Brian Thomas Burrell is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 actor best known for his roles in Cantonese television productions in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. Burrell is also one of the only 4 foreign actors in Hong Kong broadcaster TVB's

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

 artiste profiles over the years.

Early life

Burrell was born in Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

, and graduated from the University of Utah

University of Utah

The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...

 with a degree in Chinese Literature and Asian Research in 1999. Burrell first went to Hong Kong in 1995 to teach English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, and permanently left the US for Hong Kong in 1999.

Acting career

Burrell began his acting career in 2000, when he took a minor role on TVB's A Case of Misadventure . Burrell eventually gave up his job in the information technology sector to become an actor, and was later signed on by TVB as an artiste.

He was introduced to television acting by another foreign actor in Hong Kong: Gregory Charles Rivers

Gregory Charles Rivers

Gregory Charles Rivers is a Hong Kong actor of Australian heritage.Growing up in Katoomba, he moved to Hong Kong in 1987 before finishing a medical degree at University of New South Wales. Speaking fluent Cantonese, he is currently a TVB actor...

. Since entering TVB, Burrell has acted in many different television series.

As one of the few non-Chinese actors regularly appearing in Hong Kong TV, Burrell was featured in an in-depth interview and feature story 'Hello neighbor' in the October 2007 issue of Muse

Muse (Hong Kong Magazine)

Muse is a bilingual Hong Kong-based multimedia publisher specializing in content related to Hong Kong's art and culture scene.. Until December 2010, Muse published an award-winning monthly arts and culture magazine...

.

Filmography

{ style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; Television Year Series (Chinese) Television Station Role Notes 2000 A Case of Misadventure (騎呢大狀) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Series aired in 2002. Minor Role 2003 Triumph in the Skies

Triumph in the Skies

Triumph in the Skies is a Hong Kong drama television series. It premiered on TVB in 2003. The show tells the story of several people who work at Solar Airways as well as the Hong Kong International Airport...

(衝上雲霄) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role, appearance in Episode 25. Light of Million Hopes (萬家燈火) aTV Minor Role, plays a police officer. 2005 Bar Bender

Bar Bender

Bar Bender is a TVB modern drama series broadcast in April 2006.-Synopsis:The series revolves around a fictional Hong Kong senior counsel named Tony Tseung . Senior Counsel Tseung is well known for winning 31 legal cases in a row, but is also notorious in legal circles for his unsavory tactics...

(潮爆大狀) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role, appearance in Episodes 5-7. 2006 Love Guaranteed

Love Guaranteed

Love Guaranteed is a TVB modern drama series broadcast in July 2006.-Cast:-Viewership ratings:-Award nominations:39th TVB Anniversary Awards * "Best Drama"...

(愛情全保) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role. Maidens' Vow

Maidens' Vow

Maidens' Vow is a TVB drama series broadcast in August 2006.-First generation:1880 - 1905: Ngai Yu-Fung , who was married to a good-for-nothing husband Wang Yuk-Lun . Lun gambled away their family's assets and cheated on his wife numerous times...

(鳳凰四重奏) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role, appearance in Episode 17. Dicey Business

Dicey Business

Dicey Business is a 2006 grand production drama by Television Broadcasts Limited. The series is shown to celebrate TVB's 39th Anniversary.-Synopsis:...

(賭場風雲) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role, appearance as a contestant. 2007 Best Selling Secrets

Best Selling Secrets

Best Selling Secrets is a TVB modern sitcom series broadcast from March 2007 to August 2008.The sitcom is about office politics in an advertisement company, as well as family and romantic relationships amongst the characters....

(同事三分親) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Wai Yat (韋一) The Building Blocks of Life

The Building Blocks of Life

The Building Blocks of Life is a TVB modern drama series broadcast in December 2007. The shown is currently rerun on Friday December 19, 2008 to January 22, 2009 from Monday to Friday at 12:15am on TVB Jade in Hong Kong....

(建築有情天) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role, appearance in Episode 3 as a foreign reporter. The Brink of Law

The Brink of Law

The Brink of Law is a TVB modern action series broadcast in January 2007.-Synopsis:Tong Chi-Ko is a respected lawyer and the source of his father's pride; his father dreams of seeing his son becoming a crown attorney for Hong Kong...

(突圍行動) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role. Fathers and Sons (TVB)

Fathers and Sons (TVB)

Fathers and Sons is a TVB modern drama series broadcast in August 2007.-Synopsis:Tzi manages to find his godfather Ko Chi-Tim when he sees a beef ball. Tim has been trying hard to accommodate himself to his son Ko Ching but Ching has given full attention to his own daughter and shows no concern...

(爸爸閉翳) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Minor Role. 2007 Emergency Unit (學警狙擊) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

An officer 2008 The Gem of Life

The Gem of Life

The Gem of Life was a TVB grand production drama, that broadcast between October 2008 and February 2009. The series was specifically filmed to celebrate TVB's 41st Anniversary. The series was filmed in many locations apart from Hong Kong, including Tibet, Taiwan and France.-Synopsis:The series...

(珠光寶氣) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Herman Plays a high-ranking police officer. 2009 You're Hired (絕代商驕) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Leo (Hunter) 2010 Ip Man 2

Ip Man 2

Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...

(葉問2:宗師傳奇) Mandarin Films Emcee semi-major role, appearance as a translator and emcee 2010 Beauty Knows No Pain

Beauty Knows No Pain

Beauty Knows No Pain is a 2010 Hong Kong television drama. Produced by Lam Chi-wah and co-edited by Suen Ho-ho and Chan Kam-ling, the drama is a TVB production. The show premiered on July 26, 2010, and is slated to air for 20 episodes five nights a week. The drama follows the lives of three women...

(女人最痛) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Bobby Black minor role, appearance as a make up artist 2011 The Other Truth (真相) TVB

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

Michael minor role