You might be wondering how I came up with the idea for Bright Light’s leading fictional character, Daisy Briscoe. The truth is, she is loosely inspired by a real-life figure—British-American actress Dorothy Mackaill, a captivating star of early Hollywood whose story is just as compelling as any film script.
Some of the scenes in Bright Light—like Daisy posing confidently for journalists after stepping off a boat from Europe, or auditioning for the role of an orphaned blind girl—are based on accounts from interviews with Mackaill in 1920s New York.
Dorothy Mackaill, born in 1903 in Kingston-Upon-Hull, made a bold entrance into the world of entertainment. It’s said that as a teenager, she ran away to London to pursue a stage career, spent time in Paris honing her craft, and finally crossed the Atlantic at just 17 to chase her dreams in New York. There, she performed in Ziegfeld’s Midnight Frolics on Broadway before making her way to Hollywood, where she became a star of silent films and early talkies. Known for her expressive performances, charm, and resilience, she thrived in an industry undergoing dramatic transformations.
Here's Dorothy talking about her audition with Florenz Ziegfeld:
“I picked up a newspaper, read Flo Ziegfeld's name and guilelessly went around to see him. I pushed by the astonished office-boy. Mr. Ziegfeld looked up as I burst in. 'You don't know me,' I announced, 'but I want to work in your midnight show. Will I do?' Mr. Ziegfeld laughed. 'You'll do,' he chuckled and gave me a note to the manager. I didn't realize my luck for weeks.”
My fictional character Daisy Briscoe, much like Mackaill, is someone who embodies both strength and vulnerability. She navigates the tumultuous entertainment world with ambition, determination, and a touch of defiance against societal expectations. Mackaill’s ability to adapt to the ever-changing film industry serves as a compelling backdrop for Daisy’s own evolution. Readers will get to follow Daisy’s journey in even greater depth in my upcoming novel, Poole of Light, the first book in the historical fiction family saga series, The Poole Trilogy.
Daisy’s story is more than a tale of ambition; it’s a tribute to the trailblazing women of early Hollywood—women like Dorothy Mackaill, who carved a path for future generations in an industry that wasn’t always welcoming. In crafting Daisy’s character, I wanted to capture that same spirit of resilience and artistry, paying homage to a bygone era while making her journey feel timeless and relatable.
I hope you enjoy discovering more about Daisy Briscoe in Bright Light and following her adventures in Poole of Light.