Brittany Ishibashi is returning to screens in a major—and makeup-free—way. Starring opposite Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in Apple TV+’s Brothers, premiering September 23, the actress plays Joy, the wife of Harrelson’s character, in a comedy that follows fictionalized versions of the two actors. Known for roles in Political Animals, Runaways and Hawaii Five-0, Ishibashi says the project marks her first major role in years, and the first time filming has taken her away from her three children for an extended stretch.
Playing Joy came with an unusual assignment with some specific beauty notes—the character wears no makeup at all, a departure Ishibashi says forced her to get serious about her skin’s health, rather than relying on coverage. Ahead, Ishibashi talks about the routine and tools that got her through the shoot, the crystals she used to step into character and the advice she’d give her younger self.
How are you feeling heading into the release this week? Apple TV+ is having a massive moment right now and the show is already getting buzz.
“I’m excited. It’s a really exciting time. This is the first project I’ve done in a while—I’ve been so mindful about staying close to home in LA with my three little kids. Having this be the first big one since then has been such a gift, and also incredibly liberating in so many ways, as an artist but also just as a human and a mother. It was my first time being physically away from them for that long, and that opened up all of the feelings. It introduced me back to parts of myself that had been dormant for a while. It was a very dynamic, layered experience.”
When you have to go away to film, I imagine it’s a lot of work, hotel room, work, hotel room. How do you turn that into a home, and give yourself a moment of self-care?
“It was a bit bananas trying to figure out what that all looked like, because I wanted to be home as much as I could, but I also needed to be in Austin, ready to work. It was a lot of travel, a lot of flying back and forth on weekends, a lot of airplanes and all that dryness. It really came down to hydration for me, inside and out. Then I found little things that could lock me in. You never turn off the mom part of your brain, even at work, so I had to find little rituals that would close the chapter when I was done on set, so I could be as present as possible at home.
Likewise, when I flew back out to Austin, I needed a ritual to help me step back into Joy, my character. I got really into the power of crystals, which ended up being so tied to her. I’d keep some in my pocket or my wardrobe on set—just holding onto one for a second would ground me and connect me immediately to the character. She’s so open and present and free-spirited. It was a great lesson for me to jump into a woman like that.”
It’s dry there, and traveling is drying, too. What was your routine like to make sure you were caring for your skin?
“Joy is so pure, there’s no pretense. She shows up exactly as who she is, which means she’s a no-makeup woman. No fuss—she doesn’t need it, she just lets her own spirit and light shine through. As an actor, you’re used to sitting in that makeup chair, and it gets heavy. On a 12- or 14-hour day, wearing all of that for that long really wreaks havoc on your skin. For this show, they wanted her in no makeup, which is terrifying in some ways, but also wonderful, because I became so intentional about taking care of my skin and making sure my skin barrier was healthy, so I felt glowy and hydrated.
If I needed extra help (if I hadn’t slept well or I’d just flown in two hours before), I love my ZIIP Microcurrent ($400)—I’m obsessed with that thing. I love a gua sha and a good face oil. And I drank so much water, partly because of the Texas heat. I was warned about it, but I really wasn’t prepared.”
You’ve been in this career for a while now and I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of change. Is there anything you’d tell yourself starting out—as that teenager, or as that younger woman—about confidence and how life pans out?
“Oh, that’s beautiful. It’s funny, I get emotional about questions like that, because I’m also raising three kids and looking at things from their point of view—how they feel they’re seen, how some of their friends are already understanding beauty as a kind of currency. If anything, I’d go back and tell her to relax a little, that it’s all going to be okay. Really, no one cares as much as you think. When you’re younger, it feels like there are so many eyes on you. I felt like I had to make so many people happy, or do things a certain way. I’d want to help her awaken to this earlier—as long as she was happy and focused on her inner light and inner joy, that was going to be the spark that carried her through everything.”
