Childhood & Early Life
Brandon T Jackson was born Brandon Timothy Jackson, on March 7, 1984, in Detroit, Michigan, US, to Beverly Yvonne and Bishop Wayne Timothy Jackson. His father is the senior pastor at the ‘Great Faith Ministries International.’ His father also happens to be a part-time author and has written the book ‘Miracles Do Happen: The Power and Place of Miracles as a Sign to the World.’ Timothy’s mother is also a pastor.
Brandon had a sense of humor ever since he was a child. He credits it to his father and his life, which was spent between the suburbia and the inner city. He was known as the “class clown,” as he spent a lot of his time in school making his classmates laugh.
He also started doing stand-up comedy at talent shows and youth nights at his father’s church. He also did comedy at a few bigger platforms, such as the ‘Motor City Youth Festival.’
Brandon attended ‘West Bloomfield High School.’ Following his graduation, as his stand-up routines moved beyond small local shows, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the domain. He started doing stand-up routines at the ‘Laugh Factory.’
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Career
While he worked at the ‘Laugh Factory,’ he opened shows for comedians such as Wayne Brady and Chris Tucker. However, a few years prior to that, in 1999, he had made his acting debut with a low-budget TV series named ‘Norm.’
In 2001, he played the small role of ‘Tyrone’ in the film titled ‘Nikita Blues.’ In 2001, he appeared as ‘Blair’ and ‘Jace’ in two episodes of the series ‘The Zeta Project.’
In the early 2000s, he played small, uncredited roles in the films ‘Ali’ and ‘8 Mile.’ Both films became classics, but as Brandon had minor, unnamed roles in both the films, he could not reapany benefits from their success.
After starring in the 2005 film ‘Envy,’ Brandon had the first acting breakthrough of his career. The same year, he starred in the comedy–drama film titled ‘Roll Bounce.’ Brandon played the role of ‘Junior’ in the film. It was a big commercial and critical hit. Brandon won the ‘Black Reel Award’ for the ‘Best Breakthrough Performance’ for the film.
In 2005, he starred in a supporting role in the film ‘House of Grimm.’ Later, in 2007, he appeared in the film titled ‘This Christmas,’ as ‘El Rey MC.’ The same year, he also appeared as ‘Deshawn’ in the prison comedy film titled ‘Big Stan.’
In 2008, Brandon appeared as ‘Alpa Chino’ in the action–comedy film ‘Tropic Thunder,’ directed by and starring Ben Stiller. Brandon’s appearance as a homosexual rapper in the film was hugely appreciated, and he was nominated for another ‘Black Reel Award,’ this time, for the ‘Best Supporting Actor.’ The same year, he appeared in the supporting role of ‘Lil 1’ in the film ‘Days of Wrath.’
In 2009, he appeared in a small role (‘Alex’) in the action–thriller film ‘Fast & Furious.’
2010 turned out to be another big year for Brandon’s acting career, as he appeared in the first lead role of his career, in the film titled ‘Lottery Ticket.’ He played ‘Benny’ in the comedy film. It was a huge commercial success. Although the film received average reviews from critics, the leading performances received accolades.
The same year, Brandon also appeared in the film ‘Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.’ The film featured him as ‘Grover Underwood,’ a satyr and the best friend of the lead character, ‘Percy.’ Brandon’s performance won him a nomination for the ‘Black Reel Award’ for the ‘Best Supporting Actor.’
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Riding high on the success of his films, in 2011, he appeared in the film titled ‘Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.’ Brandon played a leading role (replacing Jascha Washington) in the film which, though commercially successful, was panned by critics. The film featured Brandon in a double role, as a man named ‘Trent Pierce’ and a woman named ‘Charmaine Daisy Pierce.’ His performance as ‘Charmaine Daisy’ won him a ‘Raspberry Award’ nomination for the ‘Worst Supporting Actress.’
In 2012, he played another leading role (as ‘Alan’), in the film titled ‘Thunderstruck.’ The following year, he appeared as ‘Corporal Artie AJ Culpepper’ in the film ‘Approaching Midnight.’ The same year, he reprised his role of ‘Grover Underwood’ in the film ‘Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.’
In 2014, he appeared as ‘Rufus “Roofie” Jones’ in the supernatural comedy series ‘Deadbeat.’ The following year, he appeared as ‘Ben Robisnon,’ a lead character, in the series ‘Mr. Robinson.’ ‘Deadbeat’ ran for three seasons, while ‘Mr. Robinson’ was canceled after one season.
More recently, Brandon has appeared in supporting roles in films such as ‘Get a Job’ (as ‘Luke’) and ‘Eloise’ (as ‘Dell Richards’).
Apart from devoting his time to films and TV roles, he has sung a single titled ‘Imma Do It Big,’ which also featured T-Pain and ‘One Chance.’
He has also worked as a screenwriter for the short film ‘Tweet’ (2011) and an episode of the TV series ‘BET's Comicview’ (2005).
Facts About Brandon T Jackson
Jackson is not only an actor and comedian, but he is also a talented rapper and singer.
He comes from a family of entertainers, with both his father and brother also being involved in the entertainment industry.
Brandon has a passion for philanthropy and has been involved in various charitable causes throughout his career.
In addition to his work on screen, Brandon is also known for his energetic and engaging live performances as a stand-up comedian.
He has a great sense of humor and is known for his quick wit and comedic timing both on and off the screen.
