Brett Clifford Gelman (born October 6, 1976)[1] is an American actor and comedian.[2] He is best known for his role as Murray Bauman in Netflix's horror-supernatural series Stranger Things and as Martin in the BBC comedy Fleabag.
Brett Gelman | |
|---|---|
 Gelman at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Brett Clifford Gelman October 6, 1976 Highland Park, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | |
Gelman began his career as a comedian in the 2000s, gaining notability the following decade for his involvement in numerous Adult Swim shows, notably Eagleheart and comedy specials in 2014 and 2015. During this time, he also was part of the main casts of the NBC sitcom Go On, the Comedy Central series Another Period, and the FX comedy series Married.[3]
Gelman became prominent in the late 2010s for his supporting roles in Fleabag and Stranger Things, in addition to those on Camping and Mr. Mercedes. As a voice actor, he has contributed to television series Jeff & Some Aliens and TripTank on Comedy Central and, more recently, I Heart Arlo and Inside Job on Netflix, among others. He is set to star in the upcoming drama series Lady in the Lake.
Early life
Gelman was born and raised in Highland Park, Illinois.[4] His father was a photo salesman. He was raised Jewish and has a younger sister who is a speech pathologist.[5]
Gelman graduated from Highland Park High School.[6] He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he received classical training in theater.[5]
Career
After college, Gelman moved to New York City with a fellow schoolmate, actor Jon Daly.[5] While in New York, Gelman was a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, as part of the duo Cracked Out and sketch group Mr. A$$.[7]
A popular New York Lottery commercial funded his work for a while. Gelman did a one-man show called 1,000 Cats, which he workshopped at many venues.[8]
Gelman has appeared in the films The Other Guys and 30 Minutes or Less. He has co-starred as Chris Elliott's sidekick Brett Mobley in the live-action Adult Swim series Eagleheart and is a regular sketch performer on HBO's Funny or Die Presents and Comedy Central's Nick Swardson's Pretend Time. He has had recurring roles on The Life & Times of Tim and The Inbetweeners, as well as making guest appearances on comedy programs such as Bored to Death, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Happy Endings, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and The League. Gelman has also written for the MTV sketch series Human Giant and the Scott Aukerman & B. J. Porter created sketch pilot The Right Now! Show.
In 2010, Gelman appeared as a cast member on the Comedy Central sketch comedy special This Show Will Get You High, created by Matt Besser. Gelman co-starred as "Mr. K" on the NBC comedy series Go On starring Matthew Perry,[9] and as A.J. on the FX comedy series Married.[10]
In 2014, Gelman hosted a dinner party special, called Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and Friends, which aired on Adult Swim.[11]
In 2015, Gelman was also a consulting writer on season two of the entertainment news parody series Hot Package on Adult Swim and also recurs as Hamish on the Comedy Central series Another Period and as Ronnie on the Starz series Blunt Talk. Also in 2015, Gelman appeared in the series finale of Mad Men.[12]
In July 2016, Gelman starred in the special Dinner in America with Brett Gelman, a sequel to Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and Friends, which focused on racism.[13] In November 2016, Gelman said that he had left Cartoon Network and Adult Swim due to the network's alleged poor treatment of female employees and the promotion of the controversial Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace.[14][15][16][17]
In 2017, Gelman starred in and co-wrote Lemon, opposite Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long and Gillian Jacobs, directed by Janicza Bravo.[18][19] It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017.[20]
In 2016, it was announced that Gelman was cast in the second season of the hit Netflix science-fiction web series Stranger Things as Murray Bauman, a conspiracy theorist and former journalist.[21] He was promoted to the main cast for the fourth season.
In 2018, he starred in the independent feature film Room for Rent, opposite Mark Little, Carla Gallo, Stephnie Weir, Patrick J. Adams, and Mark McKinney.[22] Gunpowder & Sky released the film in the US on all major VOD platforms November 2, 2018.
