DI resident Brynne Kurland, 9, lands role in new flick
Most 9-year-olds go to the movies to watch their favorite actors. Daniel Island's Brynne Kurland recently went to watch herself.
Her mom rented out a theater at Mount Pleasant’s Regal Cinemas, inviting Brynne's classmates from Christ Our King-Stella Maris School and friends from her dance team to see her latest movie, “Double Trouble.”
“It feels really cool because everyone can just watch me,” Brynne said.
The family-friendly adventure follows two sisters, played by Violet and Madeleine McGraw, whose Las Vegas vacation takes an unexpected turn when they become caught up in a high-stakes heist involving an international thief and a priceless diamond gauntlet. Brynne plays Jackie, their younger sister, who brings a little extra attitude to the adventure.
“My character Jackie is the youngest sister in the family and is a little bit sassy – she likes to do her own thing,” Brynne said.
She admits the role wasn't much of a stretch.
“I am also a little sassy, and I also like to do what I want.”
Although she's only nine, Brynne already has several film credits. Her first role came in the remake of “Salem's Lot,” which she filmed around age four after catching the director's attention through her acting classes at Warner Bros.
For “Double Trouble,” she reunited with the McGraw sisters, whom she'd worked with previously. She was especially excited to see familiar cast members, including Jack Griffo, whom she recognized from Nickelodeon's “The Thundermans.”
Filming took Brynne to Las Vegas for two weeks, with much of the production taking place at the Palms Casino. Her days involved costumes, microphones, rehearsing lines, and schoolwork with an on-set teacher. After filming, she sometimes explored the city with her dad, catching a Cirque du Soleil show or grabbing In-N-Out Burger.
Her favorite scenes, however, took place away from the casino.
At an abandoned ghost town, Brynne got to play pretend cowboys and use her fingers as make-believe guns. She also delivered part of a famously foul-mouthed line from “Die Hard,” only to be interrupted by her on-screen mother before she could finish.
Now that the film has hit theaters, Brynne has enjoyed sharing those moments with her friends.
“It was really fun, and they all said they liked it!” she said of the Mount Pleasant screening.
Brynne said acting offers something different from her everyday activities. “My favorite thing about acting is that I get to do this unique activity and experience that is very different from normal sports and dance and stuff,” she said.
She hopes to keep acting, preferably in a starring role with lots of siblings. And if she gets to choose a future co-star, she already has someone in mind: Adam Sandler.
Because, as Brynne puts it, “He’s really funny!”