Biography
Brandon Dean Tecklenburg was born in Clearwater, Florida.
He graduated from Tarpon Springs High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
He played as an outfielder on the baseball team for all four years, holding records for most games played in a season and throughout his career.
On the high school football team, he was a starting Wide Receiver and Punt Returner, earning a spot on the All-Academic Football Team for Pinellas County.
The school's mascot was the 'Spongers,' which was rated the worst high school nickname in the nation.
In his senior year, Brandon was honored as Mr. Sponger. He also contributed as a writer and editor for the school newspaper, the "Serif," and took part in stage skits and lip sync contests.
He attended Barry University in Miami, Florida, on a baseball scholarship, earning a degree in Broadcast Communications with a Fine Arts Minor in Theatre.
His first stage audition was for the roles of Demetrius and Lysander in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, but he was cast as Theseus. He performed in over a dozen plays before making his screen debut.
As a starting outfielder for four years, he holds records for games played and sacrifice bunts in both a season and his college career. In his senior year, Barry University's baseball team advanced to the College World Series, losing the Regional Championship game to the University of Tampa.
He attended more than six professional baseball tryouts.
Brandon played in two professional baseball games during a doubleheader with the Huntington Rail Kings in the now-defunct Heartland Independent League.
He later played for the Double-A Chicago Cubs in Jackson, Tennessee, and then for the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A team in Fresno, California.
Returning to Florida, he packed his belongings and drove across the country to Manhattan Beach, California, and now lives in Playa Del Rey, California.
In 2005, he landed his first lead role in a 35mm full-length feature film, Zombie Nation, and has been a principal actor in over 60 national and regional commercials since November 2004.
He secured his first lead film role by submitting himself through a Backstagewest casting notice.
At his initial audition and callback, he mistakenly believed director and producer Ulli Lommel was the cameraman.
He studies acting with Lesly Kahn, Carolyne Barry, and director John Swanbeck, and is a member of TVI, ITA, and AIA Actors Studios.
Brandon is affiliated with the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, The Actors Fund of America, AFI, the SAG Foundation, AFI/SAG Conservatory, Minor League Baseball Alumni Association, and the Association of Professional Ball Players of America.
He plays in a local adult baseball league alongside good friend and actor Jimmy Labrie.
He is a member of Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity and was named Brother of the Year during his senior year in college.
