BRENDAN PATRICKS: Sleight of Hand in Self Tapes

That One Audition with Alyshia Ochse · Sep 22, 2026 · 55m

Today, we're joined by Brendan Patricks, the British actor and close-up magician whose 20-plus-year career has taken him from the West End to acclaimed series like Downton Abbey, Rivals, and Gentleman Jack. Brendan shares how picking up his first deck of cards at 21, after his father gave him a tiny book of tricks, sparked a lifelong obsession with magic and ultimately transformed the way he approaches acting.

In this episode, Brendan takes us behind the scenes of playing Evelyn Napier on Downton Abbey, including the nerve-wracking audition where he bluffed about knowing how to ride a horse…