Jonathan Brandis
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Gregory Brandis (April 13, 1976 – November 12, 2003) was an American actor, director
, and screenwriter
.
, the only child
of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model
and began acting in television commercials. Brandis landed a recurring role on One Life to Live
when he was six years old. 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
, The Wonder Years
, Full House
and Kate & Allie
.
At the age of fourteen, he received his first starring role in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
as Bastian Bux, a young boy who returns to a world of wonder on the wings of his imagination. That same year, Brandis played the young "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, the main character in the 1990 film Stephen King's It
, based on the epic horror novel by Stephen King
. Following this, Brandis appeared in Sidekicks co-starring Chuck Norris
and Ladybugs
with actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield
. Around the age of seventeen, Brandis landed one of his best known roles as scientific prodigy Lucas Wolenczak
in Steven Spielberg
's futuristic science fiction series seaQuest DSV
. The role propelled him into teen idol
status. During the run of seaQuest DSV, he also voiced Mozenrath, a young evil sorcerer and necromancer in Disney's animated series Aladdin
.
In addition to acting, Brandis also directed several independent films and authored screenplays. During his stint on seaQuest DSV, he co-wrote an episode of the series entitled "The Siamese Dream". He also produced and directed the short film
The Slainville Boys, shortly before his death.
in Los Angeles from injuries he suffered after he hanged
himself. He was 27 years old. The Los Angeles Police Department
released a statement regarding his death:
Brandis did not leave a suicide note, although friends were quoted as saying he was depressed about his career, which had slowly declined in recent years. One friend admitted that Brandis drank heavily, and had even mentioned that he might commit suicide. 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.
Following Brandis's death, Paul Petersen
, president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors stated, "Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life."
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Early life and career
Brandis was born in Danbury, ConnecticutDanbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, the only child
Only child
An only child is a person with no siblings, either biological or adopted. In a family with multiple offspring, first-borns, may be briefly considered only children and have a similar early family environment, but the term only child is generally applied only to those individuals who never have...
of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and began acting in television commercials. Brandis landed a recurring role on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
when he was six years old. He moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as L.A. Law
L.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
, Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
, Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
and Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie
Kate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989. Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike easily convinced CBS...
.
At the age of fourteen, he received his first starring role in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is a 1990 fantasy film and sequel to The NeverEnding Story. It was directed by George T. Miller and starred Jonathan Brandis as Bastian Bux, Kenny Morrison as Atreyu, and Alexandra Johnes as the Childlike Empress. The only actor to return from the first...
as Bastian Bux, a young boy who returns to a world of wonder on the wings of his imagination. That same year, Brandis played the young "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, the main character in the 1990 film Stephen King's It
It (1990 film)
It is a 1990 horror television miniseries based on the novel of the same name. The story revolves around an inter-dimensional predatory life-form that is simply referred to as "It", which has the ability to transform itself into its prey's worst fears allowing it to exploit the fears and phobias...
, based on the epic horror novel by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. Following this, Brandis appeared in Sidekicks co-starring Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
and Ladybugs
Ladybugs (film)
Ladybugs is a comedy and sports movie released in 1992 starring Rodney Dangerfield as Chester, a business man who takes over a girls soccer team which the company he works for sponsors to get them to win and get a promotion...
with actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
. Around the age of seventeen, Brandis landed one of his best known roles as scientific prodigy Lucas Wolenczak
Lucas Wolenczak
Lucas Wolenczak is a character on the television series seaQuest DSV, played by Jonathan Brandis. He is one of only three characters to remain on the show for all three seasons and is the only character to appear in every episode.-Before seaQuest:...
in Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's futuristic science fiction series seaQuest DSV
SeaQuest DSV
seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction...
. The role propelled him into teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
status. During the run of seaQuest DSV, he also voiced Mozenrath, a young evil sorcerer and necromancer in Disney's animated series Aladdin
Aladdin (TV series)
Aladdin is an animated television series made by Walt Disney Television which aired from 1994 to 1995, based on the original 1992 feature. Coming on the heels of the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar, the series picked up where that installment left off, with Aladdin now living in the...
.
In addition to acting, Brandis also directed several independent films and authored screenplays. During his stint on seaQuest DSV, he co-wrote an episode of the series entitled "The Siamese Dream". He also produced and directed the short film
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
The Slainville Boys, shortly before his death.
Death
On November 12, 2003, Brandis died at Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles from injuries he suffered after he hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
himself. He was 27 years old. The Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
released a statement regarding his death:
Brandis did not leave a suicide note, although friends were quoted as saying he was depressed about his career, which had slowly declined in recent years. One friend admitted that Brandis drank heavily, and had even mentioned that he might commit suicide. He was also said to be upset when his appearance in Hart's War
Hart's War
Hart's War is a 2002 film about a World War II prisoner of war based on the novel by John Katzenbach starring Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard and Marcel Iureş...
, a role he hoped would be his comeback, was cut from the film.
Following Brandis's death, Paul Petersen
Paul Petersen
William Paul Petersen is an American movie actor, singer, novelist, and activist. Primarily known for his character-type roles in the 1960s and 1970s, as an adult Petersen established the organization A Minor Consideration to support child stars and other child laborers through legislation,...
, president of A Minor Consideration, an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors stated, "Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life."
