Chillin With Brooke Butler

Maxim’s “The Hottest 10 Actresses,” superstar Brooke Butler took over the big screen with her role as Candace in A Day to Die.

In the film which hit theaters back on March 4th, Butler starred alongside Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo and Kevin Dillon.

After killing a drug syndicate member while protecting a parolee, Connor Connolly (Kevin Dillion) was granted one day to pay off two million dollars in reparations Tyrone Pettis. Lacking the ample amount of money, Connolly is forced to ask his old military ops crew, led by Brice Mason (Frank Grillo), to help him come up with the it before he loses everyone he loves. Brooke portrays ‘Candace,” Connor’s wife, a tough, independent woman who is kidnapped and held for ransom with her life on the line.

 

Born in Woodinville, Washington right outside of Seattle, Brooke’s love for performing, acting, and singing stemmed from her youth days. It all started after her parents took her to a performance of “Phantom of the Opera.” At the same time, she also grew up fully immersed in the world of sports, and her love for athletics rivaled that of the performing arts.

 

When Brooke was 12, she went out for an audition on her own for a stage production of Les Misérables. After booking that audition, she knew she wanted to pursue this as a fulltime career and make audiences feel the same joyous emotions she felt when she first saw “Phantom of the Opera.” She would go on to continue working professionally while in high school. At only 16 years of age, she performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe held in Scotland. Brooke credits her desire to continue acting to her high school drama teacher Hjalmer Anderson and her parents Greg and Sunny Butler.

 

The tug of war between sports and performing eventually led Brooke to the choice between going pro in the National Women’s Soccer League or continuing as an actress. But then at age 19, she had a health scare which entailed the removal of several breast tumors. However, that didn’t slow down the progression of her acting career in Los Angeles. She went on to book roles in television series and feature films including Netflix’s Ozark, FOX’s The Resident, TNT’s Animal Kingdom, ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE, and Night School, to name a few.

 

When Brooke isn’t busy in front of the camera, or on stage, she can be found hiking, practicing yoga, playing sports, and bungee jumping. Chilled had the pleasure to chat with her and learn more about her lifestyle, her love of wine and tequila, and which drink gets her moonwalking on the dancefloor.

 

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Tell us about the projects you are working on.

My current film, A Day to Die, just released and it’s a blast. I love working on action, shooting guns, doing fight scenes, and enjoyed hanging with the guys as the only girl on that set.

 

With your busy schedule, what do you like to do with your downtime?

I’m somewhat of a busy body. So, if I’m not filming I like to be working on music in my home studio, hiking with my Australian Shepherd Georgie, or fixing up my 100 year-old Spanish style house up in the canyon.

 

When you go out to eat, where do you like to dine?

I love hole-in-the-wall type Mexican food restaurants. Got that from my Dad. You can feel the heart and soul put into smaller restaurants. But don’t get me wrong, French Laundry is next on my list.

 

What types of dishes do you typically order?

Sushi anything. From buttery toro to the basic crispy rice spicy tuna. Also, as someone with celiac since I was a kid, the discovery of the gluten free penne at Osteria Mozza has made it a frequented spot for me.

 

Any favorite bars?

I grew up wakeboarding and dirt biking on a small lake in Idaho called Priest Lake. The local bar, Elkins, serves a Huckleberry Press with 44 North. I remember the day I got to graduate from that after years of virgin huckleberry Daiquiris!

 

What drinks do you order when out?

My very favorite drink is a Paloma with rosemary. Anything grapefruit and tequila and I’m moonwalking on the dance floor. Shout out to Casamigos!

 

Do you prepare drinks at home?

At home it’s all wine. I have a collection going. I’m currently a wine member at Sanford Winery in Santa Rita Hills near Santa Barbara. It’s a great area for Pinot Noir. My other favorite wine is Austin Hope. Their cabernet is a go-to for me after a long day.

 

Tell us about your home bar. What is it stocked with?

Have we mentioned wine and tequila yet?

 

Have you ever been a bartender?

I attempted. I definitely need to stick to acting.

 

If you could share a drink with anyone, who would it be?

If Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) was real, I’d love to hit up his Gin Joint in Casablanca while Sam (Dooley Wilson) played the piano.