In 2022, it was announced that Gelman was starring in the Apple TV+ drama series Lady in the Lake, based on Laura Lippman's novel of the same name.[23]
Other work
Gelman and frequent writing partner and collaborator Jon Daly performed for many years as the comedy rap duo "Cracked Out".[24] Gelman has gained recognition for appearing as the "Little Bit Of Luck" character in the "Take 5" New York Lottery ad campaign that ran from 2008 through 2011. Gelman has said that the inspiration for the character is rocker Guthrie Govan.[25]
Gelman makes frequent appearances on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, as well as other podcasts on the Earwolf podcasting network. In 2011, he began his own podcast, Gelmania, also available on the Earwolf network. Gelman has said he wanted his podcast to "reflect a lot of the fears and anger and sadness of the world, but do that through a really stupid lens."[26] In 2014, Gelmania began its second season but is no longer on the Earwolf network.[27]
Personal life
In December 2015, Gelman married Janicza Bravo.[28][29] The pair met in New York City while working on a New York Lotto commercial.[4][30] They divorced in 2018.[31] Gelman announced his engagement to actress and model Ari Dayan via Instagram in April 2023.[32][33]
Gelman has been a vocal supporter of Israel on Instagram throughout the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. In November 2023, Gelman was among more than a dozen creators and celebrities who confronted TikTok executives in a public letter claiming that the app is directly amplifying the spread of antisemitism. The company reportedly pushed back against claims that it was promoting pro-Palestine, anti-Israel content through its feeds, stating instead that while the platform regularly moderates antisemitic, Anti-Arab racist, and Islamophobic content, it does not moderate nor amplify the spread of content expressing criticism of the Israeli government.[34][35] He would later appear on Israeli sketch comedy show Eretz Nehederet to end 2023.[36]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story | Mayhem Team Member | |
| 2006 | Gingerbreed | Driller Driver | |
| 2007 | Watching the Detectives | Glenn | |
| 2008 | Stick It in Detroit | Hot Rod Johnson | |
| 2009 | May the Best Man Win | Bachelor Party Host | |
| 2010 | The Other Guys | Hal | |
| 2011 | Eat | August | Short |
| 30 Minutes or Less | Pizza Boss | ||
| A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas | TV Director | ||
| 2013 | Jobs | Jef Raskin | |
| Awful Nice | Ivan | ||
| Gregory Go Boom | Tom | Short, also producer | |
| 2014 | Someone Marry Barry | Goker | |
| 2016 | Joshy | Greg | |
| Flock of Dudes | Howie | ||
| 2017 | Lemon | Isaac Lachmann | Also writer |
| Wilson | Robert | ||
| DRIB | Brady Thompson | ||
| The Disaster Artist | Acting Teacher | ||
| Room for Rent | Carl Lemay | ||
| 2018 | Wild Nights with Emily | Higginson | |
| Like Father | Frank Lerue | ||
| 2019 | Jezebel | Bobby | Voice |
| Harpoon | Narrator | ||
| 2020 | Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics | Himself | |
| 2021 | Arlo the Alligator Boy | Marcellus | Voice |
| Without Remorse | Victor Rykov | ||
| 2022 | Metal Lords | Dr. Sylvester | |
| Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile | Mr. Grumps | ||
| 2023 | Surrounded | Mr. Fields | |
| Strays | Willy | ||
| Boy Kills World | Gideon van der Koy |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Coke | Gonzales | TV short |
| The Colbert Report | Spencer | Episode: "Greg Behrendt" | |
| 2007 | Fat Guy Stuck in Internet | Co-Worker, Linux, The Oracle | 3 episodes |
| Honesty | Mechanic | Episode: "Mechanic" | |
| 2008 | Human Giant | Kidnapped Soldier, Rapzilla, Billy Crystal | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Californication | Annoying Hipster | Episode: "Mia Culpa" |
| 2010 | Comedy Lab | Ruby | Voice, episode: "Penelope Princess of Pets" |
| This Show Will Get You High | Cast Member | Comedy Central pilot | |
