Brendan Hunt (actor, Activist)

Brendan Hunt (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor and writer known for roles in the films '' We're the Millers'' (2013) and '' Horrible Bosses 2'' (2014) as well as voicing two characters in the video game '' Fallout 4'' (2015). He is a co-creator of the Apple TV+ sitcom '' Ted Lasso,'' as well as a writer and regular cast member (Coach Beard).

Early life and education

In 1996, Hunt completed the theater program at Illinois State University. While there, he performed at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and completed a week-long master class under the guidance of actress Judith Ivey.

Career

After getting his theater degree, Hunt studied with The Second City in Chicago before heading to Amsterdam and joining the Boom Chicago satirical news program Comedy Central News (CCN) that was produced by Boom Chicago. While with the group, Hunt performed alongside Jason Sudeikis (''Horrible Bosses'', '' We're the Millers'', '' Saturday Night Live''), Jordan Peele (''Key and Peele'') and Seth Meyers (''Late Night with Seth Meyers'', '' Saturday Night Live'').

While Boom Chicago was based in Amsterdam, they embarked on a "comedy exchange" with The Second City performing at their Chicago, Illinois theater in 2003. The Chicago Tribune noted Hunt's performance as soccer star Roy Keane, calling it the "best character of the night."

While with Boom, Hunt co-wrote and co-starred in a pair of two-man shows at Edinburgh Festival Fringe: ''Iconic Yanks'' with Meyers and ''Here Comes the Neighborhood'' with Peele.

''Five Years in Amsterdam''

After returning to the United States, Hunt developed a one-man show based on his time in the Netherlands called ''Five Years in Amsterdam''.

In the performance, Hunt takes a comedic and touching look back at five years living in Europe as an American. Among topics examined are relationships, drug excesses, experiences at a fetish club and his feelings about the Match of the Day anthem and Alan Hansen. He also recounts a rough childhood with "an absent father" and an alcoholic mother.

In its review, The Stage said of the show, "each drop of comedy gold is lovingly extracted in a superbly crafted, unflinchingly honest and enormously enjoyable whole" and called it a "must see" at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Hunt performed the play at the 2007 edition of The Comedy Festival in Aspen, Colorado. and also took the show on the road to The Second City in Chicago, Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City and iO West in Los Angeles.

''Sacred Fools''

In 2007, Hunt joined the Sacred Fools Theater Company. Hunt's time at Sacred Fools included a turn as the lead in the musical ''Savin' Up for Saturday Night'' that proved to be an Ovation Awards-winning role. Hunt won Lead Actor in a Musical at the 2010 Ovation Awards.

''Absolutely Filthy''

In 2013, Hunt wrote and was the lead actor in a dark comedy parody of the Charlie Brown '' Peanuts'' comic strip called ''Absolutely Filthy''. The play has won multiple awards in both Los Angeles and New York.

Hunt based his lead character, The Mess, on an older version of the character of Pig-Pen, who is now homeless and trying to cope with his recent breakup from The Bereaved, who is based on the ''Peanuts'' character Sally Brown. The setting of the play is a reunion of the old gang during the funeral of The Deceased (a version of Charlie Brown). For legal reasons, the characters were given abstract names in the program of the show, though the characters are referred to by their familiar ''Peanuts'' names on stage.

To illustrate his cloud of dust, Hunt keeps a Hula Hoop in constant motion around his body throughout the show.

Hunt came up with the idea of the play while dancing alone during the Burning Man festival with the resulting kick-up of dust in the sunrise reminding him of Pig-Pen. The play was originally created as a series of 10-minute sketches for the Sacred Fools Theater Company as part of its "Serial Killers" late-night series. Hunt was asked to turn the sketches into a single play.

The play has received overwhelmingly favorable reviews, with '' The New York Observer'' saying it creates an "endorphin high that accompanies laughing until your eyes water." The LA Weekly gave accolades for Hunt's performance, saying he "steals the show.".

Hunt and the play also won several awards. The 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival named ''Absolutely Filthy'' as "Top of the Fringe" and Best Comedy. At the 2014 FringeNYC, the play won three awards that included an acting award for Hunt as well as prizes for overall play and TheaterMania audience favorite. Hunt was nominated in four categories in the 2014 LA Weekly Theater Awards, winning the top prize in the categories of Best Male Performance and Comedy Ensemble.

Film, TV and video game work

After roles in episodes of the television series '' Reno 911!'', ''Parks and Recreation'', '' Community'' and ''How I Met Your Mother'', Hunt made his major motion picture debut as the "Sketchy Dude" in 2013's '' We're the Millers'', which featured his Boom Chicago

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