Jonathan Brandis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jonathan Brandis | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Jonathan Gregory Brandis April 13, 1976 Danbury, Connecticut |
| Died | November 12, 2003 (aged 27) Los Angeles, California |
| Years active | 1982 — 2003 |
Jonathan Gregory Brandis (April 13, 1976 — November 12, 2003) was an American film and television actor.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Career
Born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Greg and Mary Brandis, he began his career as a child model and began acting in television commercials.[1][2]Brandis got his show-biz break at the age of six when he landed a recurring role on One Life to Live. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as L.A. Law, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, Full House, and Kate & Allie.[3]
He received his first starring role in The NeverEnding Story II, and went on to appear primarily in television roles. Of these, he is most famous for his portrayal of scientific prodigy Lucas Wolenczak in Steven Spielberg's futuristic science fiction series seaQuest DSV. The role propelled him into teen idol status.[4] He is also well known for voicing Mozenrath in Disney's television series Aladdin, and having played Barry Grabrewski in the film Sidekicks co-starring Chuck Norris. He also starred in the soccer movie Ladybugs with actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield, and played the young "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, the main character in the 1990 miniseries It, based on the epic horror novel by Stephen King.[5]
In addition to acting, Brandis also directed several independent films and authored screenplays.[2] During his stint on seaQuest DSV, he co-wrote an episode of the series entitled "The Siamese Dream".[6] He also produced and directed the short film The Slainville Boys, shortly before his death.[7]
[edit] Personal life
Brandis dated actress/singer Tatyana Ali from May 1995[8]until 2001.[9]
[edit] Death
On November 12, 2003, Brandis died from injuries he suffered after hanging himself. He was 27 years old.[10] The Los Angeles Police Department released a statement regarding his death:
- On November 11, 2003, at about 11:40 p.m., a friend of Jonathan Brandis called police to report that the actor had attempted suicide at his apartment, located in the 600 block of Detroit Avenue. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire department responded and transported Brandis to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where he eventually died from his injuries. Brandis' death was announced by hospital staff on November 12, 2003, at about 2:45 p.m."[11]
Brandis did not leave a suicide note, although friends were quoted as saying he was lonely and depressed about his lagging career. One friend admitted that Brandis drank heavily, and had even mentioned that he might kill himself. He was also said to be upset when his appearance in Hart's War, a role he hoped would be his comeback, was cut from the film.[12]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | One Life to Live | Young Kevin Riley Buchanan | TV, Unknown episodes |
| 1984 | Kate & Allie | Chip's Friend | TV, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Mystery Magical Special | Jonathan | |
| Sledge Hammer! | Young Sledge | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1987 | Good Morning, Miss Bliss | Michael Thompson | TV, 1 episode |
| Fatal Attraction | Party Guest | ||
| L.A. Law | Kevin Talbot | TV, 2 episodes | |
| Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story | Lance, Age 11 | Television movie | |
| 1988 | Mars: Base One | Television movie | |
| The Wrong Guys | Kid Tim | ||
| Webster | Bobby | TV, 1 episode | |
| Oliver & Company | Additional voices | Voice | |
| 1989 | Full House | Michael | TV, 1 episode |
| Who's the Boss? | Paul | TV, 1 episode | |
| Stepfather II | Todd Grayland | ||
| 1990 | Murder, She Wrote | Kevin Bryce | TV, 1 episode |
| Alien Nation | Andron | TV, 1 episode | |
| Ghost Dad | Additional voices | Voice | |
| The Munsters Today | Matt Glover | TV, 1 episode | |
| The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter | Bastian Bux | ||
| The Flash | Terry Cohan | TV, 1 episode | |
| It | William "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough (Age 12) | Miniseries | |
| 1991 | Gabriel's Fire | Matthew Fixx | TV, 1 episode |
| The Wonder Years | Steve | TV, 1 episode | |
| Our Shining Moment | Michael "Scooter" McGuire | Television movie | |
| Blossom | Stevie | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1992 | Ladybugs | Matthew/Martha | |
| Crossroads | Michael Stahl | TV, 1 episode | |
| Sidekicks | Barry Gabrewski | ||
| 1993-1996 | seaQuest DSV | Lucas Wolenczak | TV, 57 episodes |
| 1994 | Good King Wenceslas | Prince Wenceslas | Television movie |
| 1994-1995 | Aladdin | Mozenrath | TV, 8 episodes, Voice |
| 1996 | Her Last Chance | Preston Altherton | Television movie |
| Born Free: A New Adventure | Randal "Rand" Everett Thompson | Television movie | |
| Fall Into Darkness | Chad | Television movie | |
| 1997 | Two Came Back | Jason | Television movie |
| 1998 | Between the Sheets | Robert Avacado | |
| Aladdin's Arabian Adventures: Magic Makers | Mozenrath | Voice | |
| 1999 | Outside Providence | Mousy | |
| Ride with the Devil | Cave Wyatt | ||
| 2002 | Hart's War | Pvt. Lewis P. Wakely | Scenes deleted |
| The Year That Trembled | Casey Pedersen | ||
| 2003 | 111 Gramercy Park | Will Karnegian | TV, Unsold pilot |
| 2004 | Puerto Vallarta Squeeze | Neil Weatherford | Released posthumously |
| The Slainesville Boys | Released posthumously, Director/Producer | ||
| 2005 | Bad Girls from Valley High | Drew | Released posthumously |
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series | The Flash |
| 1992 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture | The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter |
| 1993 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | Lady Bugs (Shared with cast) |
| Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture | Lady Bugs | |
| 1994 | Won | Young Artist Award | Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Television Series | seaQuest DSV |
| 1995 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Performance by a Youth Actor in a TV Mini-Series or Special | Good King Wenceslas |
| 1992 | Nominated | Saturn Award | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter |
[edit] References
- ^ McLellan, Dennis. "Actor Jonathan Brandis dies at 27", Los Angeles Times, 2003-11-21. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ a b Gould, Joe. "Fans Weep For Danbury Star Whose Suicide Ended Career", Danbury News-Times, 2004-01-18. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ 'SeaQuest DSV' actor Brandis dead at 27. CNN.com (2003-11-23). Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ Benton, Nicholas F.. "From Heartthrob to Heartache: The Suicide of a Former Teen Idol", Falls Church News-Press, 2003-12-04. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ Ortega, Albert (2003-11-24). Teen idol Jonathan Brandis dies at 27. USAToday.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ The Siamese Dream at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ The Slainville Boys at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Jewel, Dan. "Young Love", People, 1996-07-08. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ Tatyana Ali Biography. movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ Ten actors who died in their 20s. smh.com.au (2008-01-23). Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ^ Los Angeles Police Department: News Release. lapdonline.org (2003-11-20).
- ^ "A Teen Heartthrob Takes His Life", People, 2003-12-06. Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
[edit] External links
- Jonathan Brandis at the Internet Movie Database
- Jonathan Brandis at TV.com
- Jonathan Brandis at Find A Grave
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Brandis, Jonathan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Brandis, Jonathan Gregory |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actor, director, producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 13, 1976 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Danbury, Connecticut |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 12, 2003 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Los Angeles, California |
