Brandon Tyler Feakins (born June 26, 1990), known professionally as Brandon Sklenar, is an American actor best known for his roles in the films '' Mapplethorpe'', ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'' (both 2018), '' Midway'' (2019), ''

It Ends with Us ''It Ends with Us'' is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on August 2, 2016. The story follows florist Lily Bloom, whose abusive relationship with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid is compounded when her high school boyfriend At ...

'' (2024) and ''

Drop Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to: * Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid ** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes * Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume * Falling (physics), allowing ...

'' (2025). He is also known for his role as Spencer Dutton in the

Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...

Western series ''

1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...

'' (2022–2025).

Early life and education

Sklenar was born Brandon Feakins in Dover, New Jersey, and raised in Northern New Jersey. His parents are Bruce Feakins and Francine Sklenar, daughter of a former stage grip for the Metropolitan Opera House. Sklenar graduated in 2008 from Hackettstown High School and enrolled briefly at

County College of Morris A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) ''Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denotin ...

before heading out to California after two months, adopting his mother's surname for acting purposes.Wohlgemuth, Joe
"From Lake Life tp Screen Life: The Acting Journey of Brandon Sklenar"
''Lake Hopatcong News'', Midsummer 2024. Accessed February 23, 2025. "Born Brandon Feakins, he took his mother's maiden name when he moved out to California because he was tired of people mispronouncing his name.... He graduated from Hackettestown High School in 2008 and enrolled at County College of Morris as an Exercise Science major." He moved to Los Angeles, working odd jobs until he was signed by a manager at the age of 20.

Career

Sklenar made his professional film debut in the 2011 film ''Cornered''. The following year, he appeared in the television series ''Dating Rules from My Future Self''. He then appeared in the film ''Chance,'' in 2014, the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

comedy series '' Truth Be Told,'' in 2015, the films ''Hunky Dory'' and ''Bella Donna'', and the television series ''Fall into Me,'' in 2016, a lead role in the American-Japanese horror film ''Temple'' and the

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

sitcom series, ''

New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Century Fox Television for Fox that aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around quirky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zo ...

, in'' 2017. He was then cast as Edward Mapplethorpe in the 2018 biographical drama film '' Mapplethorpe'', which follows the life of New York photographer

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...

. It screened at

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

, in 2018, where it was named a runner-up in the U.S. Narrative Competition section. Sklenar received positive critical acclaim from multiple media outlets for his performance in ''Mapplethorpe'', including from ''Boy Culture,'' who praised him for " avingmaximum impact in ispsychologically charged scenes with attSmith" He appeared in the 2018 biographical drama film, ''

'', opposite

Amy Adams Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received List of awards and nom ...

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. List of awards and nominations received by C ...

and

Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing troubled police officer Jason Dixon in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'' (2017). He was nominated i ...

. The film explores the life of politician

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

and is directed by

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winner

Adam McKay Adam McKay (born April 17, 1968) is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. McKay began his career as a head writer for the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') from 1995 to 2001. After leaving ''SNL'', McKay co-w ...

. Sklenar then appeared in

Amir Naderi Amir Naderi (, , born 15 August 1946, in Abadan) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and photographer. He is best known for '' The Runner'' and '' Vegas: Based on a True Story''. Career Amir Naderi grew up in Abadan, a working-class port ...

's film ''Magic Lantern'', in addition to films ''The Last Room'' and ''Glass Jaw.'' In June 2018, Sklenar was also cast in the independent drama film ''Indigo Valley'', which is based on director Jaclyn Bethany's short film of the same name. That same year, Sklenar was cast as the lead antagonist in '' The Big Ugly'', a noir crime thriller that weaves the British gangster genre with the American Western, opposite

Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...

Malcolm McDowell Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943) is an English actor. He first became known for portraying Mick Travis in Lindsay Anderson's ''if....'' (1968), a role he later reprised in ''O Lucky Man!'' (1973) and ''Britannia Hospital ...

Nicholas Braun Nicholas Joseph Braun (born May 1, 1988) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Hirsch in the HBO series ''Succession'' (2018–2023), for which he received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...

and

Leven Rambin Leven Alice Rambin (born May 17, 1990) is an American actress. She is known for playing look-alike half-sisters Lily Montgomery and Ava Benton on ''All My Children'', and for her recurring roles on ''Grey's Anatomy'' and '' Gone'', as well as '' ...

. For his work in the film as Junior Lawford, Sklenar received wide critical praise.

Richard Roeper Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...

of the ''

Chicago Sun Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' stated, "Brandon Sklenar gives a screen-popping performance as Junior; he's fantastic as a monster cloaked in a

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

persona." Sklenar then went on to appear in

Roland Emmerich Roland Emmerich (; born 10 November 1955) is a German-American filmmaker. Emmerich is widely known for his science fiction and disaster films and has been called a "master of disaster" within the movie industry. His films, most of which are Eng ...

's '' Midway'' for

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

with

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...

Luke Evans Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, and performed in London's West End productions of '' Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in the 2010 ...

, and

Patrick Wilson Patrick Joseph Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is an American actor. He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals. He received nominations for two Tony Awards for his roles in ''The Full Monty (musical), The Full Mont ...

. Sklenar portrayed

George H. Gay Jr. Ensign (rank), Ensign (later Lieutenant commander (United States), Lieutenant Commander) George Henry Gay Jr. (March 8, 1917 – October 21, 1994) was a Douglas TBD Devastator pilot in United States Navy VT-8, Torpedo Squadron 8 operating from the ...

, who was the sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8 (

VT-8 Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron of World War II torpedo bombers. VT-8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier , joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in October 1941. After heavy l ...

). He then starred in the independent film ''Jonesin – a crime comedy about a moonshiner who, after a case of mistaken identity, gets abducted and finds himself stuck in the city between two rival gangs. In early 2020 he was cast in the lead role of the independent film ''Futra Days'' opposite

Tania Raymonde Tania Raymonde Helen Katz (born March 22, 1988) is a Franco-American actress. Her roles have included Cynthia Sanders on the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' between 2000 and 2002, followed by Alex Rousseau in the ABC series '' Lost'' fr ...

and

Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Lisa Arquette (; born August 10, 1959) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the TV film '' The Executioner's Song'' (1982) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for th ...

. The film is about a man traveling to the future and exploring the nature of control. For his role, he received the Best Actor award at

Vienna Independent Film Festival VIFF Vienna Independent Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in July in Vienna, capital of Austria. The festival focuses on independent cinema. History The Vienna Independent Film Festival was held for the first time o ...

, in 2022. In March 2021, he joined the cast of the film ''

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding white woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand * House of Karen, a historic ...

'' opposite

Taryn Manning Taryn Manning (born November 6, 1978) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), Cherry in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (200 ...

and

Cory Hardrict Cory Hardrict (born November 9, 1979) is an American actor. He has appeared in film and television since the late 1990s. Personal life Hardrict was born in Chicago, Illinois. After dating for six years, he and actress Tia Mowry became engaged o ...

. In 2022 he was cast in the role of Spencer Dutton in the

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

prequel television series ''

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sklenar, Brandon Living people 1990 births 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American people of Italian descent American people of Czech descent County College of Morris alumni Hackettstown High School alumni Male actors from New Jersey People from Dover, New Jersey Actors from Morris County, New Jersey American people of Moravian descent