Brett Goldstein (born 17 July 1980) is an English actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer. He is known for his role as Roy Kent in the Apple TV+ sports comedy-drama series Ted Lasso.
๐ Early Life and Education
Goldstein was born in 1980 in the London suburb of Sutton, to a British Jewish family. He was educated at Sevenoaks School.
After secondary school he attended the University of Warwick, where he graduated with a degree in film studies.
๐ Early Career and Moves
Soon afterwards, he briefly relocated to Marbella, Spain, to work at a strip club which his father purchased during a “midlife crisis”. He then moved to New York City to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, until 2003.
While there, he began writing scripts that he later took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He turned his Marbella experience into a stand-up comedy routine, Brett Goldstein Grew Up in a Strip Club (2011).
๐ฌ Acting and Writing Beginnings
Goldstein began acting in short films and had his first feature film role in the self-written thriller Wish You Were Here (2005). In 2009, he made his television debut in two episodes of ITV’s long-running police drama The Bill.
From 2012 to 2016, he appeared in several comedy series, such as BBC One’s Uncle, E4’s Drifters and Channel 4’s Derek. He also played American TV legend David Hasselhoff’s personal trainer, Danny, in Dave’s mockumentary series Hoff the Record (2015โ2016).
๐ฆธ SuperBob and Collaborations
In 2013, Goldstein wrote and played the leading role of a Peckham postman-turned-superhero in the low-budget romantic comedy SuperBob (2015). Comedian Catherine Tate invited him to co-write and guest star in the BBC One sitcom Catherine Tate’s Nan (2014โ2015).
The two continued to collaborate, with Goldstein joining Tate on her first ever live tour in 2016 and co-writing the feature film The Nan Movie (2022) and a 2021 Comic Relief sketch starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.
๐ Awards and Podcasting
In 2016, he won the BIFA for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Brendan in the comedy film Adult Life Skills. In 2018, Goldstein and Whittaker appeared together in the Doctor Who episode “The Tsuranga Conundrum”.
Later that year, in July 2018, he began his career as a podcaster with Films to Be Buried With. Goldstein has also written and performed four solo stand-up shows.
โฝ Ted Lasso and Roy Kent
TV producer Bill Lawrence hired Goldstein as a writer for the 2020 Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso. His writing on the show led to his being cast as the character of aging footballer Roy Kent.
He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), for his work on the show.
๐บ Soulmates and Thor
Together with Black Mirror writer Will Bridges, Goldstein created and wrote the six-part science fiction anthology series Soulmates for AMC. The series premiered in October 2020.
In 2022, he signed a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Later that year, Goldstein appeared as Hercules in the mid-credits scene of Thor: Love and Thunder.
| Category | Detail | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 17 July 1980 | 1980 | Sutton, London |
| Education | University of Warwick | Graduated | Degree in film studies |
| Major Role | Roy Kent in Ted Lasso | 2020โpresent | Apple TV+ |
| Emmy Wins | Outstanding Supporting Actor | 2021, 2022 | Two consecutive years |