What Was Jonathan Brandis's Net Worth?
Jonathan Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter who had a net worth of $400 thousand at the time of his death in 2003.
Jonathan Brandis began his career as a child on the soap opera "One Life to Live." He subsequently appeared in films and television series like "It," "NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter," and "seaQuest DSV." Brandis died by suicide in 2003 after reportedly suffering from depression.
Early Life
Jonathan Brandis was born on April 13, 1976, in Danbury, Connecticut. He was the son of Mary and Greg Brandis. His mother was a teacher and personal manager, while his father was a food distributor and firefighter. When he was two years old, Jonathan began his career as a child model for Buster Brown shoes. When he was four years old, he began acting in television commercials. Due to his early career, he attended San Fernando Valley Professional School and graduated in 1993.
(Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Career
Brandis's career flourished while he was a child. When he was six years old, he landed the role of Kevin Buchanan on the soap opera "One Life to Live." He appeared on the show until 1983. In 1984, he appeared in an episode of "Kate & Allie." In 1986, he appeared as himself on "Mystery Magical Special." The same year, he appeared in an episode of "Sledge Hammer!" In 1987, he appeared in episodes of "Buck James," "Duet," "Good Morning, Miss Bliss," "L.A. Law" and in the television film "Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story." The following year, he had a role in the television film "Mars: Base One" and in an episode of "Webster." He also appeared in the film "The Wrong Guys" and voiced characters in "Oliver and Company."
When Brandis was nine years old, his family relocated to Los Angeles in support of his career. That year, he provided the narration for the film "Pet Sematary." He also appeared in "Stepfather II." Additionally, he had roles in episodes of "Full House" and "Who's the Boss?" In 1990, he appeared in "Alien Nation," "The Earth Day Special," "The Flash," "It," "The Munsters Today," and "Murder, She Wrote." He also had roles in the films "Ghost Dad" and "The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter."
In 1991, Brandis appeared in episodes of "Blossom," "Gabriel's Fire," "Pros and Cons," and "The Wonder Years." He also appeared in the television film "Our Shining Moment." The following year, he had roles in the films "Sidekicks" and "Ladybugs." He also made an appearance in an episode of "Crossroads." In 1993, he made an appearance as himself in "Saved by the Bell: The College Years." He also landed what would become one of the most notable roles of his career when he was cast in "seaQuest DSV" as Lucas Wolenczak. He remained on the show until 1996.
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From 1994 to 1995, Jonathan voiced the character of Mozenrath in eight episodes of "Aladdin." He also appeared as himself in the documentary "Masters of Illusion" in 1994. In 1996, he appeared in three television films – "Born Free: A New Adventure," "Fall Into Darkness," and "Her Last Chance." The following year, he appeared in the television film "Two Came Back." He reprised his voice role of Mozenrath in "Aladdin's Arabian Adventures: Magic Makers" in 1998. In 1999, he appeared in the films "Outside Providence" and "Ride with the Devil." His next film role came in 2002 when he appeared in "Hart's War." Brandis was originally expecting to have a prominent role in the film but was disappointed after the film was edited, and he had much less screen time than anticipated. The same year, he also was featured in the film "The Year That Trembled."
In 2003, Brandis appeared in "Between the Sheets." He also had a role in the show "111 Gramercy Park," though the pilot for the show was not picked up. In 2004, he appeared in "Puerto Vallarta Squeeze" and "The Slainesville Boys," both of which were released after Brandis's death. In 2005, he had a role in "Bad Girls from Valley High." The film had originally been filmed in 2000 prior to his death. He also appeared as himself in the documentary "Kid 90." The documentary film was released in 2021 and was directed by Soleil Moon Frye, who herself had been a child actress who then lost many of her friends, like Brandis, to early deaths from suicide or drug overdoses. The documentary features Frye's own footage from the time, as she often carried a camera with her to document her life and friends.
Personal Life and Death
From 1995 to 1998, Brandis dated actress and singer Tatyana Ali. They appeared together as a couple in an article in a July 1996 issue of "People" magazine.
As he got older, Brandis struggled with depression and felt discouraged by a lull in his career. On November 11, 2003, friends found Jonathan hanging in the hallway of his Los Angeles apartment. He was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center but died the following day of injuries sustained from the hanging. He was 27 years old. Brandis did not leave a suicide note though his friends speculated it was due in part to depression related to his career. He began drinking heavily around this time and sometimes discussed suicide.
In 2021, Brandis's father, Greg, noted that his son may have been suffering from bipolar disorder. He stated in an interview with "People" that Jonathan had shown signs of manic depression throughout his 20s and had not sought treatment.
