Biographie
Brandon Jay McLaren, a Canadian-American actor, is recognized for his versatile performances across film and television. His notable TV roles include Xavier Watkins on Disney+'s Turner & Hooch reboot, appearances on ABC's The Rookie alongside Nathan Fillion, and portraying Buckley in season five of FX's acclaimed series Snowfall, created by Dave Andron, Eric Amadio, and John Singleton.
In 2021, McLaren featured in Netflix's hit drama Firefly Lane with Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke. He previously played psychological profiler Oliver Yates for three seasons on CBS's Ransom and starred as Dr. Simon in the third season of Lifetime's Emmy-nominated series UnReal, opposite Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer, earning a UBCP/ACTRA Award nomination.
From 2013 to 2015, McLaren starred as undercover agent Dale Jakes on USA's Graceland, winning the Best Actor Golden Maple Award in 2015. His other TV credits include recurring roles on NBC's Chicago Fire, Chiller Network's Slasher, Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, TNT's Falling Skies, CBS's Harper's Island, and AMC's The Killing, for which he received a 2012 Leo Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series.
McLaren’s film work includes the indie feature Plush, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Emily Browning, and the cult horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, a Sundance Film Festival favorite that won the 2012 SXSW Audience Award. His filmography also includes the comedies She's The Man and Dead Before Dawn 3D. In 2015, he executive produced and starred in the independent film Almost Anything, which premiered at Cinequest.
Born and raised in Vancouver, McLaren is of Trinidadian and Grenadian heritage. He attended Johnston Heights Secondary School, where he discovered his passion for acting through theater courses. A talented soccer player in his youth, he earned a full athletic scholarship to the State University of New York at Albany. After graduating with a degree in Human Biology, he returned to Vancouver to focus on acting full-time. He currently resides in Los Angeles. Follow him on Instagram @brandonjaymclaren and Twitter @brandojay.
