Brett Gelman

Brett Gelman is an American actor and comedian born on October 6, 1976. He gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Murray Bauman in the Netflix supernatural horror series Stranger Things and his role as Martin in the BBC comedy series Fleabag. Over the course of his career, he has established a prominent presence across television, feature films, voice acting, and live comedy.

Gelman was raised in a Jewish family. His father worked as a photo salesman, and he has a younger sister who works as a speech pathologist. After completing his secondary education at Highland Park High School in Illinois, Gelman attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he received classical training in theater performance.

Following his college graduation, Gelman relocated to New York City alongside fellow actor Jon Daly. There, he became a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, collaborating as part of the sketch group Mr. A$$ and performing alongside Daly as the comedy rap duo Cracked Out. During this period, Gelman earned income through a popular New York Lottery commercial campaign playing the character Little Bit Of Luck, and he workshopped a one-man stage production titled 1,000 Cats across various venues. He also hosted his own podcast, Gelmania, and made frequent appearances on comedy podcasts such as Comedy Bang! Bang!.

Throughout the 2010s, Gelman built a diverse body of television work. He served as a main cast member on the NBC sitcom Go On, the FX comedy Married, and the Adult Swim live-action series Eagleheart, alongside recurring roles on Comedy Central's Another Period and Starz's Blunt Talk. He contributed as a writer to sketch programs such as Human Giant, and he created and hosted the Adult Swim comedy specials Dinner with Friends with Brett Gelman and Friends and its follow-up, Dinner in America. In late 2016, Gelman publicly parted ways with Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, citing concerns over the network's treatment of female employees and the promotion of a controversial program.

Gelman's profile expanded significantly in the late 2010s. After joining the second season of Stranger Things in a recurring role as conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman, he was elevated to the main cast by the fourth season. In film, Gelman appeared in projects such as The Other Guys and 30 Minutes or Less. In 2017, he co-wrote and starred in the feature film Lemon, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His later film credits include Room for Rent and the 2024 drama McVeigh, in which he played Terry Nichols. He was also cast in the Apple TV+ drama series Lady in the Lake.

As a voice actor, Gelman has provided characters for animated series including Comedy Central's TripTank and Jeff & Some Aliens, as well as Netflix's I Heart Arlo and Inside Job. In his personal life, Gelman married director Janicza Bravo in 2015 after meeting on a commercial set; the couple divorced in 2018. In April 2023, he announced his engagement to Ari Dayan. Gelman has also engaged in public advocacy, speaking out on social media and participating in media appearances regarding international issues and online antisemitism.