Brad Leland
Brad Leland (born September 15, 1954) is an American film and television actor best known for his role as Buddy Garrity in the NBC/DirecTV series Friday Night Lights. He has appeared in over 100 feature films and television shows and numerous theater performances.
Brad Leland | |
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Leland in 2011 | |
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Occupation | Actor |
Early life
Leland was born in Lubbock, Texas, but his father's military career moved his family to Japan when he was five years old. Later, the family moved to Plano during his sophomore year in high school. While in Plano, Leland played football for Plano High School. He sustained a serious knee injury the year the Wildcats won the 1971 AAA State Championship. This injury forced him to leave behind athletics and transition into theater.
In 1980, Leland graduated from Texas Tech with a bachelor's degree in acting and directing.[1]
Acting
Brad Leland returned to the states where he first appeared onstage at Disneyland at 6 years old in a Wild West show. That began his dream of being an entertainer. After graduating from college, Leland moved to Dallas where he worked in local theatre and found an agent. He also got a part in one episode of the TV series Dallas and in an episode of In the Heat of the Night.[2] He later appeared in seven episodes of the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger, in the 2003 Texas Chain Saw Massacre remake, and as an executive in the film Hancock. His most visible roles, though, remain those of football booster John Aubrey in the film Friday Night Lights and of the similar character, Buddy Garrity, in the TV series of the same name.[1]
After four decades of stage, film and television, he has appeared in scores of feature films and plays, and hundreds of television shows. Notable television includes Dallas, Walker Texas Ranger, In the Heat of the Night, Perry Mason, Veep, Justified, Parks and Recreation, CSI Miami, The Leftovers, Last Man Standing, The Cleveland Show, North and South, The Young Riders, and Le Bureau de Legendes.
Feature films include Silverado, Deepwater Horizon, Hancock, Friday Night Lights, Land, The Orphan Train, Mobius, The Ringer, Love and a .45, Blaze, The Great Alaskan Race and many others, One his most favorite filming experiences was a starring role in the football feature, The Last Whistle, directed by Rob Smat.
Brad lives in Dallas, Texas and has been married to actress Freda Ramsey for 41 years. They have two daughters, Thea and Leah.
Brad graduated with a bachelor's degree in Acting and Directing from Texas Tech University. An avid golfer and sports enthusiast, he is loyal to the Plano Wildcats (where he was a member of the State Champion football team in 1972), the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Dallas Cowboys.
Selected filmography
- Silverado (1985) - Trooper
- Dallas (1986, TV Series) - Man in Bar
- Square Dance (1987) - Drunk Cowboy
- Winners Take All (1987) - Scrutineer #2
- Blood Rage (1987) - Teen Boy at Drive-In
- Shy People (1987) - Larry
- Under Cover (1987) - Terry Ray Gray
- In the Heat of the Night (1988, TV Series) - Mace Trapnell
- Blaze (1989) - Dufee
- Ruby (1992) - Patrolman
- Love and a .45 (1994) - Armored Truck Driver
- Walker, Texas Ranger (1994–1998, TV Series) - Bobby
- The Underneath (1995) - Man Delivering Money
- Cadillac Ranch (1996) - Booking Deputy
- The Only Thrill (1997) - Louis Quillet
- Painted Hero (1997) - Deputy
- The Curse of Inferno (1997) - Vince Clark
- The Patriot (1998) - Big Bob
- Shadows of the Past (1999) - Barnard
- The Operator (2000) - Husband
- 75 Degrees in July (2000) - Highway Policeman
- American Outlaws (2001) - Sheriff
- The Anarchist Cookbook (2002) - Truck Driver
- Rolling Kansas (2003) - Dot the Waitress
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) - Big Rig Bob
- World Without Waves (2004) - Earl
- Friday Night Lights (2004) - John Aubrey
- The Ringer (2005) - Mr. Henderson
- Inside Man (2006) - Ronnie
- The Return (2006) - Mr. Marlin
- Friday Night Lights (2006–2011, TV Series) - Buddy Garrity
- Walking Tall: The Payback (2007) - Mitch
- Hancock (2008) - Executive #3
- Miracle at St. Anna (2008) - Trueheart Frazier
- Trauma (2009, TV Series) - Audi Driver
- CSI: Miami (2009-2010, TV Series) - Det. John "Sully" Sullivan
- Parks and Recreation (2012, TV Series) - Fester Trim
- Veep (2012-2016, TV Series) - Bill O'Brien
- Möbius (2013) - Agent CIA Möbius
- The Bystander Theory (2013) - Seamus "Shame" Fuller
- Flutter (2014) - Dr. Hughes
- The Leftovers (2014, TV Series) - Congressman Witten
- Camp Abercorn (2014, TV Mini-Series, also executive producer) - Russell
- The Song (2014) - Mr. Harrison
- The One I Wrote for You (2014) - Mr. Harrison
- The Bureau (2015, French TV series,) - Peter Cassidy
- Deepwater Horizon (2016) - Robert Kaluza
- Last Man Standing (2017, TV Series) - Wayne Sizemore
- Angie Tribeca (2017, TV Series) - Arnold Waifer
- The Domestics (2018) - Pit Boss Gambler
- The Great Alaskan Race (2019) - Mayor Maynard
- The Last Whistle (2019) - Victor Trenton
- The Orphan Train (2020) - Frank Smith
- Land (2020) - Directed by Robin Wright (role of COLT)