Date of Birth

7 December 1984, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Birth Name

Brandon Timothy Jackson

Height

5' 7¼" (1.71 m)

Mini Biography

Brandon Timothy Jackson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Beverly Yvonne (Bozeman) and Wayne Timothy Jackson. His parents are both pastors, and his maternal grandfather was a Pentecostal child preacher. He credits his sense of humor to both his father and his life straddling the fence between suburbia and the inner city.

Brandon held the title of "class clown" and grew his passion for comedy and acting by doing talent shows and performing at youth nights at his father's church. By age 14, Brandon's career as a stand-up comic evolved from local school shows and community projects, such as the "Motor City Youth Festival", to an appearance in Marc Cayce's film, Nikita Blues (2001).

Brandon took an internship at local Detroit radio station 93.1 FM and soon found himself as a guest host at 105.9 FM. Brandon's drive took him to Hollywood where, in 2001, he was cast as an extra in major movies such as Ali (2001), Bowling for Columbine (2002) and 8 Mile (2002). He began to get calls to open up and work with comedians, such as Chris Tucker and Wayne Brady.

After Brandon's performances at New York City's "Showtime at the Apollo" and BET's Comicview (1992), the 19-year-old actor/comedian was cast in his first major movie role as Shad Moss's (X) best friend, "Junior", in Roll Bounce (2005). He won Black Reel's 2006 Best Breakthrough Performance award for his performance.

Jackson starred opposite NBA basketball superstar Kevin Durant in Thunderstruck (2012) and'Martin Lawrence (I)' in the third incarnation of the highly profitable Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011) franchise released by Fox in 2011. He played Lawrence's son and the two went undercover to solve a murder. Jackson is perhaps best known as Alpha Chino from the high- concept runaway hit Tropic Thunder (2008).

Jackson received rave reviews for his role as the satyr Grover Underwood, the best friend and protector of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), opposite Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario. Brandon co-starred in both Hulu's original series Deadbeat(2014) and Showtimes's _Californication (2008) (V)_.

He lives in Los Angeles.

Trivia

• Graduated from West Bloomfield High School. Other graduates were Justin Bartha and his friend, Sam Logan Khaleghi.
• His father is TV Evangelist Wayne T. Jackson (producer of Nikita Blues), who also owns Wayne T's of Detroit exotic urban clothing store in downtown Detroit.
• Was an extra in Columbia Pictures' Ali (2001), starring Will Smith. Was an extra in the Chicago club scene.
• Attended high school alongside fellow actor friend Sam Logan Khaleghi
• He is the 5th of seven siblings
• He is the producer and host of the Teens of Comedy Tour

Quotes

• Why don't women have respect for themselves nowadays? What happen to the woman who learned her grandmama's recipes and made her man sweet potato pie? I tell you, they don't make 'em like they used to. Will my real women stand up, please?
• I come from a young, hip-hop, urban world.
• When you're blessed, you've got to be sensitive to people that don't have and need to depend on somebody else to eat.
• I can't believe that women have got to put on so much in the morning. What time do women wake up? Man, I put a t-shirt and jeans on, and that's it.
• As an actor, it's amazing to get to create different characters.
• I know how to be funny to black audiences.
• I'm trying to build a brand. I'm not just doing one-off projects.
• I'm always doing comedy and will never hit up a 9-to-5 desk job.
• I want to have children, please God, with a woman that I love and that I'm very attracted to.
• My grandma is kind of a rock star. She goes to France and all over.