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Bret Harrison
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Bret Michael Harrison (born April 6, 1982) is an American actor. He is known predominantly for his work on comedy television series such as Grounded for Life, The Loop, Reaper, and Breaking In.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Harrison was born in Portland, Oregon. In his senior year, he attended Tualatin High School in Tualatin, Oregon.[1] His first acting role came at the Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre in his home state where he had the role of George in Our Town.[2]
Career
[edit]Acting
[edit]One of his first TV appearances was in the third season of MTV's Undressed and the MTV film Everybody's Doing It. In 2002, Harrison appeared as Lonny in the movie Orange County.[3] His first major role was dorky next-door neighbor Brad O'Keefe on Grounded for Life.[4] In 2004, Harrison starred as Green Graves in the coming of age drama film Lightning Bug.[5]
Harrison appeared in four episodes of That '70s Show as Charlie Richardson, a character intended to be a replacement for departing cast member Topher Grace but Harrison decided to work on another series. He appeared in The O.C. as Danny, Seth's rival. He had a dramatic guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Sam Cavanaugh, a young victim of sexual abuse. In film, he appeared alongside Jack Black and Colin Hanks in Orange County. In addition, Harrison also starred in the movie Deal, which was released in the US on April 26, 2008.[6] During 2006–2007 he starred in The Loop, as a young professional trying to balance the needs of his social life with the pressures of working at the corporate headquarters of a major U.S. airline.[7] It was canceled following the second season in 2007. Later in 2007, he became the star of The CW series, Reaper as Sam Oliver. Reaper was canceled on May 19, 2009, after two seasons.[citation needed]
Bret Harrison played Dr. Sidney Miller on ABC's re-imagined V series. Harrison's character appears throughout Season 2 (2011) as an evolutionary biologist and eventual member of the counter-visitor resistance. Harrison starred as Jerry in a short film titled Cost of Living co-starring Brandon Routh.[8] He starred as Scottie Smith in the road trip comedy film Mardi Gras: Spring Break.[9] Also in 2011, he was signed by Fox to fill a main cast role in a mid-season replacement comedy called Breaking In.[10]
In 2015, Harrison signed on to play Gordon Cooper on ABC's The Astronaut Wives Club and played the role of Barry Burwood in movie See You in Valhalla.[11][12] In 2016, Harrison had a recurring role as Kenny in the Netflix sitcom series The Ranch.[13] In 2017, Harrison guest starred as Brad in an episode of Mom and in 2018, he guest starred as Sam Oliver in an episode of Kevin (Probably) Saves the World.[14]
Music
[edit]Big Japan is a four-piece indie rock band from Los Angeles, with Nathanial Castro on vocals and guitar, Adam Brody on drums, Harrison on guitar and Brad Babinski on bass.[15] The band only performs, writes and records sporadically given Brody and Harrison's unpredictable acting schedules. Their first band name was Steven's Team, named after the film The Cable Guy.[citation needed]
Big Japan's first release, Music for Dummies, was digitally released through Nightshift Records on August 23, 2005. This CD originally titled Music for Dummies was changed to Untitled thus the limited number of CDs printed have become collector's items.[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]As a child, Harrison began studying acting with acting coach Sandra Peabody. Harrison reflects, "I met a lady named Sandra Peabody, who teaches through Northwest Children's Theater. Ever since I met her, she showed me what acting was really about. When I started realizing how much more went into it, that's when I was like, 'I love this, this is a challenge.' She's the one who said, 'Hey, you gotta go to L.A.'"[16] Harrison began dating Lauren Zelman in 2005. They married on March 25, 2012, and have a son.[17]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | A Place Apart | Wilkey | Television film |
| 2002 | Orange County | Lonny | |
| 2002 | Everybody's Doing It | Travis | Television film |
| 2003 | Home Security | Mike | Short film |
| 2004 | Lightning Bug | Green Graves | |
| 2008 | Deal | Alex Stillman | |
| 2011 | The Chicago 8 | Rennie Davis | |
| 2011 | Cost of Living | Jerry | Short film |
| 2011 | Mardi Gras: Spring Break | Scottie Smith | |
| 2015 | See You in Valhalla | Barry Burwood | |
| 2021 | Hero Mode | George Mayfield |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Undressed | Skeet | 7 episodes |
