Brock Yurich has a lot going for him. He’s a promising actor, talented writer and a competitive bodybuilder to boot.
He currently stars on OWN’s wildly popular series The Haves and the Have Nots while building up an acting resume that has included him starring alongside major names in Hollywood like Jane Krakowski and Victoria Justice just to name a few.
The New York City resident has also expertly homed in his writing skills with the release of his drama called 49: A Tribute to Pulse Night Club. It centers around four strangers who reel from a large-scale attack who come together to help heal one another. He is also raising funds for his first gay bodybuilding feature film called Test, so its safe to say that Brock is one busy guy.
Amid all his chaos, Brock was nice enough to sit down with me to discuss all of that and then some. Take a look.
First of all, let's just get this out of the way: you're so freaking handsome! Who do you credit your good looks to?
Haha well thank you! Well my mom and dad are a pretty attractive couple of people. So, I can thank them for this mug.
I want to know more about your film 49 that's premiering in Chicago at the Reeling Film Festival. Can you tell us more about it?
Absolutely. 49 is a short film I wrote and directed after the tragedy at Pulse Night Club. I worked at Pulse during college when I attended UCF in Orlando. Pulse truly was a place of love and acceptance. It was a home for so many young people, gay and straight, it didn't matter. After the tragedy, I went down to be with my friends who had survived the shooting. We mourned the ones we lost and celebrated their lives. But I was still harboring a lot of anger and rage. I was inspired to write, and so 49 flew out of me and onto paper. The film is 10 minutes and takes place in an apartment down the street from Pulse. Basically, 4 strangers have escaped and are trying to figure out what to do and how to process what was happening and learn to support each other. It's about coming together during times of crisis and the strength of the human spirit. I also made it a point to make sure each actor had been to Pulse and had a connection to it somehow. That meant a lot to me.
Your acting credits includes appearances on some pretty big shows. Which one has been your favorite and why?
My favorite? That's tough. Working with Titus Burgess on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was a pretty serious bucket list moment for me.
I know you also scored a recurring role on The Haves and The Have Nots. How did this come about and what can fans expect from your character?
Working on The Haves and Have Nots will be one of the highlights of my life. I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I think of how amazing that experience was. Tyler Perry actually saw my acting and filmmaking content on social media and contacted me personally to discuss a role he was creating. He told me he was considering me and so I sent him my first short film, T-COUNTY, which I wrote, directed and starred in. He liked my performance so much that he offered me 5 episodes. I couldn't believe it. And then he surprised me again when he offered me a spot as a series regular. So "Nurse Madison" becomes more and more entangled in the drama of the show. I guess you can expect what Tyler always delivers: heart-felt characters, explosive drama and insane cliff hangers.
You are also into bodybuilding and have made a film around that. What's it about?
My project, TEST, is a feature film script that i've been writing for about 3 and a half years now. TEST is about a young amateur bodybuilder in small town Ohio struggling with his sexuality. The movie deals with family issues, sexuality, religion, body image issues, and drug addiction, specifically toward LGBT youth. heavily inspired by films like Black Swan, The Wrestler and Moonlight. We will hopefully start production in January. You can learn more about on Instagram at @testthefilm and you can donate to the project through the link in the bio. It's 100% tax deductible! *wink wink
What's it like being openly gay in both the bodybuilding and acting arenas?
Well there's ups and downs. Of course, there will always be those who make comments or have something to say. But I was talking to an actor the other day who asked how I managed to be out as an actor. And I told him it's great. It sets me apart from the crowd, and when you are honest with someone about something like that, they usually feel a connection to you because of your openness. It brings you closer to people. And in my opinion, you do your best acting work when you can be totally free, open and honest about who you are as a human. We throw all of ourselves, who we truly are, into our roles, and if there's a huge piece of you that you're hiding or ignoring, you're missing out on bringing your true self to a character you're playing. Does that make sense? It may not haha but it makes sense to me.
Are you dating anyone and if not do you have a type?
I am in a relationship with my work 🙂
What else is going on in the world of Brock Yurich?
Getting TEST up off the ground is my main focus. I'm playing an amateur competitive bodybuilder in the film, so I train with my coach three times a week. I've put on twenty pounds of muscle in 6 months, and I'm only getting bigger! And on top of that, I'm trying to raise money so we can begin production. Producing a film is not easy. AT ALL. But I wouldn't do anything else in the world. It's so fulfilling to create work and not wait around for auditions and roles. Make your own! That was the best advice I've ever received as an actor.
You can find out more about Brock's film TEST by clicking here and follow him on Instagram here.