Jalen Thomas Brooks

{{Infobox person

| name = Jalen Thomas Brooks

| image =

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|10|11}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| death_date =

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| other_names =

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 2019–present

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}}

Jalen Thomas Brooks (born October 11, 2001) is an American actor. He is known for his recurring roles in the short lived ABC legal drama, Rebel and The CW's Walker, a reboot of the iconic 1990s action series, Walker, Texas Ranger. He also had a brief recurring role in the TNT drama, Animal Kingdom. Brooks made his feature film debut in the 2023 horror film, Thanksgiving.

Early life and education

Jalen Thomas Brooks was born on October 11,{{Cite instagram |last= Kluge |first=Peter |author-link= |user=pfkluger |postid=YmMyMTA2M2Y |date=October 11, 2020 |title=Peter Kluge on Instagram: “Happy Birthday @jalenthomasbrooks 🔥🙌🏼” |script-title= |trans-title= |language=English |location= |access-date=May 29, 2022 |link=https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGOFmboJ5lG/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= |archive-url= |archive-date= |ref=}} 2001.{{cite web |last=Stone |first=Sam |title=Walker: Jalen Thomas Brooks Hints at Season 2's Bigger Twists & Turns |url=https://www.cbr.com/walker-jalen-thomas-brooks-interview/ |date=April 28, 2022 |website=Comic Book Resources |publisher=Valnet Inc. |access-date=May 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428171145/https://www.cbr.com/walker-jalen-thomas-brooks-interview/ |archive-date=April 28, 2022}} in Los Angeles, California. He has one brother.{{cite magazine |author= |title=JALEN THOMAS BROOKS ON TELLING SIMPLE STORIES WITH UNIVERSAL MESSAGES |url=https://phosphormagazine.com/jalen-thomas-brooks |magazine=Phosphor |location=United States |publisher= |date=December 1, 2023 |access-date=December 13, 2023}} Brooks was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he attended Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada, and played basketball growing up.{{cite AV media |people=Frank Parillo and Jalen Thomas Brooks |date=August 21, 2021 |title=DreamTraxx Live and Uncut with Frank Parrillo |trans-title= |type= |language=English |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufI0UxfVHps&t=902s |access-date=October 31, 2021 |archive-url= |archive-date= |format= |time= |location= |publisher= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }} Brooks even had letters from college scouts as early as his freshman year in high school. He ultimately gave up basketball due to boredom and physical exhaustion. He credited The Hunger Games (2012) with piquing his interest in acting as he saw kids his age. Brooks began training in theater courses which he admits were intimidating. Instead, he later enrolled in a film acting course. He likened film acting to a team sport like basketball.{{cite web |last=Turitz |first=Neil |title=Jalen Thomas Brooks on Learning From Horror Director Eli Roth on the Set of 'Thanksgiving' |url=https://www.castingnetworks.com/news/jalen-thomas-brooks-on-learning-from-horror-director-eli-roth-on-the-set-of-thanksgiving/ |website=Casting Networks, LLC |date=December 13, 2023 |access-date=December 13, 2023}} Brooks studied at DreamTraxx Acting Academy in Vegas. There he found an agent and began taking auditions.

