Brandon Ivey(VII)
- Actor
- Production Department
Bri's path to the performing arts hasn't necessarily been a typical one. At the early age of 6, he loved Jackie Chan in action-packed movies like Drunken Master and Twin Dragons. His natural affinity for performance led to his initial start in entertainment, in the form of Taekwondo, at the age of 7. Bri took to the stage as a martial artist, competing in and even taking home gold medals on some of the sport's biggest stages. As a member of the USA National Taekwondo Team, he had the chance to represent the United States at events in 11 different countries and achieved the title of the Jr. Heavyweight World Champion, after which he was honored as one of Sports Illustrated's Athletes to Watch.
Nonetheless, Bri had a strong academic focus instilled in him by his parents, thus, he applied to college. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Tar Heels!) on an academic scholarship, double majoring in Economics and Public Policy with a minor in Entrepreneurship. After graduating, he started his professional career as a Data Science Consultant at JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) in NYC.
Shortly after entering the corporate world, Bri received the "Global High-Performance Employee" award at JPMC and was asked to shoot a web commercial for the company. This experience served as the first taste of a new passion that began to define his life--acting. He started off in the NYC improv scene and comedy circuit. Bri then began taking classes in the city to hone his skills as an actor at The Barrow Group, Kimball Studios, and DeSotelle Theater. He also expanded his training into voice lessons to strengthen his tonality and fight choreography, where his initial love of martial arts has taken a new shape.
Shooting for JPMC left Bri hungry for more on-camera experience, which came in the form of local commercials for companies like Northwestern Mutual and Adidas. This early traction gave him the confidence to take the leap and move to LA to explore new opportunities in Film/TV and pursue acting full- time. He may no longer be one of Sports Illustrated's Athletes to Watch, but you should add him to your list of actors to watch!
Nonetheless, Bri had a strong academic focus instilled in him by his parents, thus, he applied to college. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Tar Heels!) on an academic scholarship, double majoring in Economics and Public Policy with a minor in Entrepreneurship. After graduating, he started his professional career as a Data Science Consultant at JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) in NYC.
Shortly after entering the corporate world, Bri received the "Global High-Performance Employee" award at JPMC and was asked to shoot a web commercial for the company. This experience served as the first taste of a new passion that began to define his life--acting. He started off in the NYC improv scene and comedy circuit. Bri then began taking classes in the city to hone his skills as an actor at The Barrow Group, Kimball Studios, and DeSotelle Theater. He also expanded his training into voice lessons to strengthen his tonality and fight choreography, where his initial love of martial arts has taken a new shape.
Shooting for JPMC left Bri hungry for more on-camera experience, which came in the form of local commercials for companies like Northwestern Mutual and Adidas. This early traction gave him the confidence to take the leap and move to LA to explore new opportunities in Film/TV and pursue acting full- time. He may no longer be one of Sports Illustrated's Athletes to Watch, but you should add him to your list of actors to watch!
