“Roseanne” is a revival of the popular 1990s sitcom, which centers on the everyday life of the American working-class Conner family. Brent plays ‘Valente’, whom comes across Roseanne on episode 5 and marks the return of Johnny Galecki’s character ‘David’ to the series. The episode aired April 17, 2018.
Brent is a Filipino-American actor, writer, and comedian and recently has appeared on HBO’s “Silicon Valley”, CBS’ “Living Biblically” and FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”. Additional acting credits include ABC’s “Speechless”, FX’s “Better Things”, and Fox’s “Rosewood”. In July 2018, Brent will appear in the Hulu’s series “Casual”.
In addition, Brent created, wrote, and starred in two award-winning comedic web-series, “Common Beauties” and “Table for Two”. Brent is heavily involved in the Los Angeles comedy scene, performing stand-up, sketch and improv all over the city. He has also lent his talents to prestigious festivals such The San Francisco Sketchfest and The New York Television Festival. Brent trained in improv comedy at both The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) theaters. Brent has also co-hosted “Ray’s n’ Brent Podcast”, which is currently available on iTunes.
Brent resides in Los Angeles with his wife and a menagerie of special needs cats and dogs that they have rescued. Brent is a huge supporter of animal rights and education for all children.
We had the ultimate pleasure to interview Brent. Check out his interview below.
Hi, Brent! Congrats on your role in Roseanne! What was it like guest starring on such an iconic series?
Let me paint the picture for you: I walk on the Roseanne set my first day and I see Roseanne Barr, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, and John Goodman, all Emmy winners! Not to mention you have Whitney Cummings as co-showrunner and writers like Wanda Sykes in the room. So it was very exciting, but also a little terrifying because you know that you have to bring your A game or you will get left in the dust. And speaking of iconic, when I saw that familiar Conner living room with that same old couch, that brought me way back.
What do you love most about acting?
I love being able to inhabit the life of a character for a while, especially when I’m playing someone who is not like me at all. Several times, I’ve been in costume and had someone confuse me for a real construction worker, or police officer, or whatever I’m dressed up as; my inner Andy Kaufman is very excited when that happens.
In July 2018, you will appear on Hulu’s series Casual. Tell us more.
Casual is a comedy about Valerie (played by Michaela Watkins), a newly divorced mom. She is forced to move into her brother’s house with her brother and her teenage daughter. If I had to give the main theme of this show, it would be this: Life is messy. On Casual, I play a plumber who has been called upon to deal with a certain plumbing situation. And that’s all that I can really tell you without spoilers, sorry!
You wrote and starred in two award-winning comedic web-series, Common Beauties, and Table for Two. What inspired the series?
Table for Two is inspired by the former day job of my co-star, Julia Addis. She worked at the host stand of a high-end restaurant in L.A., so Table for two is based on that experience. Common Beauties explores the lives of people in L.A. that you probably don’t pay attention to unless they intrude on your life… meter maids, movie ushers, hiking vloggers. I think the common theme between these two web-series comedies is how funny and strange the most mundane things in life can be.
Is there a particular role you would like to play?
I’ve always been drawn to the part of Amos Hart (Mr. Cellophane) in Chicago. Something about how earnest and sad Amos is, that would be a dream role. Or any part in Glengarry Glen Ross. Seriously, any part.
You continue to perform stand-up, sketch and improve. Tell us more.
To be honest, as my TV and film appearances have increased, I have had less and less time to do all of the various comedy shows I have done over the years. But, if someone asks me to do a show and I happen to have the time to do it, I will usually say yes, because there is nothing like performing in front of a live crowd.
Are there any plans to expand your web-series?
In Table for Two, we will be expanding our series in future episodes, seeing more of the other employees and maybe even venturing into the home lives of our delightful restaurant hosts. In Common Beauties, expect to see even more just off the radar characters, maybe some dog park people, that might be fun.
Thus far, what has been the best experience working in the industry?
I worked with Pamela Adlon on her FX show Better things, and I was amazed at all of the multi-tasking that she can do while still delivering a powerhouse performance. She’s like a Superwoman, and her entire career is just such an inspiration to me. Also, working on Roseanne, the whole cast and crew is just so professional; it’s like a well-oiled machine. I really felt privileged to jump into that cast, and I learned a lot watching how they approach the work. Not to mention, I am such a fan of the original show that it was hard to not geek out.
Do you have any upcoming projects that we haven’t mentioned?
We are currently working on more episodes of Table for Two, very excited to get back to my character Bill and his pencil mustache! I’m also working on a pilot based on my general bad luck with customer service and how I’ve dealt with it in ways that are not very subtle or charming.
Complete this sentence, if I had an opportunity to do anything I want, I would do ___________?
I would turn one of my projects into a TV series that shoots in Los Angeles, and when we are not shooting, I would create an animal rescue haven in my backyard. While driving my 1951 Sanford and Son truck. That covers most of my basic needs.
About Author