| 2001–05 | Grounded for Life | Brad O'Keefe | Guest star (seasons 1–2); main cast (seasons 3–5); 63 episodes |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sam Cavanaugh | Episode: "Guilt" |
| 2003 | Boston Public | Doug Baer | Episode: "Chapter Fifty-Six" |
| 2004–05 | The O.C. | Danny | Episode: "The Rivals" |
| Swerve | Uncredited; episode: "The Return of the Nana" | ||
| 2005 | That '70s Show | Charlie Richardson | 4 episodes |
| 2006–07 | The Loop | Sam Sullivan | Main cast; 17 episodes |
| 2007–09 | Reaper | Samuel "Sam" Oliver | Main cast; 31 episodes |
| 2011 | V | Dr. Sidney Miller | 6 episodes |
| 2011–12 | Breaking In | Cameron Price | Main cast; 20 episodes |
| 2011 | Love Bites | Charlie | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Astronaut Wives Club | Gordon Cooper | Main cast; 10 episodes |
| 2016, 2020 | The Ranch | Kenny | Recurring role, 11 episodes |
| 2017 | Mom | Brad | Episode: "Tantric Sex and the Sprouted Flute" |
| 2018 | Kevin (Probably) Saves the World | Samuel "Sam" Oliver | Episode: "Old Friends" |
| 2020 | All Rise | Ben Benner | Episode: "My Fair Lockdown" |
| 2020 | El Candidato | Boyd Sorenson | Recurring role |
References
[edit]- ^ Carlin, Peter Ames (September 24, 2007). "Bret Harrison: On The Verge". OregonLive.com. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
- ^ Smith, Jill (June 3, 2004). "West Zoner: The last curtain call". The Oregonian. p. 1.
- ^ "Orange-County – Cast, Crew, Director and Awards". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ Mahoney, Cory. "Where Are They Now: The 'Grounded for Life' Cast". Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ^ "Film Review: Lightning Bug (2004)". Horrornews.net. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ "Trailer For Bret Harrison's Deal". Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ^ "The Loop Cast". buddytv.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ^ "Watch Brandon Routh & Bret Harrison Blast Monsters In SciFi Short 'Cost of Living'". Geeks of Doom. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ "Mardi Gras: Spring Break". rottentomatoes.com. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ "HitFix Interview: Bret Harrison talks FOX's 'Breaking In'". Retrieved 2015-09-19.
- ^ "Bret Harrison Boards ABC's 'Astronaut Wives Club' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
- ^ Scheck, Frank. "'See You in Valhalla': Film Review". Retrieved 2015-06-16.
- ^ "'The Ranch' EW review: Ashton Kutcher's Netflix series 'ropes you with its peculiarities'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^ "'Mom' Meeting: Christy's New Boyfriend Gets Dangerously Roasted". Hidden Remote. 2017-04-13. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "The Loop – Bret Harrison performs live with his band "Big Japan" (1150517) – BuddyTV". www.buddytv.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
- ^ Yim, Su-Jin (January 17, 2001). "Chicken-Winging It As An Actor". The Oregonian. p. B01. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ "Pregnant Jessica Simpson Wears Colorful Bridesmaids Dress at Wedding". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Bret Harrison
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Biography
Early life
Bret Michael Harrison was born on April 6, 1982, in Portland, Oregon.[2] He grew up in the nearby Tualatin area in a supportive family; his father worked as a pharmacist, and his mother was a special education teacher. From an early age, his parents nurtured his creative interests, including gifting him an electric guitar when he was 10 years old, which sparked his involvement in music and performance.[7] Harrison displayed a passion for the performing arts as a child, secretly taking jazz dance classes starting in the fourth grade and participating in sports like soccer and baseball while also being active as a Cub Scout. At age 5, he became inspired by musician Bret Michaels of Poison, often pretending to perform songs like "Unskinny Bop" using a candlestick as a microphone. His initial exposure to acting came through a small role as an elf in a production of The Singing Christmas Tree at the Portland Civic Auditorium, where the audience's laughter during his one line fueled his enthusiasm for the stage. By age 10, he was attempting to form bands with friends, though limited by their lack of instruments.[7][8] He attended Tualatin High School, immersing himself in school plays from grammar school through high school and receiving private acting training from drama coach Sandra Peabody starting at age 15, where he studied the Sanford Meisner technique. Harrison also joined a local community theater, performing in productions including Thornton Wilder's Our Town—in which he played George Gibbs—and Tim Blake Nelson's Eye of God. These experiences solidified his commitment to acting before he left Oregon.[7][8]Personal life
