Biography

Brian Atkinson is an American character actor known for his title role in Netflix' Emmy nominated Buddy Thunderstruck (2017) and as officer Randy, opposite Academy Award winner Rami Malek in Endeavor Audio's dramatic podcast Blackout (2019).

The actor was born Brian Allen on June 20th 1978 in Stoughton, Massachusetts, a small town just south of Boston. He took his mother's maiden name Atkinson shortly before his marriage to talented actress & musician Alex G-Smith. Starting out in community theater musicals, he earned an EMACT for his first stage appearance as Jammal in The Stoughton Little Theater's production of Aladdin.

Atkinson became unrecognizable for his big screen debut as belligerent wanna-be gangster Mickey McQueeney in Flood Reed's award winning independent feature Mutual Admiration Society (2002). He would later rejoin Reed as Gudrun in Slew Hampshire (2013).

In 2003, Brian moved to a small New York studio with writer/producer Rock Shaink to appear in several regional stage productions as well as NBC's 'The Restaurant' (2003), a reality show which followed the staff of Italian restaurant Rocco's. Apparently Brian's years of serving experience did him no good, he was fired upon production wrap.

Returning to Boston in 2006, Atkinson studied under the legendary Gerry Speca before driving cross-country to Los Angeles in early 2007. Once in LA he found a home at The Antaeus Academy. Learning his way around classical texts from venerable stage actors Jeanie Hackett, Nike Doukas, Geoffrey Wade, and Armin Shimerman, Brian eventually became involved in their academy company.

Not until landing his first series gig, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) was Brian able to afford the Screen Actors Guild initiation fee with a little help from a friend. It was on the set of Sarah Connor where Atkinson had the opportunity to work with Game of Thrones helmer David Nutter, who Brian hopes will "Pretty please let me read for anything you're doing?!".

A self-described blue collar actor, Atkinson's middle-class, Irish-Catholic upbringing often keeps his characters grounded in moral and ethical dilemmas, appearing in such dramas as The Young and the Restless (2008), CSI (2009), Castle (2009), and Justified (2009)

Attending the popular Groundlings School, Atkinson studied with Annie Sertich, honing his Improv and Comedic chops. While gaining attention as a character actor, he put those chops to use as Jackson Price in The Bet (2016), Max McCallman in The Shoaks (2018), and as Seamus Downs in 'Keeping Up with the Downs' (2010) an award winning television pilot written and produced by Atkinson with co-stars Patrick Curran and Stephen J. Lattanzi.

Brian's credits include, 9-1-1 (2019), Big Time Rush (2013), and Rockstar Games' open world hit Red Dead Redemption (2010).

Brian currently lives in Burbank with his wife Alex and their terrier Saint Francis of Assisi.
- IMDb mini biography by: Manager