Brandon Flynn

Brandon Flynn
Flynn in 2018
Born
Brandon Paul Flynn

(1993-10-11) October 11, 1993
Miami, Florida, U.S.
EducationRutgers University, New Brunswick (BFA)
OccupationActor
Years active2016–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2024)​

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).

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 has two sisters.[4]

Flynn graduated from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, and later trained as an actor at the Globe Theatre's Shakespeare Conservatory in London.[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). In August 2025, he joined the cast of Bradley Bredeweg's psychological thriller Deluxe Ocean View.[11]

In February 2026, it was announced that Flynn would appear in The Last Temptation of Becky, the third instalment of the horror-thriller Becky (2020).[12] He will also voice Boris in Alice Maio Mackey’s Our Effed Up World that is scheduled to premiere on June 19, 2026, at the 50th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival.[13][14]

He has a recurring role in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, an Apple TV series that premiered on May 20, 2026.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17] Also in 2025, he originated the role of Dylan in the world premiere of Jeremy O. Harris's play Spirit of the People at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.[18] In October 2025, Flynn joined the cast of Good Sex, an experimental off-Broadway play. Created by Irish theater company Dead Centre in collaboration with collaboration with novelist and essayist Emilie Pine, the play first premiered at the 2022 Dublin Theatre Festival and was funded by the Arts Council of Ireland.[19]

In 2026, Flynn starred as Jonah in Matthew Libby's off-Broadway play Data at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.[20][21]

Other ventures

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.[22] In 2025, Flynn announced that he was working on a screen adaptation of Rent Boy, Gary Indiana's epistolary novel about a male sex worker navigating the seedy underbelly of 1990s New York City.[23]

Personal life

Flynn became engaged to his longtime partner Jordan Tannahill in December 2023. The couple met during the rehearsal of Tannahill’s off-broadway play Prince Faggot and married in New York City on October 12, 2024.[24]

Political and religious views

Flynn is Jewish.[25][26][27] In 2020, he joined the weekly protests at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles demanding the resignation of then–district attorney Jackie Lacey for not holding the police force accountable for the murders of Black people in the LA county. He also became a supporter of the LA Youth Division of Black Lives Matter.[28][29] He has been outspoken against homophobia and condemned the Trump administration's decision to prohibit transgender people from enlisting in the military.[30] He voiced his support for marriage equality, urging his followers to vote in the favor of same-sex marriage in Australia.[31]

Awards and recognition

With 13 Reasons Why, Flynn was among the first openly gay actors to play a significant role in a major Netflix original series; in 2018, he received the Queerty Award in the "Closet Door Bustdown" category, which honors individuals who have made significant strides in LGBTQ visibility and representation.[32]

Filmography

Films

Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Brandon Flynn film performances
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020 Looks That Kill Max Richards [9]
2022 Hellraiser Matt McKendry [33]
2023 The Senior Micah [34][35]
2025 Fucktoys James Francone [36]
The Parenting Josh
2026 The Last Temptation of Becky † TBA Post-production

Television

Brandon Flynn television performances
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016 BrainDead Mike the Intern Guest role
2017–2020 13 Reasons Why Justin Foley Main role
2019 True Detective Ryan Peters Recurring role [6]
2020 Ratched Henry Osgood Recurring role
2024 Manhunt Edwin Stanton Jr. Main role
2026 Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Trevor Recurring role

Theater

Brandon Flynn stage performances
Year Title Role Notes
2017 Kid Victory Luke Off-Broadway, Vineyard Theatre
2025 Kowalski Marlon Brando Off-Broadway, The Duke on 42nd Street
Spirt of the People Dylan Regional, Williamstown Theatre Festival
2026 Data Jonah Off-Broadway, Lucille Lortel Theatre

Voice work

Brandon Flynn voice work performances
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023 Girls Like Girls Trenton [37]

Music videos

Brandon Flynn music video performances
Year Title Role Performer(s) Ref.
2018 "Lockjaw" — Cook Thugless (feat. Shyrley)

