{{short description|American actor (born 1965)}} {{Infobox person | name = Michael Brainard | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|11|23}} | birth_place = Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1988–present }} '''Michael Scott Brainard''' (born November 23, 1965)<ref name="digest92">{{Cite journal |last=Byron |first=Ellen |date=March 3, 1992 |title=My Hometown |journal=Soap Opera Digest |volume=17 |issue=5 |pages=22-25}}</ref> is an American actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Joey "Jake" Martin on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' (1988 to 1991, 1994 and 1995) and Ted Capwell on the NBC soap opera ''Santa Barbara'' (1991 to 1993).
== Early life == Brainard was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and raised in Laguna Hills. His father was a Los Angeles firefighter and his mother was an accountant. He has one sibling, an older sister. After graduating from Laguna Hills High School, Brainard attended California State University, Fullerton. He studied acting at Pacific Christian College, the School of Performing Arts in Costa Mesa, and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles. During his college years, he performed in productions of ''Mister Roberts'', ''Fiddler on the Roof'', ''Front Page'', ''Flowers for Algernon'', and ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest''.<ref name="soapbook" />
Prior to beginning his role on ''All My Children'', he worked at Bennigan's in Costa Mesa. He also had a temporary job unloading furniture for Levitt's furniture store.<ref name="digest92" />
== Career == Brainard made his television debut on an episode of ''Divorce Court''.<ref name="soapbook" /> He auditioned for the role of David Rampal on ''All My Children'' (which went to Trent Bushey), but instead landed the role of Joey Martin (later renamed Jake Martin). Brainard first appeared on screen in the Thanksgiving episode in 1988, then returned in 1989.<ref name="pvbulletin" /> He relocated from California to New York, where the show was filmed. He didn't enjoy living in New York or the writer's characterization of Joey. He stayed with the show until his contract ended in 1991.<ref name="digest92" /><ref name="pvbulletin">{{Cite web |title=Where Are They Now? Michael Brainard (ex- Joey Martin) |url=http://www.pinevalleybulletin.com/Features/InterviewBrainard.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116151029/http://www.pinevalleybulletin.com/Features/InterviewBrainard.html |archive-date=January 16, 2024 |access-date=2022-02-20 |website=Pine Valley Bulletin}}</ref><ref name="who" /> He received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Leading Actor for his role on ''All My Children'' in 1991.<ref name="soapbook" />
In October 1991, he joined the cast of ''Santa Barbara'' as Ted Capwell. The role had previously been played by Todd McKee.<ref name="soapbook">{{Cite book |last1=Rout |first1=Nancy E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yzQlimPTTEMC&q=Michael+Brainard+Santa+Barbara |title=The Soap Opera Book: Who's Who in Daytime Drama |last2=Buckley |first2=Ellen |date=1992 |publisher=Todd Publications |isbn=978-0-915344-23-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=McNeil |first=Alex |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dctkAAAAMAAJ&q=Michael+Brainard+Santa+Barbara |title=Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present |date=1996 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-024916-3 |language=en}}</ref> Brainard played the role until the show's final episodes aired in January 1993. He appeared as himself on ''Circus of the Stars'' in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Circus of the Stars and Sideshow - 1992 |url=https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/circus-of-the-stars-and-sideshow-1992 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605234747/https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/circus-of-the-stars-and-sideshow-1992 |archive-date=June 5, 2024 |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=AV Club}}</ref>
After the cancellation of ''Santa Barbara'', he made return appearances to ''All My Children'' in 1994 and 1995.<ref name="who">{{Cite web |title=Who's Who in Pine Valley: Joseph "Jake" Henry Martin Jr. |url=https://www.soapcentral.com/all-my-children/whoswho/jake.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123162707/https://www.soapcentral.com/all-my-children/whoswho/jake.php |archive-date=November 23, 2023 |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=Soap Central}}</ref> Brainard guest starred on ''Silk Stalkings'' in 1994 and ''Family Law'' in 2000.<ref name="culver">{{Cite web |date=April 9, 2005 |title=Brainard returns as Culver guest artist |url=https://www.whig.com/archive/article/brainard-returns-as-culver-guest-artist/article_26bf7283-2dbf-5c2d-bf34-b97765d7bdb2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605235358/https://www.whig.com/archive/article/brainard-returns-as-culver-guest-artist/article_26bf7283-2dbf-5c2d-bf34-b97765d7bdb2.html |archive-date=June 5, 2024 |access-date=June 5, 2024 |website=Herald-Whig}}</ref> He had roles in the films ''Toi and Poochie'' and ''Invincible''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toi and Poochie - 2004 |url=https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/toi-and-poochie-2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606190651/https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/toi-and-poochie-2004 |archive-date=June 6, 2024 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=AV Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Invincible - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/invincible/cast/2000042293/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129122007/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/invincible/cast/2000042293/ |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=TV Guide}}</ref>
