Brendan O'Brien (actor) (original) (raw)

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American actor (1962–2023)

Brendan O'Brien
Born	Brendan James O'Brien(1962-05-09)May 9, 1962Hollywood, California, U.S.
Died	March 23, 2023(2023-03-23) (aged 60)California, U.S.
Alma mater	Loyola Marymount University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–20032020–2021
Spouse	Ingrid K. Behrens ​(m. 2000)​
Parents	Olga San JuanEdmond O'Brien
Website	brendanobrien.com

Brendan James O'Brien[1] (May 9, 1962 – March 23, 2023)[1] was an American actor. He served as the original voice of Crash Bandicoot and various other character voices for the Crash Bandicoot video games during the Naughty Dog years.[2]

Brendan James O'Brien was born in Hollywood, California, on May 9, 1962.[1] He was the son of actor Edmond O'Brien (1915–1985) and actress Olga San Juan (1927–2009).[3][4] His two sisters are television producer Bridget O'Brien Adelman and actress Maria O'Brien.[4]

He attended Loyola High School in East Los Angeles where he played guitar in various high school bands throughout his early years.[1] He was also a graduate of the Loyola Marymount University.[1]

O'Brien began his acting career in 1972 at ten years old, he was discovered by director Bernard L. Kowalski who cast him in his first acting role in the first episode of the television series The Streets of San Francisco, along with his father.[1] His other live action credits was in the television film Honor Thy Father. He also acted in 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, P.U.N.K.S., Race to Space, and Grindhouse.[_citation needed_]

He got the role of Crash Bandicoot after Joe Pearson suggested that he call Jason Rubin (who was looking for a voice artist). After going to the studio for the call (where his parents used to work), he got the role. The recordings that O'Brien did for Crash Bandicoot were done in an intimate setting at the Alfred Hitchcock Theater.[2]

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.[_citation needed_]

He went on a hiatus from acting in 2003; he returned to acting sixteen years later and appear in an episode of Riverdale as a math teacher and also had a small part in the TV mini-series The Slowest Show as a Male Millionaire.[_citation needed_] He was also in talks to have a role in Antonblast, a video game partly inspired by Crash Bandicoot; however, O'Brien died before this could occur.[5]

Brendan O'Brien met his wife Ingrid K. Behrens in 1995; they married five years later in 2000 and remained married until his death.[1]

He died on March 23, 2023, at his home in California at the age of 60.[1][6]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Brendan James O'Brien". Legacy.com. May 9, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
2. ^ a b "Crash Bandicoot an Oral History". Polygon. June 22, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
3. ^ "Edmond O'Brien, Actor, Dies at 69". The New York Times. May 10, 1985. p. D22. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
4. ^ a b "Olga San Juan dies at 81; actress sang and danced with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
5. ^ "Antonblast director's tweet about Brendan O'Brien's death". Twitter. May 14, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
6. ^ Beckwith, Michael (May 15, 2023). "Original Crash Bandicoot voice actor dies aged 60". Metro. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
7. ^ a b c d e "Brendan O'Brien (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors (A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information).
8. ^ Willis, John; Monush, Barry (February 2004). Screen World 2003. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 447. ISBN 1557835284.
9. ^ a b c d e "Brendan O'Brien". Retrieved August 21, 2020.

• Official site
• Brendan O'Brien at IMDb