For a time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jonathan Brandis was one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars, with a career that seemed destined for greatness.
He appeared to have everything ahead of him — fame, talent, and a promising future. But behind the success was a much darker struggle, and in 2003, his life ended in tragedy.
Jonathan Brandis was not only talented and considered one of Hollywood’s most handsome actors, but he also had what many described as the kindest, most reassuring eyes they had ever seen. Some women never forgot their crush on Brandis, while others never quite outgrew it.
By his teenage years, he had already become one of the biggest young stars of the 1990s, with millions of fans captivated by his blue eyes, blonde hair and effortless charm. But behind the fame and adoration, his career was beginning to take a painful turn, and his life would end in tragedy at just 27.
Jonathan Gregory Brandis was born on April 13, 1976, in Danbury, Connecticut, to Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He was their only child.
His path into show business began remarkably early. At just two years old, Brandis was discovered by a photographer and began working as a child model. Before long, he was traveling with his parents from Connecticut to New York City to appear in television commercials.
In a 1994 interview with People, Jonathan Brandis reflected on how working from such a young age had shaped him, saying those early experiences “taught me behavior, failure, success, discipline.”
He also remembered how his teachers would react when he misbehaved in class. “When I was a little kid, getting in trouble in class, the teachers would say, ‘Do you act this way on the set?’ And I’d say, ‘No, that’s a job,’” he recalled.
By the age of five, he was already landing commercial work, and at six, he secured a recurring role as Kevin Buchanan on One Life to Live. Recognizing his potential, his parents moved the family to Los Angeles when Jonathan was nine, hoping Hollywood would open even more doors for their talented young son.
The gamble paid off.
He began appearing in popular shows including The Wonder Years, Full House, Who’s the Boss?, L.A. Law and Webster. Then, in 1990, came two roles that would change everything: Bastian Bux in The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter and young Bill Denbrough in Stephen King’s It.
A few years later, Jonathan became a household name among teenagers when he was cast as brilliant young computer whiz Lucas Wolenczak on Steven Spielberg’s seaQuest DSV.
Suddenly, he wasn’t simply a successful child actor. He grew into a worldwide teen heartthrob and he inspired children to learn about computers.
According to Scott Laufer, who worked with several major teen magazines, Brandis was “the most popular teen star in the world” for about a year.
At the height of his fame, Brandis reportedly received as many as 4,000 fan letters every week. He appeared constantly in teen magazines, and Seventeen readers even named him No. 1 among the magazine’s ten sexiest guys.
Yet Jonathan never seemed entirely comfortable with the image.
”I never perceived myself like this — a teen magazine kid,” he said in a 1994 interview. ”As an actor, you just hope to continue working. Then when you start getting mail! I sure never knew it was coming. It’s not something you prepare for.”
He also had ambitions that went far beyond being a teenage idol.
”I want to be remembered as an actor who put in some good work in the beginning of his career, even better work at the end of his career and slowly, successfully made the transition into writing and directing.”
For a while, the future seemed limitless.
But Hollywood can change almost overnight.
When seaQuest DSV ended, the roles became harder to find. Jonathan continued working, appearing in projects including Outside Providence, Ride with the Devil and Hart’s War. But the momentum he had enjoyed as a teenager was fading.
He reportedly placed particular hope in Hart’s War, starring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell, believing it could help revive his career. Instead, much of his performance was cut from the final film.
The disappointment reportedly hit him hard.
There were still people in Hollywood who believed in him. On his final film, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, Brandis earned praise from legendary actor Harvey Keitel.
Producer Robert Katz later recalled: ”Harvey even said to me a couple of times, ‘This kid is good’. When we were in the editing room looking at him, we all said, ‘This guy’s going to have a big career.’”
Sadly, Jonathan would never get to see whether that prediction came true.
In the early hours of November 12, 2003, after being found at his Los Angeles apartment, Brandis was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He died from his injuries at the age of just 27. His death was ruled a suicide.
No note was found.
His mother, Mary, later recalled that Jonathan had visited his parents shortly before his death.
”He wanted to be with us. We knew something was wrong. We knew something was weighing on him, but we didn’t know what it was or how bad it was.”
His father, Gregory, later spoke about what he believed may have been an underlying struggle with mental illness.
”Jonathan was very smart and he was very polite and always easygoing. In a sad way, he was probably bipolar. [His death] wasn’t due to the entertainment industry. I look back now, and in his 20s, he showed signs of manic depression. I hope that anyone suffering can go get help.”
Brandis’ death in 2003 unleashed an outpouring of emotion. Fans who had once followed every detail of his life in teen magazines turned to the internet to learn what had happened and share their grief.
Jonathan’s former childhood friend and fellow star Soleil Moon Frye later revisited memories of him in her documentary Kid90. She discovered old voicemails Jonathan had left her when they were young.
”I found so many voicemails Jonathan left me when we were kids. Some of them were 10 minutes long, his innermost thoughts. It just made me cry listening to them. He was a real friend.”
For millions who grew up watching him, Jonathan Brandis remains frozen in time: the bright-eyed young star from seaQuest DSV, the boy from It, and the teenager whose face once filled the pages of countless magazines.
He had fame, talent and a future that seemed enormous.
But behind the celebrity image was a young man whose struggles were far less visible than his success.
Jonathan Brandis was only 27 when his life ended. More than two decades later, his story remains a heartbreaking reminder that even those who appear to have everything can be fighting battles the world cannot see.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For support in other countries, visit Befrienders Worldwide to find a local crisis helpline.
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