oe GROWING UP i in cevirtually. a war zone’” thai was his “ home.in Brooklyn,: Alex Bruhanski discovered theatre to be

an escape: into “‘a wondrous, imaginative world.’ ” ee

“His fi rst stage role i is gone from memory, but the carlitst "5 remembered performance i is 28

years ago as a fresh-faced teenager’ :

playing Peter in The Diary of:

Anne Frank on a New York stage. :

“At. 16 years old he moved with «

his family to Los Angeles, only to: °

by: the “drama

‘a people junkie." .

. what is § this thing called talent, ‘but uD still can’t answer that question,” BAYS Bruhanski, 42, a veteran of:

numerous stage, television and” movie roles.: “

His best answer to ‘date: “mt has to do with empathy, it has to do with commitment, it has to.do with bascline intelligence. : :

“More than anything, it has to,

‘do with an absolute fascination with the human condition — being :

This fascination with people has

ted him through various facets of ©

his career; from'the ‘pure hell*' of

children's theatre tours to his two favorite roles'—‘Jerry in Zoo. Story : “and Cliff in The Woolgatherer2

Lartier this week he'added -

“another line to:his ‘credit list when

-completion in.1992. For: the, 250 drama ‘students and ) the impr: vements

‘th cramped: and stuffy, portabie used

he started work.on the locally "~

filmed Cousins, with Isabella

~ Rossellini, Lloyd Bridges and Ted vo and George Segal.”

Danson. Bye

In about a month" s time he wil :

23 - Friday,

Photo Ming Wobotiens J

‘be on-set for Daddy’s Home, “another Vancouver-arcea produc- on

tion, this one starring Kirstie Altey

His Previous roles are diverse,

U n the department. improvements, are: “(eit-right)' Barbara Shiels;: honorsry president of Argyle Drama Association; Argyte principal Terry. Sha . honorary: past President of the’ masic association Alice Strilchuk

“upswing; : this “i ing. ak oted Burritte. 02°)

June 24, 1988 - North Shore News

_ , - ACTOR, ALEX: Bruhanski takes time ‘out from learning lines. to share a2 moment with eight-year old daughter Kira. .°

his latest two no less so. In Cous- ins he plays cousin Herb, }!wha |. mistakenly thinks he's a Sex sym-_ : . bol and an expert on amour’; in Daddy’s Homic he is a'construction worker. |

“I've been blessed and cursed, with not being a leading man _ type,"’ he explains. ‘‘f’m‘a charac- * ter actor, and at this point in time and space there’s a much larger: market-for character actors.”’

‘An earlier year-iong retreat to the Gui Islands to get away from: acting turned into anything but, with him being involved in a host’ 3 - of productions. It.is ‘fot in his = “sblood to be away from acting.

“I'm more content with my ow life than any of the characters I've « played,’* says the Dundarave resi- dent. ‘Theatre by nature is con- 2 flict; no conflict, no theatre. I'm quite content to live without those , dilemmas.”’ '

Bruhanski’s own mvacting has ©

‘benefited through passing on his experience to students at his Van-:

- couver studio. Exploring the craft: . «means exploring himself,and that © "means better performances: hee

Students he tries to get to," share parts:of themselves that: are: tradi-' ‘ donally *guarded,”’‘and ‘tells them .- to perform with honesty and integ= rity. qa 2

Mie Ss got to be good, **is his.

“reasoning. ‘‘Or why is it up the

ona 1 40-foot! screen?” z

couver * _cthemselves ' at. the: