Brett Goldstein

Brett Goldstein is an English actor, comedian, podcaster, writer, and producer. He gained widespread international recognition for portraying the veteran footballer Roy Kent in the Apple TV+ sports comedy-drama series Ted Lasso, which premiered in 2020. In addition to his acting and writing work on that show, he is the co-creator of the Apple TV+ comedy-drama series Shrinking.

Born on 17 July 1980 in the London suburb of Sutton, Goldstein grew up in a British Jewish family. He received his education at Sevenoaks School and later attended the University of Warwick, where he graduated with a degree in film studies. Following his university graduation, he briefly relocated to Marbella, Spain, to work at a strip club bought by his father. He then moved to New York City to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts until 2003, during which time he began writing scripts that he later presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He subsequently used his time in Spain as the basis for his 2011 stand-up comedy show, Brett Goldstein Grew Up in a Strip Club.

Goldstein began his screen career performing in short films and wrote and starred in his debut feature, the 2005 thriller Wish You Were Here, which was later remade as Slave in 2009. He made his television debut in 2009 on the police drama The Bill. Between 2012 and 2016, he appeared in a variety of television comedy series, including Uncle, Drifters, Derek, and Hoff the Record, where he played a personal trainer.

In 2013, Goldstein authored and starred in the low-budget superhero romantic comedy SuperBob. His work on the film led to a partnership with co-star Catherine Tate, with whom he co-wrote and appeared in the sitcom spin-off Catherine Tate's Nan. Their collaboration continued with Tate's 2016 live tour, the 2022 feature film The Nan Movie, and a 2021 Comic Relief sketch starring Daniel Craig. In 2016, Goldstein won the British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Adult Life Skills. He also guest-starred in Doctor Who in 2018 and launched his comedy podcast, Films to Be Buried With, in July of that year.

Goldstein joined the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso in 2020 after producer Bill Lawrence hired him as a writer. Feeling a strong connection to the character of Roy Kent, Goldstein recorded a self-taped audition containing five scenes and emailed it to the production crew. The tape secured him the role, and his performance earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in both 2021 and 2022.

Beyond his work on Ted Lasso, Goldstein co-created and wrote the six-part AMC science fiction anthology series Soulmates with Will Bridges, adapting their 2013 short film For Life. In 2022, he signed an overall multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Television and made a cameo appearance as the character Hercules in the feature film Thor: Love and Thunder.