| Nick Swardson's Pretend Time | Various | Episode: "Mudslide Junction" | |
| 2010–2011 | Funny or Die Presents | Nick, Performer | 3 episodes |
| The Back Room | Mr. America, James Gandolfini | 4 episodes | |
| 2010–2012 | The Life & Times of Tim | Co-Worker, Walker Fan, Adam's Friend, Doug the Intruder | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2011 | Happy Endings | Carl | Episode: "Your Couples Friends & Neighbors" |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Pig Parker | Episode: "Vow of Silence" | |
| Bored to Death | Faux Jonathan | Episode: "We Could Sing a Duet" | |
| 2011–2013 | The League | Gavin | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2014 | Eagleheart | Brett Mobley | Series regular; 26 episodes |
| 2012 | The Office | The Magician | Episode: "Welcome Party" |
| The Inbetweeners | Mr Gilbert | Recurring; 7 episodes | |
| Aqua Teen Hunger Force | Rocket Horse | Voice, episode: "Rocket Horse & Jet Chicken" | |
| 2012–2013 | Go On | Mr. K | Series regular; 22 episodes |
| 2012–2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Dog Lawyer, Mr. Celebrity | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Ghost Ghirls | Rabbit | Episode: "I Believe in Mira-ghouls" |
| NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Gabby Hofstein | Episode: "Unfrozen Agent Man" | |
| We Are Men | Alimony Steve | Episode: "We Are Franksgiving" | |
| 2013–2014 | Drunk History | Various | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Kroll Show | Various | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Surviving Jack | Principal McMullen | Episode: "Rhythm Is a Dancer" |
| Adventure Time | Ring Master | Voice, episode: "Sad Face" | |
| Bad Teacher | Doug Pilaf | 5 episodes | |
| Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and Friends | Himself | Special | |
| 2014–2015 | Married | A.J. | Series regular; 23 episodes |
| 2014–2016 | Mr. Pickles | Cheeseman | Voice, 2 episodes |
| TripTank | Jeff | Voice, 9 episodes | |
| 2015 | Dinner with Family with Brett Gelman and Brett Gelman's Family | Himself | Special |
| Fresh Off the Boat | Dusty Nugget | Episode: "Persistent Romeo" | |
| Man Seeking Woman | Demon | Episode: "Stain" | |
| The Odd Couple | Stuart | Episode: "Jealous Island" | |
| Mad Men | Daniel | Episode: "Person to Person" | |
| 2015–2016 | Blunt Talk | Ronnie | 6 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Another Period | Hamish Crassus | Recurring; 20 episodes |
| 2016 | Angel from Hell | Lee | 2 episodes |
| Clarence | Mr. Mozer | Voice, episode: "Field Trippin'" | |
| Dinner in America with Brett Gelman | Himself | Special | |
| High Maintenance | Himself | Episode: "Selfie" | |
| 2016–2018 | Love | Dr. Greg Colter | Recurring; 10 episodes |
| 2016–2020 | American Dad! | Various voices | 6 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Fleabag | Martin | Series regular; 7 episodes |
| 2017 | Jeff & Some Aliens | Jeff | Voice, main role (10 episodes) |
| Making History | Paul Revere | 2 episodes | |
| Budding Prospects | Vogelsein | Pilot | |
| Twin Peaks | Supervisor Burns | 2 episodes | |
| 2017–present | Stranger Things | Murray Bauman | Recurring (seasons 2–3) Main (season 4) |
| 2018 | Camping | George | Main role; 8 episodes |
| 2019 | Mr. Mercedes | Rolan Finklestein | Recurring role; 9 episodes |
| 2020 | Family Guy | Escape Room Guy | Voice, episode: "Baby Stewie" |
| The Mighty Ones | Egg | Voice, episode: "Egg Nag" | |
| 2021 | I Heart Arlo | Marcellus | Voice, 18 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Inside Job | Magic Myc | Voice, 18 episodes |
| 2023 | Eretz Nehederet | Wise man from Berkeley | Christmas special sketch |
| TBA | Lady in the Lake | Main role, upcoming miniseries |
References
- ^ "Celebrity Birthdays: Oct. 6". October 6, 2020.
- ^ St. John, Warren (January 29, 2006). "Seinfeld It Ain't". The New York Times.
- ^ Adams, Erik (September 11, 2012). "Brett Gelman on playing Go On's "smoke monster"". The A.V. Club.
- ^ a b "Brett Gelman is Here to Change You! • /r/IAmA". Reddit. February 13, 2015.