On stage, Brainard has appeared as a guest artist at Culver-Stockton College. He starred as Valmont in a 2002 production of ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses''. He returned in 2005 to star in Neil Simon's ''Brighton Beach Memoirs''. Brainard has also written and directed two plays, ''A Murder of Crows'' and ''Lookin' for Some Posse''.<ref name="culver" />
In 2007, Brainard returned to television, starring as Alex Koris on the MyNetworkTV series ''American Heiress''.<ref name="pvbulletin" /> He played Rick in the 2008 horror film ''Killing Ariel'' and also appeared in ''The Onion Movie''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Killing Ariel - 2008 |url=https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/killing-ariel-2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130020213/https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/killing-ariel-2008 |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=AV Club}}</ref><ref name="culver" /> In 2011, Brainard had a role in Gregori J. Martin's film ''Sebastian.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sebastián - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/sebastian/cast/2000410075/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606191448/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/sebastian/cast/2000410075/ |archive-date=June 6, 2024 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=TV Guide}}</ref> In 2015, he co-starred with his former ''Santa Barbara'' castmate Robert Fontaine in ''Mi America'', a drama about a hate crime.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clifford |first=Kambra |date=September 30, 2015 |title=Soap alums create hard-hitting hate crime drama |url=https://www.soapcentral.com/soapcentral/news/2015/0930-miamerica.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413220408/https://www.soapcentral.com/soapcentral/news/2015/0930-miamerica.php |archive-date=April 13, 2021 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=Soap Central}}</ref>
From 2020 to 2021, Brainard played Coach on the web series ''Duke and Dammit''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Duke and Dammit - 2020 |url=https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/duke-and-dammit-2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606185741/https://www.avclub.com/tv/reviews/duke-and-dammit-2020 |archive-date=June 6, 2024 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=AV Club}}</ref> In 2020, he wrote and co-produced the 13-part audio series ''The Ernie Pyle Experiment!'' for WFIU radio. The series celebrates the life of journalist Ernie Pyle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierson |first=Joel |date=August 1, 2020 |title=Creators discuss 'Ernie Pyle Experiment!' audio series |url=https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/2020/08/01/creators-discuss-ernie-pyle-experiment-audio-series/115989108/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116183332/https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/2020/08/01/creators-discuss-ernie-pyle-experiment-audio-series/115989108/ |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |access-date=June 6, 2024 |website=The Herald-Times}}</ref>
== Personal life == Brainard has a side career as a woodworker. In 2007, one of his pieces was featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times calendar section, in a photo of actress Kate Walsh.<ref name="pvbulletin" />
==Filmography==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |rowspan="2"|2004 |''Toi and Poochie'' |Barry | |- |''Bad Man'' |Sheriff Paul Rall |Short film Also producer |- |2005 |''Lookin' for Some Posse'' |Cowboy No.3 |Short film Also producer and writer |- |2006 |''Invincible'' |Eagles Coach No.4 |Credited as Michael S. Brainard |- |rowspan="2"|2008 |''Killing Ariel'' |Rick | |- |''The Onion Movie'' |White Black Guy Policeman |Credited as Mike Brainard |- |2011 |''Sebastian'' |Patrolman | |- |2015 |''Mi America'' |Tom Anderson | |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1988–1991; 1994; 1995 |''All My Children'' |Joey Martin |Contract role; Guest appearances |- |1991–1993 |''Santa Barbara'' |Ted Capwell |Contract role 172 episodes |- |1992 |''Circus of the Stars and Sideshow'' |Himself |Television special |- |1994 |''Silk Stalkings'' |Parker Jones |Episode: "Killer Cops" |- |2000 |''Family Law'' |Dr. Greene |Episode: "Necessity" |- |2007 |''American Heiress'' |Alex Koris |18 episodes |}
=== Web series === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2020–2021 |''Duke and Dammit'' |Coach |7 episodes |- |2021 |''Public Health'' |Stewart | |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0104043|name=Michael Brainard}} {{Portal bar|Biography|United States|California|Film|Television}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brainard, Michael}} Category:American male soap opera actors Category:Living people Category:1965 births Category:American male television actors Category:20th-century American male actors Category:American male film actors Category:Male actors from Hollywood, Los Angeles Category:American male stage actors