Q&A : Kylie Brakeman

Based in LA and making her Edinburgh Fringe debut, US comedian and actor, Kylie Brakeman is Linda Hollywood: a recently cancelled highly strung agent who’s been alive for 3,000 years. Having been named one of New York Times’ Great Performers of 2020 , Kylie emerged as one of the pandemic's most popular online comedians with over 60 million views and 400k followers across her social platforms.

Kylie Brakeman has been featured on Adult Swim, BBC, LA Times, The Atlantic, Vulture, Daily Mail, Vox and more. She has written for The Kids Tonight Show, as well as internet content for Smosh and Discovery Plus. Kylie was previously a house team performer at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater, and has performed at San Francisco Sketchfest, Dirty Bird Music Festival, Del Close Marathon and Joshua Tree Music Festival.

We asked Kylie a few questions, to get a better feel for the essence of her show.

Do you think being cancelled is something that is just a characteristic of our age or do you think it is a concept that is here to stay with us forever?

I don’t really believe cancel culture is fully real, in that the people who believe they are “cancelled” are usually powerful and have the ability to work after a controversy dies down. In my show, I sort of explore this - Linda is an established and prominent figure in her world, so even though she messed up, she’ll ultimately be fine.

Do you feel Hollywood still has the same pulling power as it had back in its glory days?

I think it does! And it’s cool that now there are more ways to break in besides tap dancing and being hot. You can now have a career from being on the Love Island or 90 Day Fiancé track. The possibilities are endless!

You have gathered a great online following. Would you say that the online focus will fade away, in the post pandemic age, or it is bound to get even bigger in the future?

I think it’s definitely evolving. I’ve shifted away from posting the type of content that I was posting during the pandemic. I’m returning to what I was doing in 2019, which is more character based and less topical usually. I’m having more fun now, but ultimately, I hope to get to a career place where I never have to post online ever again. To be completely offline, no internet service whatsoever, completely unaware of world events, an absolute dream!

We, at Hinton, then took the opportunity to ask Linda Hollywood a few questions too…

Has the way to make a career in Hollywood changed over time or do you see more of the same patterns still emerging?

As a Hollywood agent whose been alive for 3,000 years, I can say the more things change, the more they stay the same. Cavemen used to carve their headshots into stone. Men would join the Knights of the Roundtable for networking opportunities. And stars have been exploding in our galaxy since before the beginning of time. All this is to say, come to my masterclass at the Gilded Ballloon.

Is becoming a star still something that a great proportion of Americans still aspire to?

Every single person in America wants to be a star. You, your grandma, your teacher! It’s built into our pledge of allegiance. So show us what you got!

Can becoming a star be taught or do you really need to have that special talent in you?

No talent required! Most stars are made in a lab on Hollywood Blvd, and then trained by a team of scientists to become a star. You too, can learn to be a star by coming to my show at the Gilded Balloon! Results are not guaranteed, offer is non-refundable, and this show is under a strict NDA.

Kylie Brakeman: Linda Hollywood’s Big Hollywood Night, Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose (Nip), 7pm, 3-28 August (not 17)

BOOK HERE