- ^ a b c Maron, Marc (August 9, 2012). "Episode 303 - Brett Gelman" (Podcast). WTF with Marc Maron.
- ^ Kharakh, Ben (February 20, 2007). "Brett Gelman, Writer, Comedian, and Actor". Gothamist. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016.
- ^ "Brett Gelman". Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
- ^ McCarthy, Sean L. (March 5, 2008). "Brett Gelman's "1,000 Cats"". The Comic's Comic.
- ^ Egner, Jeremy (November 14, 2012). "J D Souther, Lucy Punch and Others in New Series". The New York Times.
- ^ "Brett Gleman as AJ in Married on FX". FX. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ Ohanesian, Liz (April 23, 2014). "Comedian Brett Gelman Hosts a Dinner Party and It's Really Weird". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Nate (May 18, 2015). "Brett Gelman on Playing a Naked Hippie in the Mad Men Finale". Vulture.
- ^ Maron, Marc (June 27, 2016). "Episode 719 - John C. Reilly / Brett Gelman" (Podcast). WTF with Marc Maron.
- ^ Strachan, Maxwell (November 14, 2016). "Adult Swim Star Severs Ties Over Late-Night Network's 'Misogyny'". The Huffington Post.
- ^ Wright, Megh (November 14, 2016). "Brett Gelman Says He's Severed Ties with Adult Swim Due to Their Treatment of Women". Splitsider. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- ^ Loftus, Jamie (November 15, 2016). "Brett Gelman Doesn't Want Your Praise for Ditching Adult Swim". Paste.
- ^ Roti, Jessi (November 17, 2016). "Brett Gelman wants action, not props for his split from 'Adult Swim'". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ McNary, Dave (August 17, 2016). "Michael Cera, Brett Gelman Starring in Dark Comedy 'Lemon'". Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (August 17, 2016). "US Briefs: Burn Later Productions, Killer Films cast 'Lemon'". Screen International. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ "2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: COMPETITION AND NEXT LINEUP ANNOUNCED". Sundance Film Festival. November 29, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ Schwindt, Oriana (November 18, 2016). "'Stranger Things' Season 2 Adds Brett Gelman as Conspiracy Theorist". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ "Room for Rent Reviews Film Threat". November 1, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 26, 2022). "'Lady In The Lake': Y'lan Noel, Mikey Madison, Brett Gelman Join Apple Limited Series". Deadline. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ Evans, Bradford (April 23, 2014). "Talking to Brett Gelman About His New Adult Swim Special". Splitsider.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ L. McCarthy, Sean (April 4, 2014). "Brett Gelman remembers his New York Lottery Ad Campaign on Conan". TheComicsComic.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ Carey, Ross (October 8, 2012). "Episode 70: Featuring Brett Gelman" (Podcast). RossCarey.com.
- ^ "Gelmania Podcast". Retrieved March 12, 2017.
- ^ Rizov, Vadim (2014). "25 New Faces of Independent Film: Janicza Bravo". Filmmaker Magazine.
- ^ "Brett Janicza Wedding Ceremony at Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapels in The Main Chapel". Viva Las Vegas Weddings. December 22, 2015. Archived from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Gills, Melina (March 23, 2016). "Hard World For Small Things Creator Janicza Bravo Tackles Police Brutality Through VR". Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Evans, Jonathan (October 15, 2019). "'Fleabag' and 'Stranger Things' Star Brett Gelman Wants Men to Be Better—and Dress Better, Too". Esquire. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ Hajdenberg, Jackie (May 2, 2023). "'Stranger Things' star Brett Gelman proposes to girlfriend in Jerusalem". The Times of Israel. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Brett Gelman on Instagram: "SHE SAID YES!!! ❤️❤️❤️ 💍 💍 💍 ❤️❤️❤️"". Instagram. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "Brett Gelman speaks at the March for Israel rally in DC". Yahoo News. November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023. [dead link]
- ^ Swindle, David (November 15, 2023). "'Friends turned their backs on me this month,' Jewish actor Brett Gelman says". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "Actor Brett Gelman joins 'Eretz Nehederet' to skewer US progressives | The Times of Israel". The Times of Israel. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
External links
- Brett Gelman at IMDb