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | One Life to Live One Life to Live One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social... |
Young Kevin Riley Buchanan | Unknown episodes |
| 1984 | Kate & Allie Kate & Allie Kate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989. Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike easily convinced CBS... |
Chip's Friend | Episode: "Odd Boy Out" |
| 1987 | Good Morning, Miss Bliss Good Morning, Miss Bliss Good Morning, Miss Bliss is an American teen sitcom that aired on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 , starring Hayley Mills as a teacher at John F... |
Michael Thompson | Pilot |
| 1987 | Fatal Attraction Fatal Attraction Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking... |
Party guest | |
| 1987 | Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story is a 1987 television biographical drama starring Farrah Fawcett. The film chronicles the life of Barbara Hutton, who was one of the richest American socialite women, but was never happy. Released in two versions, as a TV miniseries and TV movie, the... |
Lance Reventlow Lance Reventlow Lance Reventlow, born Lawrence Graf von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow was a wealthy playboy, entrepreneur, and racing driver.... (Age 11) |
Television movie |
| 1988 | Webster Webster (TV series) Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989... |
Bobby | Episode: "Take My Cousin, Please" |
| 1989 | Stepfather II Stepfather II Stepfather II also known as Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy, is a 1989 psychological thriller film directed by Jeff Burr from a screenplay written by John Auerbach... |
Todd Grayland | |
| 1990 | Bastian Bux | ||
| 1990 | Alien Nation | Andron | Episode: "The Touch" |
| 1990 | It It (1990 film) It is a 1990 horror television miniseries based on the novel of the same name. The story revolves around an inter-dimensional predatory life-form that is simply referred to as "It", which has the ability to transform itself into its prey's worst fears allowing it to exploit the fears and phobias... |
Bill Denbrough (Age 12) | Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| 1990 | Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,... |
Kevin Bryce | Episode: "If the Shoe Fits" |
| 1991 | Gabriel's Fire Gabriel's Fire Gabriel's Fire is an American television series that ran on ABC in the USA in 1990–1991. A revamped version of the series, entitled Pros and Cons, aired briefly the following season.-Overview:... |
Matthew Fixx | Episode: "Truth and Consequences" |
| 1992 | Ladybugs Ladybugs (film) Ladybugs is a comedy and sports movie released in 1992 starring Rodney Dangerfield as Chester, a business man who takes over a girls soccer team which the company he works for sponsors to get them to win and get a promotion... |
Matthew/Martha | |
| 1992 | Sidekicks | Barry Gabrewski | |
| 1993 to 1996 | seaQuest DSV SeaQuest DSV seaQuest DSV is an American science fiction television series created by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It originally aired on NBC between 1993 and 1996. In its final season, it was renamed seaQuest 2032. Set in "the near future", seaQuest mixes high drama with realistic scientific fiction... |
Lucas Wolenczak Lucas Wolenczak Lucas Wolenczak is a character on the television series seaQuest DSV, played by Jonathan Brandis. He is one of only three characters to remain on the show for all three seasons and is the only character to appear in every episode.-Before seaQuest:... |
57 episodes |
| 1994 to 1995 | Aladdin Aladdin (TV series) Aladdin is an animated television series made by Walt Disney Television which aired from 1994 to 1995, based on the original 1992 feature. Coming on the heels of the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar, the series picked up where that installment left off, with Aladdin now living in the... |
Mozenrath (Voice) | 8 episodes |
| 1996 | Fall Into Darkness Fall Into Darkness Fall Into Darkness is a 1996 television movie based on the young-adult novel by Christopher Pike, who also executive-produced. The film stars Tatyana M. Ali, Jonathan Brandis, Charlotte Ross and Sean Murray. It originally aired on NBC on November 25, 1996.... |
Chad | Television movie |
| 1997 | Two Came Back Two Came Back Two Came Back is a made for television film from the fact-based book by Deborah Scaling-Kiley. Melissa Joan Hart stars alongside Jonathan Brandis... |
Jason | Television movie |
| 1999 | Outside Providence Outside Providence (film) Outside Providence is a 1999 American film adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name. Like the book, the film is a fictionalized account of Farrelly's own experiences at Kent School, a prep school in Kent, Connecticut.-Plot:... |
Mousy | |
| 1999 | Ride with the Devil | Cave Wyatt | |
| 2002 | Hart's War Hart's War Hart's War is a 2002 film about a World War II prisoner of war based on the novel by John Katzenbach starring Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard and Marcel Iureş... |
Pvt. Lewis P. Wakely | Scenes deleted |
| 2003 | Puerto Vallarta Squeeze | Neil Weatherford | |
| 2005 | Bad Girls From Valley High Bad Girls From Valley High Bad Girls from Valley High is a 2004 direct-to-video comedy horror film starring Julie Benz, Monica Keena, Nicole Bilderback, Jonathan Brandis, and Janet Leigh... |
Drew | Released posthumously |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series | Nominated | |
| 1996 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |
| 1993 | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | Lady Bugs (Shared with cast) | Nominated |
| 1993 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture | Lady Bugs | Nominated |
| 1994 | Young Artist Award | Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Television Series | seaQuest DSV | Won |
| 1995 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance by a Youth Actor in a TV Mini-Series or Special | Good King Wenceslas | Nominated |
| 1992 | Saturn Award Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within... |
Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Nominated |