Brent Comer
Brent Comer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995 or 1996 (age 29–30)[1] |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Partner | McKenzie Kurtz (2025–present) |
Brent Comer is an American actor and singer. A native of Frederick, Maryland, Comer's interest in acting began in high school, and he studied musical theater at James Madison University. Following a series of small scale roles, Comer's first professional acting role in a production of Les Misérables ended abruptly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was later cast in The Outsiders La Jolla Production in 2023, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album after it transferred to Broadway in 2024. His film debut will be in The Mosquito Bowl (2026).
Early life and education
Comer is from Frederick, Maryland.[2] He has two older brothers.[1] He attended Monocacy Middle School and Governor Thomas Johnson High School, the former being where he read The Outsiders for the first time, the play adaptation of which he later acted in.[3] His interest in acting began in Governor Thomas Johnson High School after mistakenly joining a musical theater elective instead of his intended newscasting one.[2][3] He studied musical theater at James Madison University, graduating in 2019.[2]
Career
Comer began acting in small scale productions, including roles as the Baker in Into the Woods, Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, and Melchior in Spring Awakening.[2]
Comer's first professional acting role was in the 2019 staging of the musical Les Misérables in Sondheim Theatre.[4][5] The COVID-19 pandemic halted the production and lost Comer the part; he also struggled to find roles, which led to him nearly quitting acting. During the pandemic, he moved back to his native Maryland and worked in a distillery.[2] Comer's breakthrough role came with Darrel Curtis in the musical The Outsiders[2][4] in his Broadway debut.[6] He auditioned for the show following a recommendation from his agent,[2] and was cast in July 2022.[1] He initially portrayed the character Paul and was an understudy for Darrel, played by Ryan Vasquez, from February to April 2023 at La Jolla Playhouse, California. After Vasquez left the production, Comer auditioned for the role, and was eventually hired.[2] Comer was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for his performance as one of the four featured singers on the album recording of the musical.[1][7] He performed at the 77th Tony Awards in 2024 alongside the rest of The Outsiders cast, where the play received 12 nominations.[8]
Comer will make his onscreen debut with The Mosquito Bowl (2026), a film about the Mosquito Bowl game during World War II. He will play George Murphy, an American football quarterback who studied at the University of Notre Dame.[4] He took a leave of absence from The Outsiders to film the project.[9] In addition to acting, Comer is a singer. In 2025, he performed his debut concert at 54 Below in New York City with Benjamin Rauhala.[10][11]
Personal life
Comer lives in Astoria, Queens as of 2025.[2]
Comer has been in a public relationship with Broadway actress McKenzie Kurtz since August of 2025.[12]
Acting credits
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Mosquito Bowl † | TBA | Post-production | [4][13] |
Theatre
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Les Misérables | N/a | Sondheim Theatre | [4][5] |
| 2023 | The Outsiders | Paul | La Jolla Playhouse | [2] |
| Darrel Curtis | Broadway |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | 2025 | Best Musical Theater Album | The Outsiders | Nominated | [1][7] |
References
- ^ a b c d e Henderson, Kathy (December 26, 2024). "How The Outsiders Kept Brent Comer From Quitting the Business—And Made Him a Grammy Nominee". Broadway. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Musical Theatre major stars in Tony-winning Broadway hit". James Madison University. June 13, 2025. Archived from the original on June 25, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Jones, Erin (March 28, 2024). "TJ High grad Brent Comer makes his Broadway debut in new musical 'The Outsiders'". The Frederick News-Post. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Stephan, Katcy; Donnelly, Matt (July 8, 2025). "Brent Comer Joins Peter Berg's 'The Mosquito Bowl' at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on July 9, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Perks, Daniel (January 17, 2020). "Les Misérables cast and creative team celebrate Sondheim Theatre West End production opening". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ^ Evans, Greg (November 1, 2023). "Broadway Newcomers To Make Debuts In 'The Outsiders' Musical This Spring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 7, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Erin (June 17, 2024). "'The Outsiders' featuring Frederick native Brent Comer wins Tony for Best Musical". The Frederick News-Post. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (July 9, 2025). "Broadway's Tom Francis, Brent Comer Will Star in The Mosquito Bowl for Netflix". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 16, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ Papadatos, Markos (February 9, 2025). "Review: Brent Comer of 'The Outsiders' musical goes for the gold at 54 Below in New York City". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "Brent Comer". 54 Below. Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ Kurtz, McKenzie (August 27, 2025). Mckenzie Kurtz on the Off-Broadway return of 'Heathers the Musical'. New York Live. Event occurs at 2:48. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (January 7, 2026). "Netflix's 2026 Film Slate: Dates For 'War Machine' & Other Titles, New Cast For Animated 'Swapped' Plus First-Look Pics For 'Enola Holmes 3,' More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2026. Retrieved January 19, 2026.