You might know her as the blonde “friend who always…” on TikTok or the quirky substitute teacher Jessca (not Jessica) on “Abbott Elementary” — Sabrina Brier’s influence knows no bounds. Brier is also a proud Class of 2017 Smithie and Jordan House alum.
Brier spent her time at Smith acting in the Smith Improv Komedy Organization of Smith (SIKOS) improv team. She auditioned for SIKOS as a performance opportunity, and she did not necessarily think of herself as “the funny girl,” but she learned to be funny by doing improv. Brier also credits SIKOS with connecting her with some of her best friends. “It was the time of my life,” said Brier.
Soon after graduating, Brier moved to New York to enter the acting scene. She said, “My head was spinning going from the kind of slow pace of Northampton to like the fast pace of specifically being in the entertainment industry in New York. Definitely a little bit of a wild ride for sure.”
After moving to New York, Brier promptly began working as an assistant to gain industry experience.
“I just wanted to learn everything there was to learn about the industry. And I knew at the time that I wanted to be on the creative side of the fence, but also knew how terribly competitive that was,” Brier said. “So I was like, let me just roll up my sleeves and try to just gain as many skills as I … I’ve always been a creative and I’ve always wanted to make things, but it’s like — how do I transfer those hopes and dreams into an actual real-life structure?”
Though Brier began her career immediately after graduating, that is not necessarily something she thinks is imperative for others who have aspirations of working in the entertainment industry.
“It’s funny because I remember at the time I was in such a rush to get a job. I think I probably felt, like, that pressure of being an artist where a lot of my friends weren’t,” Brier said. However, she admitted that going to Smith instead of a conservatory helped her to gain useful perspectives that she would not have had otherwise compared to others in her field.
“Smith allowed me to make friends with people from different backgrounds … not just being surrounded by artists has really served me as an artist that has allowed me to feel like I’m a citizen of the world,” she said. “I have friends from Smith who are in different places doing things all over the world right now. And I’m so glad that I have that.”
After working as an assistant, Brier began a web series with a fellow Smithie and was working on writing pilots. Then COVID-19 hit.
“I was not one of those people who went viral in quarantine. But I was starting the process of figuring out my content and character,” she said.
Brier spent most of quarantine making content for Instagram and moved to TikTok in 2021. She explained that in her first video, “I was just like making New York references. And it went viral. Like it was like maybe like 20,000 views or something, 10,000 likes. But at the time, you know, I had been only working within the space of, making these little Instagram videos that it kind of felt like, ‘Is anyone really watching this?’”
From there, she felt like it was the time to “take the bull by the horns.” After rising to a not-insignificant amount of TikTok fame, Brier recalled, “I was like, Oh my God. It’s my time … people are watching. So then I just went crazy just posting and trying to really develop my brand, because that’s so important to TikTok.”
After about a year of making content, Brier began getting brand deals transforming herself into a full time professional Tiktoker. “I think the ‘TikTok School of Acting’ is not for our noses to be turned up at, and I really feel like I’ve gotten so much on-camera training from it. I definitely think [her character] was developed over time for sure,” said Brier.
Brier’s videos mainly involve her acting as a witty and relatable character she has developed; many of her videos start with “that friend who” and Brier acts as a passive-aggressive and slightly obnoxious friend whom her fanbase finds relatable. Brier said that her character was developed over time as she has been finding her voice on TikTok.
Brier advises Smithies who are interested in pursuing careers in the acting or influencing industry to keep at it when entering the field feels scary. “Yes, it’s scary, but like, that doesn’t mean you can’t chip away at it and build a portfolio and just slowly build your way into this industry. At the end of the day, consistency is going to allow you to continue to have a career.”
Despite the unconventional career path she took, unrelated to her undergraduate degree, Brier is proud of her Smith roots. “I am a Smithie always,” she said. Her favorite Smith tradition is Mountain Day, with Julia Child Day being a close second. On her most recent trip back to Northampton, Brier visited some of her favorite spots such as Woodstar Cafe, Hungry Ghost Bread and Thornes Market. She reminisces about the iconic, though occasionally finicky, Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. “The PVTA is life!” said Brier.
Even if your major does not exactly align with the entertainment industry, Brier assures aspiring Smithies that attending Smith is definitely a way to get your foot in the door. “They are going to hear you went to Smith and be like, ‘Slay!’ As they should!”
