Ever since the 1984 film "Ghostbusters", Brandon Kleyla knew what he wanted to do: act. He first professional job came in 1991 when he was in a local theater production of "Evita". That winter, he went on to portray "Tiny Tim" in "A Christmas Carol" and "Jacob Rothchild" in "The Rothchilds." He soon signed with The Christensen Group talent agency in Winter Park, Florida. From then on, he worked regularly at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando on such projects as the pilot episode of "Gullah Gullah Island", "Nick News", and "All That." He landed his first film role in the 1995 hit NOW AND THEN, starring Demi Moore, where Brandon plays "Bobby Fricker," a character that was originally dropped from the script but later restored just for him. While filming NOW AND THEN in Savannah, Brandon worked with Christina Ricci, Gaby Hoffmann, Thora Birch & Ashleigh Aston Moore. A few months after filming NOW AND THEN, Brandon auditioned for CHILDREN OF THE CORN - MILLENNIUM'S CHILD. Soon after he auditioned, he found himself flying to Austin, Texas for production. In the film, which is now known as CHILDREN OF THE CORN - THE GATHERING, Brandon plays the very demon that Stephen King originally created in his short story. In this film, Brandon worked with the legendary Karen Black, Naomi Watts (Tank Girl), Samaria Graham (NOTHING TO LOSE), Brent Jennings (ANOTHER 48 HRS.) and William Windom. During filming, Brandon was turned over to the artists at Sota FX, who transformed him into "Josiah", the amazing boy preacher who is wrongfully murdered by the townspeople. Brandon enjoyed every minute of his 8-hour makeup job and would do it again in a heartbeat. After CHILDREN OF THE CORN - THE GATHERING, Brandon and his family came to Los Angeles where he contacted Roy Knyrim at Sota FX, the studio that did his makeup in "Corn," and started helping out around the shop. He soon was auditioning for casting director Valorie Massalas for the film FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN (later retitled GODS AND MONSTERS) -- by coincidence Sota FX was working on makeup effects for the film. Brandon went into his audition not knowing that Valorie Massalas was also one of the casting directors for one of his favorite films of all time, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. Brandon says "If I had known that when I went in, I probably would have made a real fool of myself." He went on to land the role of "young James Whale," in GODS AND MONSTERS. During the filming of GODS AND MONSTERS, Brandon certainly did his part and more to help with the production. In addition to playing the "young James Whale," he helped Sota FX with makeup. Very soon after wrapping production on GODS AND MONSTERS, he was on his way to the El Rey Theater on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles to help out his friends Robert Bayer Burnett and Mark A. Altman, by doing a small cameo in their film FREE ENTERPRISE starring William Shatner. You can also see Brandon in a variety of television commercials including "Got Milk -Monster Trapping" and "Holiday Inn Express." |
