From chasing thrills to chasing romance, Michael Bradway’s career has seen him charge headfirst into burning buildings, wield pistols as a Secret Service agent, and next – perhaps his most perilous situation yet – at the centre of a simmering will-they-won’t-they romance. Based on Carley Fortune’s bestselling novel of the same name, Every Year After sees Bradway star alongside Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett in a nostalgia-soaked story of first love that unfolds over six summers in the quintessential Canadian lake town of Barry’s Bay.

Ella Joyce: You studied at the New York Film Academy, can you tell me a little about your time there?
Michael Bradway: I loved it. It was very hands-on, guerrilla-style filmmaking. There was an acting programme that I was part of, there was a filmmaking programme as well and the filmmakers would write their own scripts and short films, and then they would hold auditions. So, we would audition and then they would cast us in their films. We were filming a new one every weekend.

EJ: Audition-wise, that must’ve stood you in good stead for moving to LA.
MB: It’s funny you say that, I was laughing with my fiancée about this. It prepared me in a weird way. Because there weren’t a lot of actors, you always booked something – you were constantly working. So, when I moved here: first audition I didn’t get, second audition I didn’t get, tenth audition I didn’t get. It was almost like, “Whoa, what’s happening?” When I was at my small college, making short films, I was in everything. [both laugh] It was great because we were filming all the time and I got to constantly work that muscle, but then moving to LA was a reality check in a way.

EJ: You’ve worked on series and feature films. How do those two processes compare? Do you find that you take different approaches if you’re sitting with a character for a little longer?
MB: I do think they’re different. For instance, when I did the movie Marked Men, there was a little bit more of a lead-up, and your scenes are more spaced out. In a movie, you get the script ahead of time, so there’s a clear beginning and a clear end. As an actor, you can prepare for those. But in Chicago Fire, I don’t know how the season will end. That’s a pretty cool experience as well, because you’re just going with the flow. When you get the script, you prepare, and your character feels a certain way, but you don’t know how that’s going to resolve or what’s going to happen at the end of the show.

EJ: Speaking of Chicago Fire, you also did Safe House last year. They both sit in this high-octane, action world. What was it like immersing yourself in that?
MB: That’s my favourite thing. Safe House was so much fun. I got to play a Secret Service agent who got to wield a gun, and he knew what he was doing. [laughs] That’s the cool thing about being an actor, your character always knows so much more than you personally, and so it’s this quick boot camp to try to learn as much as they do as quickly as possible. You get to be… I don’t want to say proficient, but I guess semi-proficient, which is really cool. And the stunts, getting to work on shootout scenes in Safe House, and then running into a burning building in Chicago Fire, we get to really do that. There’s real fire all around you. It’s controlled, of course, and they do a really good job. You kick down the door, and then you see someone unconscious on the ground, you pick them up and you bust out of a window. It was cool. I had no idea that was what we were going to do. Of course, you see it in the show, and they’re doing all this badass stuff, but you don’t know how much of it is the stunt team and how much we get to do as actors. I think I’m learning that that is maybe my favourite part, honestly.

EJ: So, we know you love action, but in an ideal world, what genre would you explore next?
MB: This TV show that I’m doing now, Every Year After, is so cool because it’s not very physical, it’s more story-driven and drama-driven, and I love that. I love that there are so many different facets to Charlie [Michael’s character], and that he appears to be one type of person on the outside, but he really is carrying all this weight on the inside – that unfolds as the season goes on. But I would love to do some sort of action thriller type of movie or show afterwards.

EJ: How did you get involved with Every Year After, and are you excited for people to finally get to see it?
MB: I’ve had the episodes for so long! Whenever I call my mom on FaceTime, or I’m talking to an uncle or an aunt, and they’re like, “Wow, we’re in May already. This year’s going by so fast.” I’m like, “It’s not! It’s not June 10th yet!” [laughs] I want people to see it. We got to watch all the episodes and I love it so much. Everyone is so good in it. Sadie [Soverall] and Matt [Cornett] are so great as the romantic leads, and people are going to love them. I was testing for the JFK story at the same time. I was getting really close on Charlie, and I was getting really close on JFK Jr as well. It’s a great position to be in because it feels like a lot of traction is happening, and you feel like, “OK, I’m going to get something.” But then at the same time, you’re like, “I got so close on both of these projects. If this doesn’t happen, I feel like I’m just going to be wrecked.” But with Charlie, I felt like I really understood this person. The chemistry test came up, Matt had already booked it, and they wanted us to do a Zoom to chat and see if we vibe, because we have to play brothers. Immediately, we didn’t talk about the script, we didn’t talk about the story, we started talking about golf and football and the fact that he lives ten minutes away from us. We really became best friends in this Zoom chemistry read, to a point where twenty minutes go by, and Amy Harris, our showrunner, goes, “Hey guys, we’ve got to actually audition. We have to do the scene now.” [laughs] Matt and I were like, no matter what, if I don’t book this we’re still going to be friends and go golfing in LA.

“That’s the cool thing about being an actor: your character always knows so much more than you personally, and so it’s this quick boot camp to try to learn as much as they do as quickly as possible.”

EJ: That’s so nice. You mentioned how much you understood Charlie. What was it that drew you to his character?
MB: What I love about Charlie is how fun he is. I love that he’s always looking to have a good time. I feel like one sentence that describes Charlie really well is that he loves to work hard, but play harder. I don’t know what it’s like to be an older sibling. I have an older sister, and I’m a twin as well. Charlie is this older brother figure and when their father passes away, he is the one who really has to step up and take care of his brother. That dynamic carries on throughout our story, whether we play younger or older versions of ourselves, and that’s something I’ve never had to experience before. It was a fun challenge to take on, to be this older brother figure, this rock for Sam, even if that meant that I had to sacrifice some things in my own life. Charlie loves to lead with sarcasm and with fun, but on the inside, he was also grieving the death of his father and struggling to figure out what his life is going to turn into as well.

“When I booked the role, of course, the first thing I did was read the book. I got really giddy whenever I would read Charlie, because it’s like, “Wow, that’s me now.””

EJ: The show is based on a book by Carley Fortune. How does it feel stepping into a well-loved story?
MB: When I booked the role, of course, the first thing I did was read the book. I got really giddy whenever I would read Charlie, because it’s like, “Wow, that’s me now.” To be able to open up a book and read your story, and the character that you have to play, it’s really exciting. I wanted to be as true to the book as I possibly could, and I think I did a really good job at that. When they announced the cast last year, Amazon did a post. Of course, you get a little nervous because I want people to see me and be like, “Oh, that’s the perfect Charlie.” Thankfully, we did get a very good response from everybody. Because we posted that very early on in the filming process, honestly, it lifted a huge weight off my shoulders, and it allowed me to have fun, play, and just be the Charlie that I feel people are going to recognise from the books.

EJ: What do you hope the rest of the year has in store for you?
MB: I’m getting married next February, so we’re doing a lot of wedding planning and we’re very excited for that. I’m looking forward to Tribeca [Film Festival] as we premiere there, which is a dream. It’s going to be the first film festival that I’ve ever been to. When I got the email, I was like, “Is this a mistake? They show TV shows at Tribeca?!” So I’m excited. Knock on wood, everything has been great.

hair and makeup by ADAM MARKARIAN using ORIBE HAIRCARE and DIOR BEAUTY