Harrison married Lauren Zelman on March 25, 2012, in Palm Springs, California.[5][9] The couple has two children, including a son.[10] In 2015, Harrison sold his renovated 1919 Hollywood bungalow for $1,557,500, after purchasing it years earlier as a personal retreat.[11] The couple acquired a Sherman Oaks home in 2015 for $1.585 million, which they sold in 2019.[12]Career
Acting
Bret Harrison made his professional acting debut in 1999 as Wilkey in the TV movie A Place Apart[13], followed by appearing as Skeet in seven episodes of the MTV anthology series Undressed.[14] Harrison achieved his breakthrough in 2001 with the recurring role of the awkward next-door neighbor Brad O'Keefe on the Fox sitcom Grounded for Life, which transitioned to a main cast position from 2003 to 2005 across 63 episodes.[15] This role, portraying a dorky teenager navigating family dynamics and romance, established Harrison as a comedic talent adept at playing relatable, underdog characters in ensemble comedies.[16] Building on this momentum, Harrison secured lead roles in subsequent television series, showcasing his versatility in workplace and supernatural comedies. He starred as Sam Sullivan, an ambitious young executive navigating corporate chaos, in the Fox sitcom The Loop from 2006 to 2007.[17] Immediately following, he portrayed Sam Oliver, a slacker whose soul was sold to the Devil by his parents, in the CW's Reaper across two seasons from 2007 to 2009.[18] In 2011, Harrison led as Cameron Price, a brilliant but lazy hacker recruited into a security firm, in the Fox series Breaking In, which ran for one season (13 episodes) in 2011–2012 before cancellation.[19] These roles marked his evolution from supporting parts to starring in character-driven comedies, often emphasizing quick-witted, everyman protagonists. In film, Harrison debuted on the big screen in 2002 as Lonny, the surfer friend of the protagonist in the comedy Orange County, directed by Jake Kasdan, which helped solidify his early career presence in youth-oriented humor.[20] His most prominent film lead came in 2008 with Deal, where he played Alex Stillman, a cocky college poker prodigy mentored by a veteran gambler (Burt Reynolds); the film received mixed reviews for its predictable plot but praised Harrison's energetic performance as a rising hotshot.[21] These projects highlighted his ability to carry dramatic elements within lighthearted narratives, though television remained his primary medium. Later in his career, Harrison shifted toward more diverse supporting roles in prestige television. In 2015, he portrayed astronaut Gordon Cooper in ABC's historical drama The Astronaut Wives Club, earning acclaim for capturing the pilot's charisma and family tensions during the Space Race era. He recurred as the laid-back Kenny in Netflix's sitcom The Ranch starting in 2016, with appearances continuing into 2020, blending his comedic roots with ensemble ranch life dynamics. Post-2020, Harrison's acting output slowed, with sporadic roles in El Candidato (2020) and the film Hero Mode (2021), amid a broader industry slowdown and personal priorities like family.[4] As of November 2025, no major new acting projects have been announced.[2] This period reflects a deliberate pivot from high-volume series work to selective projects, maintaining his reputation for authentic, humorous portrayals while navigating career challenges in a changing television landscape.[1]Music
Bret Harrison co-founded the indie rock band Big Japan in 2003 in Los Angeles, California, where he serves as the guitarist alongside drummer Adam Brody, vocalist and guitarist Nathanial Castro, and bassist Brad Babinski.[22][5] The band emerged from the local music scene, blending indie rock elements with occasional acoustic influences, and Harrison's involvement provided an outlet for his musical interests amid his acting pursuits. Big Japan's debut album, Music for Dummies, was digitally released on August 23, 2005, via Nightshift Records, marking their first major output after two years of formation and informal activity.[23] Produced independently with a focus on raw, straightforward indie rock arrangements, the album captured the band's collaborative energy, though the physical CD version was retitled Untitled and featured revised artwork to align with distribution requirements.[23] Reception was modest and niche, with critics appreciating its unpretentious acoustic-leaning tracks while noting a reliance on familiar indie tropes that limited broader appeal.