump into the challenge of complicated and often misunderstood characters, she lept into the drivers seat of her next project literally.
UP NEXT:
Fathers Day written and directed by William Heins is sure to be an Indie darling amongst the festival circuit. Already generating buzz amongst distribution companies, Warners stars opposite David Moscow, whos bolt into the limelight struck in the 1987 film Big. The film also stars the likes of Vinny Vella and Michael Kaves, frontman of the band Lordz of Brooklyn and New York Graffiti Artist legion in his break out performance. Warners fondness for her latest role trumps any other as the whimsical and idiosyncratically quirky Sadie, whos best friend and traveling buddy comes in the form of her beloved goldfish Oscar. She joins Jonah (David Moscow) on a journey across the great plains in search of his estranged father. From LA to Brooklyn, New York, Jonah and Sadie venture out in their vintage teal blue Studebaker with nothing more than a suitcase, a fish and all the enthusiasm of being reborn. Sadie, lives the moment as if she sees the world like a child. She simply embraces her new surroundings with utter joy, humility and a hopefulness that can sometimes become quite tarnished when we let it. She reminded me of the my own reflection in the mirror when I too was just a child she continues After spending much of my career in the shoes of women who struggled to escape their torment, it was like watching a seedling blossom. Sadie had a purity that is both exquisite and refreshing.
If the eyes are truly the windows of the soul, Warners are dancing between the two worlds gracefully. Her gifts on screen stand up against those off screen, painting portraits of people we love to know more intimately.
