Brandon Flynn
American actor (born 1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brandon Paul Flynn (born October 11, 1993)[1] is an American actor known for his role as Justin Foley in the Netflix teen drama series 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020). His work in film and television includes the series Manhunt (2024), Ratched (2020),[2] and True Detective (2019), and the films The Parenting (2025) and Hellraiser (2022).
October 11, 1993
Brandon Flynn | |
|---|---|
Flynn in 2018 | |
| Born | Brandon Paul Flynn October 11, 1993 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Spouse | |
Early life and education
Flynn was born and raised in Miami, Florida,[3] where he attended high school at New World School of the Arts.[2] He graduated from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, and studied at the Globe Theatre's Shakespeare Conservatory in London.[4] Flynn's first role was at the age of ten, playing Mr. Smee in a musical version of Peter Pan.[5]
Career
Film and television
In 2016, Flynn was cast as Mike the Intern in BrainDead. In 2018, Flynn was cast in the third season of True Detective as Ryan Peters in a recurring capacity.[6]
From 2017 to 2020, Flynn portrayed Justin Foley in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.[7] Foley, one of the lead characters through all four seasons, is a troubled yet ultimately redemptive character who starts as a popular high school jock with a traumatic home life and spirals into homelessness, addiction, and sex work.[8]
In 2020, Flynn made his feature film acting debut in the dark indie comedy Looks That Kill, starring as a high school student whose physical appearance causes the death of anyone who looks at him.[9] In the same year, he had a recurring role as Henry Osgood in the 2020 television series Ratched, a quadruple amputee and sadist who lives locked in his home with his mother, Lenore Osgood.[10] He has starred in a number of other television series and films, including Manhunt (2024), a historical drama about the hunt for Abraham Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth, and the horror-comedy The Parenting (2025).
Theater
Flynn's New York theater debut was in the role of Luke in the off-Broadway production of John Kander and Greg Pierce's musical Kid Victory at the Vineyard Theatre, in 2017.[11] In 2025, he returned to the stage to play a young Marlon Brando in the off-Broadway premiere of Gregg Ostrin's play Kowalski at the Duke on 42nd Street.[12] In 2025, he also originated the role of Dylan in the world premiere of Jeremy O. Harris's play Spirit of the People at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.[13]
Other
Flynn has starred in multiple Calvin Klein campaigns, including the brand's 2023 Pride campaign, the 2023 holiday campaign, and the Spring 2024 menswear campaign.[14]
Personal life
With 13 Reasons Why, Flynn was among the first openly gay actors to play a significant role in a major Netflix original series, and in 2018 received the Queerty Award in the "Closet Door Bustdown" category, which honors individuals who have made significant strides in LGBTQ+ visibility and representation.[15] Flynn married his husband, Jordan Tannahill, in October 2024.[16] Flynn is Jewish.[17][18][19]
Filmography
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Looks That Kill | Max Richards | [9] | |
| 2022 | Hellraiser | Matt McKendry | [20] | |
| 2023 | The Senior | Micah | [21][22] | |
| 2025 | Fucktoys | James Francone | [23] | |
| The Parenting | Josh | |||
| 2026 | The Last Temptation of Becky † | TBA | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | BrainDead | Mike the Intern | Guest role | |
| 2019 | True Detective | Ryan Peters | Recurring role | [6] |
| 2017–2020 | 13 Reasons Why | Justin Foley | Main role | |
| 2020 | Ratched | Henry Osgood | Recurring role | |
| 2024 | Manhunt | Edwin Stanton Jr. | Main role |
Voice work
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Girls Like Girls | Trenton | [24] | |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Role | Performer(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Lockjaw" | — | Cook Thugless (feat. Shyrley) |
