Jonathan Brandis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Brandis
Brandis in 1993
Born	Jonathan Gregory Brandis (1976-04-13)April 13, 1976 Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	November 12, 2003(2003-11-12) (aged 27) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	San Fernando Valley Professional School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1978–2003
Television	SeaQuest DSV
Awards	Young Artist Award (1994) for seaQuest DSV

Jonathan Gregory Brandis (born April 13, 1976 – died November 12, 2003) was an American actor. He started his career very young as a child model. Later, he began acting in TV commercials and then got roles in television shows and movies.

Jonathan Brandis first acted in 1982 on the TV show One Life to Live. In 1990, he played Bill Denbrough in the TV miniseries It. He also starred as Bastian Bux in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter. When he was 17, in 1993, he got a big role as a smart teen named Lucas Wolenczak on the NBC series seaQuest DSV. This character was very popular with young viewers, and Jonathan often appeared in magazines for teens.

Early Life and Beginnings

Jonathan Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut. He was the only child of Mary, who was a teacher, and Gregory Brandis, who worked with food and was a firefighter.

When he was just two years old, Jonathan started his career as a child model for Buster Brown shoes. By age four, he was already acting in television commercials. He went to San Fernando Valley Professional School and finished school in 1993.

Acting Career Highlights

At six years old, Jonathan Brandis got the role of Kevin Buchanan on the TV show One Life to Live. When he was nine, his family moved to Los Angeles. There, he appeared as a guest star on many popular TV shows. These included Blossom, L.A. Law, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, The Wonder Years, Full House, Webster, and Kate & Allie.

When he was 13, Jonathan got his first main role as Bastian Bux in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter. He also played the young "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough in the 1990 TV miniseries Stephen King's It. This show was based on the famous horror novel. Many people praised Jonathan's acting in the miniseries. He then starred in two movies released close together: Sidekicks as Barry Gabrewski and Ladybugs as Matthew/Martha.

Around age 17, Jonathan Brandis got one of his most famous roles. He played Lucas Wolenczak, a brilliant young scientist, in Steven Spielberg's science fiction series seaQuest DSV. This role made him a teen idol. At the peak of his fame, Jonathan received about 4,000 fan letters every week. He even needed three security guards to help him get to the seaQuest DSV set because so many fans were waiting. He also used his voice to play Mozenrath, a young sorcerer, in Disney's animated series Aladdin.

After seaQuest DSV ended in 1996, Jonathan appeared in the TV movie Her Last Chance. His next role was in Born Free: A New Adventure, filmed in South Africa. He continued to act in supporting roles in movies like Outside Providence (1999) and Ride with the Devil (1999). In 2000, he was in Bad Girls from Valley High, which was released after he passed away. Jonathan also had a small part in Hart's War (2002). In 2003, he was cast in a TV show pilot called 111 Gramercy Park, but the show was not picked up. His last acting role was in the action drama Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, which was also released after his death.

Personal Life

From 1995 to 1998, Jonathan Brandis dated actress and singer Tatyana Ali. They appeared together in an article in People magazine in July 1996.

Later Years and Passing

On November 11, 2003, Jonathan Brandis was found at his Los Angeles apartment. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and passed away the next day. He was 27 years old.

In 2021, Jonathan's father, Greg Brandis, shared that he believed Jonathan might have been struggling with mental health challenges. He told People magazine, "His death wasn't due to the entertainment industry. I look back now, and in his 20s, he showed signs of challenges with his mood. I hope that anyone suffering can go get help."

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Brandis para niños