Biography
Brian Avery, a native of Los Angeles, California, attended Loyola High School where he received the Bing Crosby Drama Medal at graduation. He then earned a scholarship to Loyola University, graduating with a B.A. from the Liberal Arts College, majoring in English with minors in Philosophy and Languages. Brian's impressive artistic career began in New York City when he co-starred on Broadway in the dramatic musical adaptation of the classic John Ford film, "How Green Was My Valley." A Universal Studios talent scout saw him onstage and secured him a movie contract. At Universal, he worked alongside Harrison Ford and Katharine Ross, also under contract. Brian and Harrison Ford appeared together in "Journey to Shiloh," and Brian and Katharine Ross were cast by director Mike Nichols as the wedding couple in the iconic film The Graduate (1967). He also appeared as Diane Keaton's boyfriend in Woody Allen's Sleeper (1973), in addition to numerous other films, television shows, and stage plays.
Following the release of The Graduate, Gregory Peck (1916–2003) offered to recommend Brian to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for membership in the Actors Branch, which subsequently invited him to join. Brian has been an active participant in Academy affairs, serving on multiple committees. He was first invited to join the Foreign Language Film Committee (FLFC) and later served on its Executive Committee alongside notable figures such as Robert Wise (1914–2005), Fay Kanin (1917–2013), and Mark Johnson. In this role, he acted as the Official Academy Host for visiting directors attending the Academy Awards, welcoming talents including Ang Lee, Giuseppe Tornatore, Sergei Bodrov, Paula van der Oest, Sven Nykvist (1922–2006), and Walter Salles. Brian also served on the Documentary Committee and currently sits on the Executive Committees for the Student Academy Awards, which supports emerging filmmakers, and the Membership Screening Committee, which selects films for Academy members to view from the submissions for Academy Award consideration. Additionally, he serves as a judge for AMPAS's Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition, which nurtures the next generation of screenwriters and has helped launch the careers of many leading writers in the industry. His committee work has connected him with some of the world's foremost international directors, promising filmmakers, and exceptional screenwriters.
The extensive network Brian developed through the Academy encouraged him to move into producing. He brought the film Crash (2004) to the Yari Film Group, where he is based; the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He is also credited as an executive producer on Shortcut to Happiness (2003), a remake of "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941) starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin; Where the Red Fern Grows (2003) featuring Dave Matthews; and Flashbacks of a Fool (2008) starring Daniel Craig.
Brian is currently producing the action drama Venice Pier, a project that originated through the AMPAS Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program and is being packaged by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
For several years, Brian has participated in prominent film festivals such as the American Film Institute (AFI) FEST, where he is involved with Kodak Connect, a program linking outstanding film professionals with AFI filmmakers. He has collaborated with many distinguished international filmmakers through this initiative. The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has invited him to meet and advise incoming Indian filmmakers. He has also served as a judge for the narrative film competition at the Polish Film Festival of Los Angeles. Given Poland's legacy of great filmmakers like Krzysztof Kieślowski, Agnieszka Holland, and Roman Polanski, this has been a distinguished honor that has connected him with today's Polish filmmakers.
Brian is a member of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Actors' Equity Association (AEA), and AMPAS. He has also worked as a private voice instructor and taught English as a Second Language, Mathematics, and Cultural Studies in the Los Angeles Unified School District's Adult Division. He is married to Nicole Avery, a psychotherapist. They have two children: Eric, co-founder and original bassist of Jane's Addiction, renowned worldwide; and Rebecca, a talented actress and mother to their first grandchild, Henry.
