Brad Deiter, social media influencer and content creator, chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his latest endeavors and ventures. He is also an aspiring actor, husband, and educator.
Hallmark and rom-com worlds
He is drawn to the Hallmark and rom-com world for several reasons. “I have always loved movies in general. My first big job was working in a movie theater. I went to school for theater. I just loved acting in general, and I love movies that evoke emotions,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of the Hallmark and the rom-com TV world because it has aligned with so many parts of who I am,” he acknowledged.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ buzz
He is stoked with the “Dancing with the Stars” buzz he has received from one of his video skits. “That was so funny,” he admitted. “It was great. I just thought I would take a chance and try something and just watch people squirm.”
“It was really cute and it amazes me that some people have enough faith in me thinking I could do it… that would have been awesome,” he added.
Balancing family life with everything else he does
When asked how he balances a family life with everything else he does, he responded, “It’s not easy. I have the mentality that each day needs to be tackled that day. So, I can’t think about what the whole week holds because it’s too wild. I can’t think about what the whole month holds or the year.”
“So, it’s just day by day,” he admitted. “I wake up, I decide what are the things I need to tackle, what are the things I can do today, and what do I have to let go.”
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Deiter said, “I think it’s really cool! Actors have an incredible opportunity to showcase their skills, their talents, their passions directly to an audience without needing to have a director cast you in this big production.”
“You can gain a following just from being who you are and making your own kind of version of comedy, which is what I do. It’s about making a presence and a name for yourself,” he noted.
“There is a role that I got recently because of my social media. This goes show that it has potential to bring people into the limelight in a new way, which is really cool,” he added.
Advice for young and aspiring content creators
For young and aspiring content creators, he said, “If you are passionate about something just dive in and go all out… whatever you do just stay true to yourself.”
Dream collaboration choices
Deiter listed Cindy Busby and Melissa Peterman as his dream female collaboration choices to someday work with. “Cindy is a Hallmark legend and a wonderful actress and human… it would be an absolute dream to work with her,” he said.
“Cindy would be incredible and I would also really love to work with Melissa because I feel that we are cut from the same cloth in our humans and our ways,” he added.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he shared, “When I first said ‘yes’ to being a part of ‘Christmas is Not Cancelled,’ which was an online charity organization. I said ‘yes’ to being the game master for them… that was the turning point in everything I do now, especially with my content creation career.”
New Christmas movie in the works
Deiter is thrilled to be a part of a new Christmas movie that is in the works. “It is called ‘A Christmas Rescue’ and it will be on Amazon Prime, and potentially, it will be released to theaters as well, which is really cool. It’s a great story and it’s beautiful.”
“It’s about a husband and a wife who have suffered miscarriages. I play one of the couple’s friends, and they get a dog from a shelter. Hilarity ensures because there is an influencer who is trying to get the dog at the same time,” he foreshadowed.
“My character gets to be one of the comic reliefs of the whole movie, and it’s a lot of fun. I am excited about it,” he added.
Brad Deiter… in a vertical drama?
When asked if he would ever want to be a part of a vertical drama, Deiter responded, “I would love to! I would need to see the script first, and I need to make sure it fits my brand.
“I would love to be a part of a faith-based vertical drama,” he noted. “Vertical dramas would be a bucket list item for sure.”
‘Christmas Trivia’ event with Will Kemp
On September 24th, Deiter will be a part of a “Christmas Trivia” event with actor Will Kemp. “I do that every year,” he said. “I meet with everybody’s favorite made-for-TV movie stars, and we just do Christmas trivia. We talk about their favorite Christmas traditions and new things that they have coming out or new lines, or collections that they created.”
“Then, we do some trivia, and we talk about Christmas movies that we love. Will Kemp is my first guest, and I have other five announcements coming up (there will be six in total this holiday season), so stay tuned for that,” he added.
Deiter on whether or not he considers ‘Die Hard’ to be a Christmas movie
When asked if he considers “Die Hard” a Christmas film, he responded, “I believe it is a movie set at Christmastime, but I don’t believe it’s a Christmas movie. To me, there needs to be that Christmas nostalgic feel of a movie.”
90s Con and Christmas Con
He is thrilled to be a part of the upcoming 90s Con and Christmas Con events later this year. “90s Con is going to be amazing. It is in Hartford, Connecticut, and it is the decade-rocking best weekend of one’s life. It is so fun. You get to meet the stars, and you actually get to spend some time with some of them,” he said.
“Entertainment does a great job of making sure that they feel accessible. There are panels and so many fun things to do. Of course, there is Christmas Con in Edison, New Jersey, this December, and it is always a hoot. If you are a Christmas fan, it is the place to go,” he exclaimed.
AI on the future of the industry
He shared his thoughts on AI on the future of the industry. “I think we have done a good job thus far kind of pushing it out, but I still think it’s enough on the outside,” he said.
“I think that a lot of the actors’ guilds have done a good job recently of setting that boundary. There is nothing that can compare to the visceral response from an actor in a moment for an audience. There is just nothing to it,” he noted.
“There is nothing that can compare. I don’t think anything could emote the same way that people did. If you saw ‘Hamnet,’ I don’t think AI could do that; there is no way that it could grieve in such a strong way,” he said.”
“Even with its best efforts, I still think that nothing compares to humans. I can understand using AI for budget purposes such as for CGI reasons,” he added.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have any superpower, it would be to “read people’s minds.” “Not in a weird way, but in a normal way,” he admitted.
“I just think it would be interesting to know people’s true feelings,” he said. “I like to think that I am pretty truthful in the way that I behave.”
“I would love to know how people tick and how they walk away from a situation… and it might allow me then to be a better friend if I knew exactly what they were thinking or how I could help them,” he explained.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Exploration.”
“I am just dabbling in all these different worlds and seeing what takes flight,” he said.
“I have my Con world, my acting work, and my job. I’m just seeing what things fuel me and what fires me up and what makes me want to keep doing it every day. So, I definitely think that it’s my season,” he elaborated
Success
Regarding his definition of success, Deiter said, “Success, to me, is not numbers, views or the number of followers or the big roles or being in a big blockbuster movie.”
“I think success is looking back at all the things I’ve done thus far and thinking that was really cool, and that filled my tank. If I can do that, then I’ve been successful,” he added.
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, Deiter expressed, “It takes a village. I am just so grateful for each person who takes any amount of time to watch my content, to come back to my content, those people who tell me that my content makes their day. That is high praise, to me, and it’s the reason I do what I do.”
“I just am so grateful for every person who gives me more opportunities to do what I get to do. So, the more that you watch, like, and comment, then the more I get to do for you… it’s really special. Thank you so much,” he concluded.
To learn more about Brad Deiter, follow him on Instagram.
