Meet Violet Brinson Star Of The New CW Series 'Walker'
Violet Brinson, star of the new CW series Walker, talks about how she fell in love with performing, career defining moments and her dreams for the future.
Violet was virtually photographed in Austin, Texas by Alison Engstrom
Let’s start at the beginning! When did you realize that you were destined to be a performer?
I always say that it started with me loving to read as a child. I wanted to be the characters I was reading about, I wanted to bring them to life. So that concept always intrigued me as a child and when I was eleven or twelve I convinced my sister, April, to take an acting class with me and just absolutely fell in love with it. I knew this was something that I wanted to do for as long as I possibly could.
Where were you raised and when did you move to LA to pursue acting full time?
I moved around a lot as a kid. I was born in Dallas, spent a total of 10 days of my life there, and then moved to Austin, Texas. I lived there until I was about ten and then moved to Oklahoma. My aunt and cousins lived in California, so we would go visit often; my sister and I began going out on auditions while we were there. Things went well so we ended up spending the majority of our time in LA after having gone back and forth between there and Oklahoma. I know, it’s a lot to keep track of. I have trouble remembering the timeline myself (laughs).
What would you say has been the most defining moment so far in your career?
That’s a really tough question because I have been so fortunate. Being a part of Walker is really shaping me as an actor and a person. I’m not only learning so much about the craft but I’m learning how important it is to set a positive tone amongst the cast and crew. Everybody involved in Walker are such incredible people and make the set feel like family. They also freely share their insight and wisdom which is amazing because they are such seasoned and talented actors. When I was in Sharp Objects, it was a defining moment because that was the moment I knew I was going to give this career everything I had; I loved it beyond measure. The cast and crew of that show were so dedicated and knowledgeable, I learned so much just being a small part of that project. It was my first project on such a large scale.
Congratulations on the new series Walker! The show is a reboot from a classic TV show Walker, Texas Ranger. Were you at all familiar with that original series before you signed onto the project?
I knew of WTR before but I’ve never actually seen the original. I’ve heard great things about it. I know multiple people who loved it and it seems to be a bit of a cult classic. Walker is more of a reimagining than a reboot but it still holds to a lot of the same themes and issues dealt with in the original.
Can you talk a bit more about the premise of the show and how your character Stella Walker comes into the fray?
Walker is about a Texas Ranger who comes home after being under cover on a case. He must face the repercussions of the loss of his wife and what it did to his family while he was gone. All of this coupled with trying to solve cases with his new badass female partner. I play Stella, Walker’s daughter, who is struggling to find an outlet for her emotions. She’s grieving her mother’s death and still reeling from her father’s absence and all of this results in her acting out in a way that’s not entirely healthy. She’s complicated and hurting and it’s been such a pleasure getting to play her because she’s taught me a lot about myself and about the grieving process. She’s so incredibly strong.
What can viewers expect from season one?
Season one is intense. It deals a lot with family and reconciling different ways of grieving. It’s about a bunch of lost people trying to find their way through losing their loved one, and a lot of them aren’t sure how to move on or come together in this new reality. There’s a bunch of interesting relationships between characters you wouldn’t immediately put together and it’s very touching to see all the human connections.
One of the themes explored in the series is this idea people rediscovering a lost common ground—this seems like a timely topic. What do you hope viewers take away from the show?
Yes! I really hope people see that even if you don’t agree with someone you can still love them and still respect them. Also, if you work hard, no relationship is lost; you can find common ground because we are all human.
You film in Austin, which is such a cool town. Have you discovered any new restaurants or places that people should know about?
I lived here for ten years of my life and my grandparents still live here, so we always came down to visit. So I love the unique vibe of this town. One of my favorite places that everyone should know about is Paper Route Bakery. It’s been temporarily closed during covid but he has a pop up on Valentine’s Day and I’m hopeful that he will reopen soon. I also love to explore the many greenbelts and hiking areas around town. There’s a lot of them so I say everybody should take some time to adventure around!
Your sister, April is also an actor, who starred opposite with you in Sharp Objects. It must be great to have a support system for each other since you are both in the business.
Yes, April is such a talented hardworking actress. It was such an incredible experience getting to work with her on Sharp Objects because we are basically best friends. We cheer each other on and work off of each other’s energy. I’m hopeful that we will get to work on more projects together soon!
When you aren’t working, how do you recharge and get ready for a new project?
I do a lot of reading, watch a lot of movies, take classes both acting and otherwise—art, literature or anything I’m interested in. I love to travel as well. Usually, I just hang out with my friends and family and try to take a breather. But I’m such a workaholic. I love being on set, so I’m always gearing up and ready to jump onto a new project I’m passionate about.
I am all about manifesting your future, if you could put out into the universe your dream career what would that look like?
I would love to venture into film as well as television. As long as I continue to work on projects that I love and am passionate about, I will be happy. My dream is just to continue to learn and explore my creativity, to push my own boundaries and have an outlet for my imagination.
Can you give a hint on What’s next for you?
I can’t say too much at this time, but there are definitely some exciting opportunities out there and I am looking forward to what this year brings.