Brendan O'Brien (actor)
Brendan O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brendan O'Brien May 9, 1962 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 23, 2023 (aged 60) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–2023 |
| Spouse |
Ingrid Behrens (m. 2000) |
| Parent(s) | Edmond O'Brien (father) Olga San Juan (mother) |
| Website | www |
Brendan James O'Brien (May 9, 1962 – March 23, 2023) was an American voice and television actor, who is best known for his role as the original voice of Crash Bandicoot and for providing various other character voices for the Crash Bandicoot video games during the Naughty Dog years.[1]
Early life
Brendan O'Brien was born in Hollywood, California on May 9, 1962. He is the son of actor Edmond O'Brien (1915–1985) and actress Olga San Juan (1927–2009).[2][3] He also has two sisters, television producer Bridget O’Brien Adelman and actress Maria O’Brien.[3]
Career
O'Brien began his acting career in 1973, his first role was in the television film Honor Thy Father. He would later appear in 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, P.U.N.K.S., Race to Space and Grindhouse.
O'Brien got the role of Crash Bandicoot after Joe Pearson suggested that he call Jason Rubin (who was looking for a voice artist).[1] After going to the studio for the call (where his parents used to work), he got the role.[1] The recordings that O'Brien did for Crash Bandicoot were done in an intimate setting at the Alfred Hitchcock Theater.[1]
O'Brien also performed additional voices for the animated series adaptation of Spawn and Ralph Bakshi's Spicy City. He has also acted in several live action television shows such as Candid Camera and The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys.
O'Brien went on a hiatus from acting in 2004, but would later make his return to acting once again in an episode of Riverdale as a Math Teacher.
Brendan O'Brien died on March 23, 2023, at the age of 60.[4][5]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Honor Thy Father | Child | TV movie |
| 1989 | Hollywood Chaos | Guido Luini | Indie film |
| 1995 | Get Street Smart: A Kid's Guide to Stranger Dangers | Capricorn's Dad (voice) | Short film[6] |
| 1996 | The Legend of Galgameth | Heretic | |
| 1997 | Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Terrified Worker | Direct-to-video |
| 1998 | 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain | Zed | |
| 1999 | P.U.N.K.S. | Repo Supervisor | |
| 2000 | The Trial of Old Drum | Brendan | TV movie |
| Wild Grizzly | Earl | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Race to Space | Centrifuge Technician | [7] |
| 2003 | Grindhouse | Father Holloway |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Candid Camera | Pincushion/Self | 2 episodes |
| 1992 | The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys | Milkman / Award Presenter | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Spicy City | Additional voices | Episode: "Love Is a Download" |
| 1997–1999 | Todd MacFarlane's Spawn | Additional voices | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Riverdale | Math Teacher | Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Four: Wicked Little Town" |
| 2021 | The Slowest Show | Male Millionaire | TV Mini-series Episode: "Bowling Alley"; Final role |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Crash Bandicoot | Crash Bandicoot, Doctor Neo Cortex, Doctor Nitrus Brio | [8][6] |
| 1997 | Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | Crash Bandicoot, Doctor Nitrus Brio, Doctor N. Gin, Komodo Moe, Tiny Tiger | [8] |
| 1998 | Crash Bandicoot: Warped | Crash Bandicoot, Tiny Tiger, Doctor N. Gin | [8] |
| 1999 | Crash Team Racing | Tiny Tiger, N. Gin, Pinstripe Potoroo | [8][9] |
| 2000 | Crash Bash | Crash Bandicoot, Tiny Tiger, Doctor Nitrus Brio, Komodo Moe, Papu Papu | [8] |
| 2001 | Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex | Crash Bandicoot, Tiny Tiger | |
| 2002 | Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure | Crash Bandicoot | Archive footage |
| 2003 | Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced | Crash Bandicoot, Fake Crash | Archive footage |
| 2004 | Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage | Crash Bandicoot | Archive footage |
| 2016 | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Crash Bandicoot | Archive footage |
Crew work
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Keep on Crusin' | Writer | TV series Contributing writer |
| 1990 | Guys Next-Door | Writer | TV series short Contributing writer |
| 1994 | The Secret World of Alex Mack | Drama coach, dialogue coach | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | In Cold Sweat | Writer | Video As Alex Smart |
| 2000 | Wild Grizzly | Composer | Television film |
References
- ^ a b c d "Crash Bandicoot an Oral History". Polygon. Polygon. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Edmond O'Brien, Actor, Dies at 69". The New York Times. May 10, 1985. p. D22. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Olga San Juan dies at 81; actress sang and danced with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire". LA Times. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Brendan James O'Brien". Legacy. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ Beckwith, Michael (15 May 2023). "Original Crash Bandicoot voice actor dies aged 60". Metro. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Brendan O'Brien - 19 Character Images". Behind The Voice Actors.
- ^ Willis, John; Monush, Barry (February 2004). Screen World 2003. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 447. ISBN 1557835284.
- ^ a b c d e "Brendan O'Brien". Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ Though Chip Chinery provided most of the lines for Crash Bandicoot in Crash Team Racing, one of Crash's "woah" lines was a stock sound effect recorded by Brendan O'Brien that was recycled from the first game.
External links
- 1962 births
- 2023 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Male actors from Hollywood, Los Angeles
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American male video game actors
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Puerto Rican descent