Big Bang Actor on Role of a Lifetime
BRIAN’S INFO.
Brian’s parents divorced when he was four and his mom remarried when he was seven. Although he and his stepfather did not always see eye to eye, Brian is thankful he was brought up in the church and became a Christian when he was 15. Through the years, he never walked away from the Lord even though he acknowledges there have been times when he has felt closer to the Lord than at other times.
After he moved to LA, Brian began to pursue his acting career. Doors began to open and his career took off with a variety of roles on shows such as Big Bang Theory, The Guardian, and Marvel Agents of SHIELD, and many more. From 2002 – 2016, instead of getting caught up in the partying scene of Hollywood, he relied on the Lord. In 2016, after 15 years in Hollywood, Brian moved out of LA. He found the acting roles were becoming increasingly more disappointing in an effort to accommodate Hollywood’s culture. “Being a Christian in Hollywood can be a difficult road. You have to make sure you are not compromising,” shares Brian.
Another event that shifted Brian’s perspective on his roles in the entertainment industry was when he became a dad for the first time. He became more aware of how the Hollywood culture was not providing a positive role for children. As a result, he became more selective in the roles he chose to do and turned down acting jobs that did not align with his values.
These days he is focused on being the man God has called him to be and the best example he can be for his kids by pointing them to the Creator that loves them. In addition to acting, Brian is also an athlete and owner of Side Hustle Crossfit in Rocklin, CA. **On July 24th, his 2-year-old son, who has a large hole in his heart, will need open heart surgery.
A POSITIVE ROLE
Brian and Travis Bowman, author/producer of LUSO™, met through Brian’s former youth pastor, David Tarkington, who is now the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Orange Park, Florida. Travis was looking for someone to play the lead role in his film who was similar in size to his ancestor Peter Francisco. David introduced Brian to Travis and the rest is history. Brian is thankful for the opportunity to play the role of Peter Francisco, a real-life hero.
LUSO SUMMARY
In 2022, Travis and Brian formed the film company, Into the Storm Productions, LLC and produced the short film LUSO™ directed by Kevin Peeples in 2023. LUSO is short for Lusitanians, the 1st century people group from Portugal. They were the fiercest warriors that the Roman Empire ever fought against. They became known as LUSO.
The short film is to promote the 9-episode miniseries LUSO™ which launched in early 2024. The plan is to produce Season 1 (episodes 1-4) later this fall, Season 2 late next year, and release a 2-hour grand finale in theaters on July 4, 2026 – the nation’s 250th anniversary. Visit https://luso.tv to find out more information about LUSO and how you can get involved.
PETER FRANCISCO – VIRGINIA HISTORY
LUSO™ was written by Travis and is based on the life of his famous ancestor, Peter “Pedro” Francisco, from the American Revolution. Peter was originally from the Portuguese Azores Islands, kidnapped by pirates, dropped off in Virginia, forced into slavery, but God had a plan for his life. When he joined the Continental Army in 1776, he was a 6’6”, 260 lbs. giant. Peter was so big that George Washington had a 6’ broadsword made for him.
Peter was in most of the major battles of the Northern and Southern campaigns during the Revolution. He fought for a total of five years. The battle scenes in the miniseries are based on eyewitness accounts and historic documents about Peter’s heroic actions. He was wounded six times and left for dead twice.
Today, five monuments stand in Peter Francisco’s honor two of which refer to him as “Hercules”. To this day, four states observe Peter Francisco Day on March 15th. The US Postal service enshrined him on a stamp in 1976. There are several museums in Virginia and North Carolina that have artifacts on display that were owned by Peter, and his home, called Locust Grove, has been a registered national historic site in Dillwyn, Virginia since 1972. A portrait of Peter hangs in the Virginia Capitol building right next to the Speaker of the House’s office door.
Peter lived a long life and was serving in the Virginia Senate when he passed away at the age of 71 on January 16th, 1831. The Virginia government shut down for a day to mourn the loss of a Revolutionary hero, and they paid for his funeral. The Richmond Times reported this was the largest funeral procession Virginia had ever seen. He is buried in a famous cemetery in the downtown Richmond, Virginia.
You can preview the short film LUSO at https://luso.tv.