[24] The band's live performances were infrequent, constrained by Harrison and Brody's demanding acting schedules, often occurring during downtime from television commitments in the mid-2000s.[25] Notable appearances included a set at the Bamboozle Left festival on October 14, 2006, in California, where they shared the stage with acts like Sugarcult, showcasing Harrison's guitar work in a festival environment.[26] These sporadic shows emphasized the band's casual, friendship-driven dynamic rather than extensive touring. Following the 2005 album, Big Japan entered an extended hiatus, with no further releases or confirmed performances reported after the mid-2000s, reflecting the prioritization of members' professional acting careers and a gap in activity through 2025. As of November 2025, there have been no updates on new music or reunions, leaving Music for Dummies as their sole full-length effort.[22]Works
Filmography
Bret Harrison's acting credits span television series, guest appearances, and feature films, primarily in comedy and drama genres. His television work includes lead and recurring roles in shows like Grounded for Life and Reaper, alongside guest spots on established series. Film roles range from supporting parts in teen comedies to independent dramas. The following table lists his credited acting roles chronologically, focusing on visual media from 1999 to 2021; as of November 2025, no credited roles appear after 2021 based on available records.[2]| Year | Title | Role | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sam Cavanaugh | TV series | Guest appearance, 1 episode[27] |
| 1999 | Undressed | Skeet | TV series (guest) | 1 episode[28] |
| 2000 | Everybody's Doing It | Travis | TV movie | Lead role in MTV production[3] |
| 2001–2005 | Grounded for Life | Brad O'Keefe | TV series | Recurring then main cast, 5 seasons[1] |
| 2002 | Orange County | Lonny | Film | Supporting role in comedy starring Colin Hanks[2] |
| 2002 | Home Security | Mike | Short film | Co-wrote and starred[28] |
| 2003 | Boston Public | Doug Baer | TV series | Guest appearance, 1 episode[27] |
| 2004 | Lightning Bug | Green Graves | Film | Lead role in horror drama[3] |
| 2004 | Dead Pinzino | Nick | Film | Supporting role in comedy[3] |
| 2004–2005 | The O.C. | Danny / Swerve | TV series | Guest appearances, 2 episodes[29] |
| 2005 | That '70s Show | Charlie Richardson | TV series | Guest appearance, 4 episodes[30] |
| 2006–2007 | The Loop | Sam Sullivan | TV series | Main cast, 2 seasons, 17 episodes[2] |
| 2007–2009 | Reaper | Sam Oliver | TV series | Lead role, 31 episodes[30] |
| 2008 | Deal | Alex Stillman | Film | Lead role in poker drama[2] |
| 2010 | V | Dr. Sidney Miller | TV series | Recurring, 6 episodes[30] |
| 2011 | Breaking In | Cameron Price | TV series | Main cast, 20 episodes[2] |
| 2011 | Mardi Gras: Spring Break | Scottie Smith | Film | Lead role in comedy[2] |
| 2011 | The Chicago 8 | Rennie Davis | Film | Supporting role in historical drama[28] |
| 2011 | Love Bites | Charlie | TV series | Guest appearance, 1 episode[28] |
| 2011 | Cost of Living | Jerry | Short film | Lead role[28] |
| 2013 | Mom | Brad | TV series | Guest appearance, 1 episode[1] |
| 2015 | The Perfect Stanleys | Jack Stanley | TV pilot | Lead role in unaired pilot[31] |
| 2015 | The Astronaut Wives Club | Gordo Cooper | TV series | Recurring, 10 episodes[30] |
| 2015 | See You in Valhalla | Barry Burwood | Film | Supporting role in comedy-drama[3] |
| 2016 | The Ranch | Kenny | TV series | Recurring, 3 episodes[30] |
| 2017 | Kevin (Probably) Saves the World | Sam Oliver | TV series | Guest appearance, 1 episode (reprised role from Reaper)[32] |
| 2019–2020 | All Rise | Ben Benner | TV series | Recurring, 2 episodes[2] |
| 2020 | El Candidato | Boyd Sorenson | TV series | Recurring, 9 episodes[33] |
| 2021 | Hero Mode | George Mayfield | Film | Lead role in action comedy[27] |
Discography
Bret Harrison's musical output is limited to his contributions as guitarist for the indie rock band Big Japan, which he co-formed with actor Adam Brody on drums.Big Japan
The band's sole release is the album Music for Dummies, digitally issued on August 23, 2005, via Nightshift Records.[23] No further albums, singles, or soundtrack contributions from the band or Harrison individually have been released as of 2025.[22]| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Life Saver | 6:07 |
| 2 | Bonnie & Clyde | 2:44 |
| 3 | The Rise & Fall of Bill | 3:26 |
| 4 | Enchantment Under the Sea | 2:58 |
| 5 | Complex | 3:53 |
| 6 | Incendiary | 3:12 |
| 7 | Wrong Way | 3:45 |
| 8 | All the Fish in the Sea Are Stupid Sluts | 2:55 |