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Brian Thompson

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9.1 Superb
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Biography

Recent Role:
Body Mod Guy on 2 Broke Girls
Gender:
Male
Born:
8-28-1962
Birthplace:
Ellensburg, Washington, USA
Birth Name:
Brian Thompson
Born in 1962 in Ellensburg, Washington to two school teachers, Brian Thompson grew up in Longview, Washington on the Columbia River, the second of six children. As a young child, he was sickly, suffering a kidney-related ailment, and it wasn't until surgery corrected his condition that he began building the body that has come to demand the attention of his fans and Hollywood. He started acting in high school in 1977, winning the Mark Morris High School best supporting actor award. He continued the endeavor in college, while majoring in business management and minoring in construction. During… More the summers, he built docks and bridges and piers for a Portland construction company that had a job waiting for him when he graduated. But graduation day came in 1981 and the job offer went unanswered.

Thompson decided to pursue acting. The University of California/Irvine awarded him a scholarship to its three-year masters of fine arts program, so he departed the northwest for California. While in school at UCI, he landed a job at Universal Studios where he played the villain in a live show of "Conan the Barbarian." He then secured an agent, and by the time he graduated earning a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting, he had already secured guest appearances in a few TV series and his first film job: a punk in "Terminator."

Brian Thompson is known in Hollywood as one of the most versatile and diversified actors in the industry, and he knows what it takes to develop a quality production and what is good for his career. Originally, he had been approached to play the role of Daedalus in "Kindred: the Embraced," but he had little interest in playing yet another role in which he had to wear prostheses glued to his face. He declined unless the producers could come up with more money; they did, and then they offered him the role of Eddie Fiori. As for "Kindred: The Embraced," he jokes that his character Eddie Fiori was a "nice guy who did bad things," but he is serious about his disappointment and aggravation with the show's writing and general lack of creativity. He asked to be written out.

His career spans all genres. He has taken on roles in musical comedies to serious dramas, and often surprises those who actually meet him, for besides having those distinctive muscles and chisled features, he has an incredible facility for language. It is apparent that acting is his passion and a vocation for which he is well suited. He understands acting; he can communicate what it is and what it means, and he teaches his craft at his alumni UCI where he was named UCI's Distinguished Alumni for the year 2000. In addition to pursuing his acting career and teaching at UCI, Thompson also runs an Actor's School in Oregon held on various campuses each year.

Very much a family man, Thompson makes his home in Los Angeles with his wife Isabelle and their two children Jordan and Daphne. He plays piano, cares for a menagerie of pets with his kids, hones his skills in martial arts, and kite-surfs to stay in shape. He claims that he hasn't had to visit a gym since taking up the sport.

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    9 Superb
    Brian Thompson is one of the more underrated working actors of his generation! hide show

    There are a handful of men who, when they come on the screen, you know nothing good is gonna happen. Brian Thompson is one of those men, yet he can give layers to the spookiest of villains, if given a proper chance.

    Many people overlook Mr. Thompson's actual acting chops because he is usually called to play cartoonish or over-the-top villains. While I haven't seen all his roles, I have seen the layers in a few of his characters.

    His Eddie Fiori of Kindred: The Embraced was a loud, idiotic oaf, but when he realized what was what and that his mentor-father figure was really behind, the hurt, betrayal, sadness, and acceptance broke my heart.

    The Alien Assassin he played on The X-Files was menacing and blood-chilling, totally. Yet, Mr. Thompson, as his part progressed, showed the neutrality that the character felt. This was just a job; he wasn't there to debate the ethics, if any, of the situation. The calm, deliberate tone he took when the character started conversations could be left for harsher tones of frustration with an unwilling subject, true. But The Assassin was just trying to do his job and get it over with.

    His build tends to get him certain roles, but he can be more than just the Designated Bad Guy. Since he plays the villains so well, and with a bit of depth were he can, I wish he could have a role like Danziger in Earth 2 or Robert Davi's role on Profiler. He would rock it!

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    VerityJackson Added Aug 9, 2005 All my reviews
 

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