References

  1. ↑ Orenstein, Hannah (April 17, 2017). "12 Things You Didn't Know About "13 Reasons Why" Actor Brandon Flynn". Seventeen. Retrieved November 24, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. 1 2 Orenstein, Hannah (April 17, 2017). "12 Things You Didn't Know About "13 Reasons Why" Actor Brandon Flynn". Seventeen.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017. He went to high school at New World School of the Arts.
  3. ↑ "Rutgers Theater Company presents What's It Gonna Be? Ensemble Creation 1.0". newjerseystage.com. March 21, 2013. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ "12 Things You Didn't Know About "13 Reasons Why" Actor Brandon Flynn". Seventeen. April 17, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Kowalski - A New Play by Gregg Ostrin and Directed by Colin Hanlon". Arts News Now, January 17, 2025.
  6. 1 2 "True Detective: Brandon Flynn & Michael Graziadei Set To Recur In Season 3 Of HBO Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. February 2018. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (June 28, 2019). "Brandon Flynn on Hollywood Double Standards and Never Actually Coming Out". Variety. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  8. ↑ "13 Reasons Why's Brandon Flynn on Justin's tragic ending: 'I'll never ever ever forget Justin Foley'" Archived March 12, 2025, at the Wayback Machine. Entertainment Weekly, June 16, 2020.
  9. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (March 22, 2018). "Brandon Flynn, Julia Goldani Telles & Ki Hong Lee To Topline Dark Comedy Looks That Kill For American High". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  10. ↑ Sorren, Martha (September 18, 2020). "13 Reasons Why Fans Will Absolutely Hate Brandon Flynn's Ratched Character". Bustle. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  11. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 19, 2025). "Brandon Flynn, Elizabeth Perkins, T.R. Knight & Ryan Powers To Topline Psychological Horror Film Deluxe Ocean View From Bradley Bredeweg". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ Grobar, Matt (February 25, 2026). "Lulu Wilson Returns For Action-Thriller Threequel 'The Last Temptation Of Becky'; Neil Patrick Harris, Brandon Flynn, Kate Siegel & James Urbaniak Also Set". Deadline. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Frameline Announces Lineup for Landmark 50th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival | EDGE United States". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ Turkeltaub, Payton (May 13, 2026). "'I Want Your Sex,' 'Girls Like Girls' and 'Leviticus' Among Frameline50s 2026 Line-Up". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Apple TV celebrates darkly comedic thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, premiering May 20". Apple TV Press. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  16. ↑ Kid Victory Archived August 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine at Vineyard Theatre
  17. ↑ "'Kowalski' review — when Marlon Brando met Tennessee Williams" Archived March 12, 2025, at the Wayback Machine. New York Theater Guide, January 27, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Amber Heard, Brandon Flynn join Jeremy O. Harris play Spirit of the People". Variety. June 23, 2025. Archived from the original on October 18, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  19. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (October 16, 2025). "Elliot Page, Constance Wu, Brandon Flynn Will Explore Good Sex in Experimental Off Broadway Play (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 5, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Data". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 21, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  21. ↑ Russo, Gillian (November 18, 2025). "New play Data off Broadway to star Karan Brar, Brandon Flynn, Sophia Lillis, Justin H. Min". New York Theatre Gude. Archived from the original on January 17, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Hailey Bieber and Brandon Flynn Star in Calvin Klein's Holiday Campaign" Archived May 31, 2025, at the Wayback Machine. Women's Wear Daily, November 1, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Out Actor Brandon Flynn Talks Binge Watching with Parker Posey, Adapting 'Rent Boy,' and Lisa Kudrow's Motherly Advice | EDGE United States". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  24. ↑ Taylor, Elise (November 4, 2024). "Brandon Flynn and Jordan Tannahill Wore Ludovic de Saint Sernin for Their Avant-Garde East Village Wedding". Vogue. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  25. ↑ Flynn, Brandon [@brandonflynn]; (December 10, 2020). "My family is Jewish and therefore I am Jewish. How I practice is how I practice... I hope you have a beautiful Hanukkah, from my Jewish family to yours". Retrieved October 7, 2021 – via Instagram.
  26. ↑ Flynn, Brandon [@brandonflynn]; (December 24, 2016). "🕎". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2019 – via Instagram.
  27. ↑ Flynn, Brandon [@brandonflynn]; (December 10, 2020). "Holidays Happy first night of Hanukkah, happy holidays. For each night of Hanukkah I will share a charity as well. It's not meant to flood you with anxieties about feeling as if you have to give to every single one, or make you feel like you have to give at all... but to bring awareness and perspective to the holidays, they are not always a simple time or an abundant time for all. Especially this year, with businesses and families and health being impacted by a pandemic, there is a lot of hopelessness and fear surrounding this time, as we inch towards a new year, some of us very far from our families and loved ones, so, I will be sharing, to perchance inspire; giving back, being of service, and finding ways to make this holiday season special". Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2021 – via Instagram.
  28. ↑ Nordstrom, Leigh (July 23, 2020). "Brandon Flynn Takes Stock". WWD. Archived from the original on August 17, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  29. ↑ Ilie, Adina (January 15, 2021). "Glass interviews actor and activist Brandon Flynn - The Glass Magazine". Archived from the original on August 10, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  30. ↑ Krauser, Emily. "'13 Reasons Why' Star Brandon Flynn Passionately Supports LGBTQ+ Community: 'Equality Takes Courage'". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  31. ↑ Cerón, Ella (September 21, 2017). "Brandon Flynn From "13 Reasons Why" Shared a POWERFUL Message Against Homophobia". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on August 10, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  32. ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (June 20, 2019). "Brandon Flynn on Hollywood Double Standards and Never Actually Coming Out". Variety. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  33. ↑ Lang, Brent (October 7, 2021). "'Hellraiser' Reboot Unveils Full Cast, Including Jamie Clayton as Pinhead". Variety. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  34. ↑ Boyum, Jamey (November 8, 2021). "Longview trainer teaches actor to safely play football for upcoming film". KLTV. Archived from the original on November 14, 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  35. ↑ Dicker, Ron (March 24, 2022). "Michael Chiklis Disses F-Word Advice That Tom Brady Gave Him For Football Movie". HuffPost. Archived from the original on October 10, 2025. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  36. ↑ Leonard, Megan. "Fucktoys". SIFF. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  37. ↑ Daw, Stephen (April 4, 2023). "Hayley Kiyoko Enlists an All-Queer Cast for Her 'Girls Like Girls' Audiobook". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
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