{{Short description|American actor and comedian (born 1977)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox person |image = Brian Thomas Smith 2016.png |caption = Smith in 2016 |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|05|13}} |birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|producer}} }} '''Brian Thomas Smith''' (born May 13, 1977) is an American actor and comedian known for playing the dim-witted but kind-hearted Zack Johnson in ''The Big Bang Theory'' for nine seasons.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Happened To Brian Thomas Smith After The Big Bang Theory? |website=TheThings.com |url=https://www.thethings.com/what-happened-to-brian-thomas-smith-after-the-big-bang-theory/ |date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> He has also made other TV appearances on ''Fear Factor'', ''Two and a Half Men'', ''Happy Endings'', ''The Neighborhood'', ''9-1-1: Lone Star'', and ''United States of Al''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Daily Inspiration: Meet Brian Thomas Smith |website=VoyageLA |url=https://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-brian-thomas-smith/ |date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> On the big screen, Smith starred opposite Al Pacino and Annette Bening in Dan Fogelman's directorial debut film, ''Danny Collins''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brian Thomas Smith Filmography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1705502/ |website=IMDb |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> Other films, Smith has starred in include ''Lethal Seduction'', ''Babysplitters'', ''The Wedding Party'', and ''Concrete Blondes''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brian Thomas Smith – Biography |website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1705502/bio |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
Smith was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Lafayette High School in Wildwood, where he played basketball.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bio |url=https://www.brianthomassmith.com/bio |website=BrianThomasSmith.com |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=UCM Alumni Foundation post mentioning Brian Thomas Smith and Lafayette High School |url=https://twitter.com/UCM_Alum/status/1730686411072762077 |website=Twitter |publisher=University of Central Missouri Alumni Foundation |date=December 1, 2023 |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref> He later graduated from the University of Central Missouri.<ref>{{cite web |title=Daily Inspiration: Meet Brian Thomas Smith |website=VoyageLA |url=https://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-brian-thomas-smith/ |date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
==Career== Smith has appeared in over 100 commercials including Miller Lite, Pizza Hut, Burger King, State Farm, Lopez Tonight, Chevrolet, Carl's Jr., Coors Light, Budweiser, Taco Bell, DirecTV, Pop Chips, Buffalo Wild Wings, Honda, Corona, Applebee's, Dairy Queen, Audi, and Progressive Insurance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Commercial Reel |url=https://www.brianthomassmith.com/commercials |website=BrianThomasSmith.com |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
In 2003, Smith was a contestant in episode 13 of ''Fear Factor''.
In 2005, in markets outside of the United States, he starred in a Heineken beer commercial with Jennifer Aniston.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jillstanek.com/lunch-break/lunch-break-banned-heineken-ad.html |title=Lunch Break: "Banned" Jennifer Aniston Heineken ad |date=June 9, 2010 |access-date=June 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070521/http://www.jillstanek.com/lunch-break/lunch-break-banned-heineken-ad.html |archive-date=December 2, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ksisradio.com/dougs-brush-with-fame-brian-thomas-smith/ |title=Doug's Brush With Fame: Brian Thomas Smith |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref>
In 2005, Smith appeared on the reality television competition series ''The Amazing Race 7'' with his brother, Greg, finishing sixth overall.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Amazing Race Season 7 Cast |url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/cast/ |website=CBS |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
In 2006, Smith was cast as the lead in Dan Fogelman's half-hour comedy pilot ''The 12th Man''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brian Thomas Smith Filmography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1705502/ |website=IMDb |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
In 2010, Smith joined the cast of comedy series ''The Big Bang Theory'' in a recurring role, portraying Penny's sometime boyfriend, sometimes ex-boyfriend, Zack Johnson. He continued to recur on the show until its 12th and final season in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Daily Inspiration: Meet Brian Thomas Smith |website=VoyageLA |url=https://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-brian-thomas-smith/ |date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
In 2021, Smith was cast in a recurring role on the comedy series ''United States of Al'', as Freddy, the new boyfriend of Vanessa, Riley's ex-wife.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/brian-thomas-smith-recur-united-states-of-al-jason-ralph-the-marvelous-mrs-maisel-1234750358/ |title=Brian Thomas Smith To Recur In 'United States Of Al' |date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=May 29, 2021}}</ref>
In recent years, Smith has also guest-starred on ''NCIS'', ''Shrinking'', ''Bad Monkey'', and reprised his comedic television presence on Nickelodeon’s ''The Really Loud House''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brian Thomas Smith Filmography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1705502/ |website=IMDb |access-date=2025-08-12}}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2006 | ''The 12th Man'' | Adam Rump | TV movie |- | 2008 | ''No Place Like Home'' | Matt | Short |- |rowspan=3|2009 | ''The Moonlighters'' | Bob | Short |- | ''Perry's Fairies'' | | Short |- | ''The Indies'' | Sean | Short |- | 2010 | ''All American Zombie Drugs'' | Bobby | |- |rowspan=4|2012 | ''Lucy in the Sky with Diamond'' | Brian | Short |- | ''Surprise'' | Matthew | Short |- | ''Hot Neighbours'' | Judd | Short |- | ''Concrete Blondes'' | Karl | Short |- | 2013 | ''Casual'' | Guy | |- |rowspan=2|2015 |''Lethal Seduction'' |Randy | TV movie |- | ''Danny Collins'' | Judd/Busy Work | |- | 2018 | ''Big Muddy'' | Bo | |- | 2020 | ''Babysplitters'' | Dr Palmer | |- |2023 |''Holiday Twist'' |Boogie | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2003 | ''Fear Factor'' | Contestant | Season 4, Episode 13 |- | 2005 | ''The Amazing Race 7'' | Contestant | Eliminated, 6th place (with Greg Smith) |- | 2006 | ''Two and a Half Men'' | Emmett | Episode: "Ergo, the Booty Call" |- |rowspan=2|2010 | ''A Good Knight's Quest'' | Agent One | 8 episodes |- | ''The Indies'' | Sean | 2 episodes |- | 2010–19 | ''The Big Bang Theory'' | Zack Johnson | Recurring role, 11 episodes |- | 2010–11 | ''Casual: The Series'' | Guy | Series regular; 17 episodes |- |rowspan=3|2012 | ''Happy Endings'' | Nick | "Party of Six" |- | ''Wolfpack of Reseda'' | Vance | 5 episodes |- | ''Suit Up'' | Bjorn Hansen | Recurring role, 4 episodes |- | 2019 | ''The Neighborhood'' | Ed | Episode: "Welcome to the Bully" |- | 2020 | ''9-1-1: Lone Star'' | Andrew Reynolds | Episode: "Awakening" |- | 2021–22 | ''United States of Al'' | Freddy | Recurring role |- | 2022 | ''NCIS'' | Fantasy Football Dad | Episode: "Daddy Issues" |- | 2022–24 | ''The Really Loud House'' | Mr. Bolhofner | 3 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 2024 | ''Bad Monkey'' | Brennan | 3 episodes |- | ''Shrinking'' | Jack | Episode: "The Drugs Don't Work" |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official|url=http://www.brianthomassmith.com/}} *{{IMDb name|1705502}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Brian Thomas}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male comedians Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Male actors from St. Louis Category:University of Central Missouri alumni Category:Comedians from St. Louis Category:21st-century American comedians Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:The Amazing Race contestants