Tiny Pretty Things has been one of Netflix’s most buzzed-about new shows, and with good reason. The dance drama puts viewers in the heart of an elite dance school, with its students facing mentally and physically exhausting demands both in the studio and out.
Diply had the chance to sit down with Tiny Pretty Things star Brennan Clost , who explained the significance of his role, and how his time at the prestigious Juilliard helped prepare him for the dance of a lifetime.
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Brennan’s performance in *Tiny Pretty Things* is nothing short of exceptional in both acting and dance. It’s easy to be distracted by both when bingeing the seductive drama series.
Brennan has had a passion (and talent) for dance since he was a child. After spending years dancing competitively, he fell into acting after being spotted by a talent agent at a competition.
“I was at the right place at the right time,” said Brennan.
The premise of Tiny Pretty Things takes viewers on a journey through the world of a prestigious ballet school, a world that was already very familiar to Brennan.
The 26-year-old attended both the National Ballet School of Canada and Juilliard.
He explained that, apart from the murder, the show portrays the dance school experience rather perfectly,
“Juilliard is that intense and that hard,” he explained, recalling the 12 hour days he spent in the dance studio during his time at the acclaimed school.
“It breaks you apart as an artist and it rebuilds you.”
Brennan described his time at Juilliard as the best and most challenging experience of his life.
On *Tiny Pretty Things* Brennan plays Shane McRae— a bright light in the often heavy world of professional dance.
The preparation for the show was intense. Brennan landed his role after sending in a series of self-taped auditions, recorded dance solos, and acting scenes.
Through six international searches, the show finally found its cast of stars.
Brennan explained how much he enjoyed playing Shane, as he felt he shared many similarities to the character.
They both grew up in small towns and were both bullied for their love of dance. “He’s a bit of a ray of sunshine in the group,” he added.
When we asked him what the most challenging part of filming the series was, he was quick to reply that the dancing scene in front of The Bean in Chicago was the most mentally and physically exhausting day on set.
He explained that the adrenaline from the intimate crowd watching them and cheering them on was as equally powerful as it was draining.
However, that scene was also his favorite. “It’s burned in my mind as a once in a lifetime experience,” he laughed.
Tiny Pretty Things has established a cult following with fans enjoying the complex characters and beautiful dancing on-screen.
“It’s an honor to play Shane,” Brennan said. “It’s a dream for a character like this to exist.”
With strong LGBTQIA+ representation in the writing room, the show gave fans an accurate and authentic portrayal of the characters viewers quickly fell in love with.
The 26-year-old went on to reveal that the *Tiny Pretty Things* showrunner rewrote Shane’s character to include even more depth and vulnerability because of the talent Brennan brought to the table.
“It means everything to me to play him,” Brennan smiled. “I’m really lucky.”
Watch Brennan star in Tiny Pretty Things on Netflix.
