Pearls Daily (born Brianna Hurley) is an American actress, dancer, burlesque artist, filmmaker, and model. She has credits in theatre, film, television, and commercials.
Career Daily began her career under the name Brianna Hurley, and made one of her earliest professional appearances as part of the Disney Cruise Line, in the role of Snow White with The Golden Mickeys. She was a member of the 20th cast on Disney Magic from 2006 to 2007. This was Daily's professional debut, having studied at the American Musical and Dramatics Academy 2005–06, as part of the Integrated Musical Theater Program. Her past education also includes classes at the New England Ballet Company, The New York School of Burlesque, The Pearl Theatre Company, and studies in acting, sketch comedy, and Spolin technique with such instructors as Hal Peller, Gary Austin, Jacqueline and Kerry Donelli, and Conn Horgan.
Following a run with Teatro Jacó in Costa Rica, Daily made a move from Ensemble to a leading role of Mina "Margery" Crandon in the Teller-directed Todd Robbins production Play Dead. She played the role as part of the cast of the Geffen Playhouse production of the show.
Daily has a number of credits in reimagined stagings of Shakespeare plays with TP&co, including: Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
In 2015, Brianna Hurley officially began performing as Pearls Daily, the name by which she is best known, though she still receives occasional credits as Hurley.
Daily has been on the Production Team of the New York Burlesque Festival as Volunteer Coordinator since 2016, in addition to performing as part of the event. She is a member of Perle Noire's House of Noire, which won "Best Large Group" at The Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2017. The same year, she also performed in Filthy Gorgeous Burlesque with the dance company, an event highlighted in Time Out magazine. Also in 2017, Daily made an appearance on the award-winning television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, in the role of Maxine. In line with her burlesque career, Daily was crowned Miss Coney Island in 2019. As Miss Coney Island 2019, Daily was also featured in the 37th Annual Mermaid Parade on Coney Island, and appeared on Manhattan Neighborhood Network for an hour-long interview entitled "Imagining Pearls of Burlesque" on The Radical Imagination. That same year, she had a featured role in I’m Not a Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce, directed by Joe Mantegna.
Daily played the title role in Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini, an immersive theater production which brought the comics of Cynthia von Buhler to life. Buhler's character of Minky was visually modeled after Daily. Though most of the graphic novel is illustrated, Daily was featured on Cover No. 4 of the first Minky Woodcock comic, and she is the only individual to have portrayed a live-action depiction of the character. Daily was interviewed alongside Buhler and Hard Case Crime founder Charles Ardai at New York Comic Con in 2018.
The success of the first release resulted in a second publication of the series, Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Electrified Tesla, which also featured Daily on the photographic cover. Daily previously worked with Buhler in the interactive Speakeasy Dollhouse show, Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic.
Daily was in the cast of the 2020 Hey, It's Me, an Emmy-nominated sci-fi short film which is currently streaming on Dust.
Daily has played various characters in films since 2008, but ventured behind the camera to supplement her role in front of it as the Director and Producer of Briar, a horror/thriller film surrounding the character of Briar Hughes, a filmmaker with serial killer tendencies played by Daily herself. Her husband, cinematographer Arthur Woo, handled the lighting, camera, and coloring for the film. Briar was presented as part of the Awesome Con Short Film Festival in 2021 by Astray Productions. Briar was selected to appear at international film festivals, including The French Riviera Film Festival and the Coney Island Film Festival, and won awards for "Best Thriller", "Best Experimental Film", "Best Actress" and "Best Cinematography". Daily continues her work as a producer, most recently with the release of the film Layers in 2022.
Of her acting persona, Daily has said "I am here to change your mind about the girl next door. Inspired by the great actors of the silver screen, I am here to create characters that are not afraid to get dirty, play dirty and have impact. I am the unexpected leading lady".
Other on-screen appearances include commercials for Pepsi, Olay, Canon, Bergdorf Goodman, and Nat Nast, in addition to modeling spots in such publications as Moped Magazine, The Rev Magazine, Titan Comics, and EM Magazine.
Daily performed as part of fashion brand Selkie's Spring 2024 Show at the St. Regis New York rooftop ballroom during New York Fashion Week in September 2023.
Pearls Daily was awarded the title of "Queen of the Striptease 2024" at Teaser Festival in New Orleans.
Daily played the role of "Jesus" in Tiergarten, a cabaret revue from Andrew Ousley's Death of Classical, part of Carnegie Hall's "Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice" program. Tiergarten took place on April 17–19, 2024, directed by Ousley and hosted by Kim David Smith, who referred to Daily as one of his "most favorite burlesque performers".
Credits
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes2007The Golden MickeysSnow WhiteThe Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruiseline2011Magnolia DayMarieHeather Lanza, New York, NY2012A Christmas CarolGhost of Christmas PastTeatro Jaco, Costa Rica2012HollowLady Von TasselBe Bold Productions, NY2012Alice in WonderlandAliceLiterally Alive, The Players Theater2012AdaptingA543000Heather Lanza, New York, NY2012Are you there Ann-Margret? It's Me!Fantasy Ann-Margret/EnsembleThe Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, New York, NY2013The Laundry WarThe GirlfriendSteve & Marie Sgouros Theatre2013Much Ado About NothingBeatriceTP & Co, New York, NY2013Play DeadMina "Margery" CrandonTeller, New York, NY2014MacbethLady MacDuff/WitchTP & Co, New York, NY2015For Madmen OnlyStevieChris Fink, Stage 482015Ziegfelds Midnight FrolicMartha MansfieldThe Liberty Theater2015Twelfth NightMariaTP & Co, New York, NY2016The Life + Death of Kenyon Phillips: Songs of AddictionThe Evil NunCady Huffman, The Box2018The Illuminati BallWeird Sister/DancerSpeakeasy Dollhouse, The Weylin2018Lady L’Amours Final BowCherylChad Austin, Duane Park2019I’m Not a Comedian…I’m Lenny BruceSelfThe Box2019Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed HoudiniMinky WoodcockSpeakeasy Dollhouse, Theater 802022The Last GoddessAvaAnthony Augello2024TiergartenJesusAndrew Ousley, Death of Classical
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2008Dying in the name ofAngel of DeathGreg Lemaire, New York, NY2012Shadows of LifeMegAnthony Laura, New York, NY2015Hide the SausageTallulahTrajectory Films2015The PactMartha MansfieldCynthia Von Buhler, Speakeasy Dollhouse, New York, NY2019Trust is a FlowerSharonAlexandra Warrick, New York, NY2019Silent PartnersLaylaJokes Yanes, Miami, FL2020Return HauntedAppleRob Gabe2020CheckmateVioletWaleed Sokkar, New York, NY2020BriarBriar HughesSelf-Directed, New York, NY (as Brianna Woo)2020Hey, It's MeZolaCourtney & Mark Sposato, New York, NY2021I’m Losing YouMomHoundstooth Studios2021ValerieLilithChristin St. John, New York, NY2021Bad P.I.Erica the BartenderCoren Rhodes, New York, NY2022LayersProducer2023Children of GodDiamondGiò Crisafulli, New York, NY
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2011Pan AmParisian Nightclub DancerChristopher Misiano, New York, NY2014Royal PainsBurlesque DancerCharles McClelland, New York, NY2016The Story of UsHairdresserRichard Somes, New York, NY2017The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselMaxineAmy Sherman-Palladino, New York, NY2019StrippedTeddyStephanie Michelle Bonner, New York, NY2022FBIStripperAlex Zakrzewski/CBS, New York, NY
References
External links Official Website