Career

Brooks credited his mother for his career as his family resided in Las Vegas, Brooks and his mother would often commute for his auditions in Burbank.{{cite web |title=Exclusive Interview: Jalen Thomas Brooks Talks About the Horror-Slasher Classic ‘Thanksgiving,’ Collaborating with Eli Roth, and More |url=https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-jalen-thomas-brooks-talks-about-the-horror-slasher-classic-thanksgiving-collaborating-with-eli-roth-and-more/ |date=November 19, 2023 |website=Pop Culturalist |access-date=November 24, 2023}} In 2019, Brooks made his television debut in an episode of The CW's Supergirl. Fresh off a recurring role as Blaise on TNT's Animal Kingdom, Brooks was cast in the recurring role of Sean in ABC's Rebel on February 9, 2021.{{cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |title='Rebel': Mary McDonnell, Adam Arkin, Matthew Glave & Jalen Thomas Brooks Join ABC Drama Series As Recurring |url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/rebel-mary-mcdonnell-adam-arkin-matthew-glave-jalen-thomas-brooks-abc-series-recurring-1234690690/ |date=February 9, 2021 |website=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |access-date=October 31, 2021}} While the series was short lived, Brooks appeared in 8 out of the 10 episodes. On October 22, 2021, it was announced that Brooks had been cast as Colton Davidson on The CW's Walker.{{cite web |last=Holbrook |first=Damian |title='Walker' Casts 'Rebel' Vet Jalen Thomas Brooks as Rival Family Scion |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1019291/walker-season-2-jalen-thomas-brooks-colton-davidson/ |date=October 22, 2021 |website=TV Insider |publisher=TVGM Holdings, LLC |location=United States |access-date=October 31, 2021}} At the time, Brooks had just wrapped Rebel and he was looking to take a break when his manager urged him to audition for Walker instead. He was shocked when he booked the gig and said "It was honestly the best decision in my life, just to do it." Having grown up on Supernatural, the actor was excited to work opposite Jared Padalecki and fellow Supernatural alumni, Mitch Pileggi.{{cite web |last=Byrne |first=Craig |title=Interview: Jalen Thomas Brooks Talks Walker's Colton |url=https://www.ksitetv.com/walker/interview-jalen-thomas-brooks-talks-walkers-colton/228255/ |date=April 28, 2022 |website=KSiteTV |access-date=May 29, 2022}} Brooks had briefly met his Walker co-star Odette Annable when they both worked on Supergirl. Brooks would appear in 20 episodes of the series. In February 2023, Brooks booked a starring role Eli Roth's Thanksgiving. The film was released on November 17.{{cite web |last=Kit |first=Borys |title=Eli Roth's Horror Thriller 'Thanksgiving' Finds Its Stars in Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/thanksgiving-eli-roth-movie-casts-leads-1235333716/ |date=February 24, 2023 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Eldridge Industries |access-date=March 5, 2023}} In 2024, Brooks was cast in the Max drama series, The Pitt.{{cite web |last=Petski |first=Denise |title=‘The Pitt’ Drama Series Starring Noah Wyle Adds 9 To Recurring Cast |url=https://deadline.com/2024/08/the-pitt-cast-max-drama-series-noah-wyle-shawn-hatosy-1236040477/ |date=August 14, 2024 |website=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=Penske Media Corporation|access-date=August 18, 2024}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
2022 \| 7 Minutes in Hell \| Eric \| Short
2023 \| Thanksgiving \|Bobby \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

2022

| 7 Minutes in Hell

| Eric

| Short

2023

| Thanksgiving

|Bobby

=Television=

Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
2019	Supergirl	Simon Kirby	Episode: "In Plain Sight"
2020	Henry Danger	Jack Swagger	Episode: "Cave the Date"
rowspan="2" \| 2021	Rebel	Sean	{{show \| 1= Recurring role \| 2= Episode: "Pilot" Episode: "Patient X" Episode: "Superhero" Episode: "The Right Thing" Episode: "Just Because You're Paranoid" Episode: "It's All About the Chemistry" Episode: "Trial Day" Episode: "36 Hours" }}
Animal Kingdom	Blaise	{{show \| 1= Recurring role \| 2= Episode "Power" Episode "Splinter" Episode "Relentless" Episode: "Launch" }}
2021–2023	Walker	Colton Davidson	{{Show \|1= Recurring role \|2= Episode: "They Started It" {{small\|(2021)}} Episode: "The One Who Got Away" {{small\|(2021)}} Episode: "Barn Burner" {{small\|(2021)}} Episode: "Dog Fir" {{small\|(2021)}} Episode: "Where Do We Go From Here?" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Sucker Punch" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Nudge" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Boundaries" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Common Ground" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "No Such Thing As Fair Play" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Bygones" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Torn" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Search and Rescue" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "A Matter of Miles" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Something's Missing" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "World on a String" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Rubber Meets the Road" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Something There That Wasn't There Before" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Just Deserts" {{small\|(2022)}} Episode: "Buffering" {{small\|(2023)}} }}
2025	The Pitt	Mateo Diaz	Recurring role

References

External links

{{IMDb name|9780469}}

Category:2001 births

Category:Living people

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Male actors from Las Vegas

Category:Male actors from Los Angeles

Category:21st-century American male actors