Jonathan Gregory Brandis (April 13, 1976 - November 12, 2003)

Jonathan was born in Danbury, Connecticut,He was the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter.

Acting Career

He began his career as a child model and began acting in television commercials.Brandis got his show-biz break at the age of six when he landed a recurring role on One Life to Live. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at age nine, and made guest appearances on shows such as L.A. Law, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, Full House and Kate & Allie.
He received his first starring role in The NeverEnding Story II, and went on to appear primarily in television roles. Of these, he is most famous for his portrayal of scientific prodigy Lucas Wolenczak in Steven Spielberg's futuristic science fiction series seaQuest DSV. The role propelled him into teen idol status. He is also well known for voicing Mozenrath in Disney's television series Aladdin, and having played Barry Grabrewski in the film Sidekicks co-starring Chuck Norris. He also starred in the soccer movie Ladybugs with actor/comedian Rodney Dangerfield, and played the young "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, the main character in the 1990 miniseries It, based on the epic horror novel by Stephen King.
In addition to acting, Brandis also directed several independent films and authored screenplays. During his stint on seaQuest DSV, he co-wrote an episode of the series entitled "The Siamese Dream". He also produced and directed the short film The Slainville Boys, shortly before his death.

About his personal life he dated actress/singer Tatyana Ali from May 1995 until 2001

Death

Days before he died, Brandis visited his parents at their house for four days. "He wanted to be with us. We knew something was wrong,” his mother said. "We knew something was weighing on him, but we didn’t know what it was or how bad it was.”

Jonathan began to suffer from serious depression. And he oftentimes felt suicidal. He even told some of his friends that he was considering suicide, but none of them took him seriously.

On November 12, 2003, Brandis died from injuries he suffered after hanging himself. He was 27 years old. The Los Angeles Police Department released a statement regarding his death:
On November 11, 2003, at about 11:40 p.m., a friend of Jonathan Brandis called police to report that the actor had attempted suicide at his apartment, located in the 600 block of Detroit Avenue. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire department responded and transported Brandis to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where he eventually died from his injuries. Brandis' death was announced by hospital staff on November 12, 2003, at about 2:45 p.m."
Brandis did not leave a suicide note, although friends were quoted as saying he was lonely and depressed about his lagging career. One friend admitted that Brandis drank heavily,and had even mentioned that he might kill himself. He was also said to be upset when his appearance in Hart's War, a role he hoped would be his comeback, was cut from the film.

Filmography

1982
One Life to Live
Young Kevin Riley Buchanan
TV, Unknown episodes
1984
Kate & Allie
Chip's Friend
TV, 1 episode
1986
Mystery Magical Special
Jonathan
Sledge Hammer!
Young Sledge
TV, 1 episode
1987
Good Morning, Miss Bliss
Michael Thompson
TV, 1 episode
Fatal Attraction
Party Guest
L.A. Law
Kevin Talbot
TV, 2 episodes
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story
Lance, Age 11
Television movie
1988
Mars: Base One
Television movie
The Wrong Guys
Kid Tim
Webster
Bobby
TV, 1 episode
Oliver & Company
Additional voices
Voice
1989
Full House
Michael
TV, 1 episode
Who's the Boss?
Paul
TV, 1 episode
Stepfather II
Todd Grayland
1990
Murder, She Wrote
Kevin Bryce
TV, 1 episode
Alien Nation
Andron
TV, 1 episode
Ghost Dad
Additional voices
Voice
The Munsters Today
Matt Glover
TV, 1 episode
The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter
Bastian Bux
The Flash
Terry Cohan
TV, 1 episode
It
"Stuttering Bill" Denbrough (Age 12)
Miniseries
1991
Gabriel's Fire
Matthew Fixx
TV, 1 episode
The Wonder Years
Steve
TV, 1 episode
Our Shining Moment
Michael "Scooter" McGuire
Television movie
Blossom
Stevie
TV, 1 episode
1992
Ladybugs
Matthew/Martha
Crossroads
Michael Stahl
TV, 1 episode
Sidekicks
Barry Gabrewski
1993-1996
seaQuest DSV
Lucas Wolenczak
TV, 57 episodes
1994
Good King Wenceslas
Prince Wenceslas
Television movie
1994-1995
Aladdin
Mozenrath
TV, 8 episodes, Voice
1996
Her Last Chance
Preston Altherton
Television movie
Born Free: A New Adventure
Randal "Rand" Everett Thompson
Television movie
Fall Into Darkness
Chad
Television movie
1997
Two Came Back
Jason
Television movie
1998
Between the Sheets
Robert Avacado
Aladdin's Arabian Adventures: Magic Makers
Mozenrath
Voice
1999
Outside Providence
Mousy
Ride with the Devil
Cave Wyatt
2002
Hart's War
Pvt. Lewis P. Wakely
Scenes deleted
The Year That Trembled
Casey Pedersen
2003
111 Gramercy Park
Will Karnegian
TV, Unsold pilot
2004
Puerto Vallarta Squeeze
Neil Weatherford
Released posthumously
The Slainesville Boys
Released posthumously, Director/Producer
2005
Bad Girls from Valley High
Drew
Released posthumously