Josh Brener
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- October 1, 1984 (age 42)
- Birthplace
- Houston, Texas, USA
Biography
**Josh Brener** (born October 1, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, and voice artist. Recognized for his fast-talking delivery, witty neuroticism, and sharp comic timing, he achieved widespread recognition for his starring role as Nelson "Big Head" Bighetti on the critically acclaimed HBO comedy series *Silicon Valley* (2014 to 2019). Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Brener attended the Bellaire High School before enrolling at Harvard University. At Harvard, he served as the president of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, performing in and writing numerous original comedy productions. He also studied and performed improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, quickly finding steady work in commercial and sketch comedy spaces. Brener gained early television visibility with recurring roles on series such as *Glory Daze* (2010 to 2011) and *The Big Bang Theory*, where he made memorable appearances as Stuart Bloom's comic bookstore assistant, Dale. On the big screen, he secured early notice playing the energetic, fast-talking intern Lyle Spaulding in the Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson comedy *The Internship* (2013). In 2014, Brener was cast in his breakout role as Big Head in Mike Judge's *Silicon Valley*. As the affable, endlessly underqualified programmer whose baffling luck propels him upward into absurd corporate success and wealth, his character became one of the satire's most beloved running gags and narrative highlights throughout all six seasons. Beyond *Silicon Valley*, Brener has built an extensive film and television portfolio, including appearances in the comedy thriller *The Belko Experiment* (2016), the political drama *The Front Runner* (2018), and the comedy *What Men Want* (2019). On television, he starred in the short-lived comedy *Mythic Quest* as young C.W. Longbottom and made guest appearances across shows like *Modern Family*, *Maron*, and *The Last of Us*. Brener is also a prolific voice actor in animated features and television. He voiced Donatello in Nickelodeon's *Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (2018 to 2020) and its 2022 feature film, Neeku Vozo in *Star Wars Resistance* (2018 to 2020), Dylan Dalmatian in Disney's *101 Dalmatian Street*, and Mark Beaks in *DuckTales* (2017 to 2021). With a seamless blend of live action comedy, voice performance, and character acting, he remains a versatile and steady presence across American television and film.
Known For
Filmography
The Patience of Vultures
Movie · as Lee
Caller 102: A Ballad of Cyberspace
Movie
White Elephant
Movie
B-Roll
Movie · as Andy
That Friend
Movie · as Henry
Sniper: No Nation
Movie · as Intel Pete
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe
TV · as Trevor · 6 eps
Cold Wallet
Movie · as Charles Hegel
StuGo
TV · as Bombo (voice) · 1 ep
I Love LA
TV · as Victor · 1 ep
Carry-On
Movie · as Herschel
Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate
Movie · as OI' Chum (voice)
Saturday Night
Movie · as Alan Zweibel
Megamind Rules!
TV · as Ol' Chum (voice) · 16 eps
3 Body Problem
TV · as Kent · 1 ep
Batman: Caped Crusader
TV · as Jonathan Crane Jr. (voice) · 1 ep
Sniper: G.R.I.T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team
Movie · as Intelligence Pete
Old Dads
Movie · as Dana (Parent)
The Last of Us
TV · as Murray · 1 ep
Sniper: Rogue Mission
Movie · as Intelligence Pete
Bromates
Movie · as Sid
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
Movie · as Donnie / Security AI / Tank AI / Dragged Man (voice)
Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
TV · as Beavis H. (voice), Paul (voice) · 1 ep
Rugrats
TV · as Daxton (voice), Borfball / Daxton (voice), Daxton / Invisible Eater (voice) · 7 eps
All My Life
Movie · as Eric Bronitt
Date Nite
Movie · as Jon
Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss
Movie · as Cultist
Mythic Quest
TV · as Carl Longbottom · 1 ep
The Mighty Ones
TV · as Twig (voice) · 80 eps
Spin
Movie · as The Sign Spinning Interviewer
What Men Want
Movie · as Brandon Wallace
Love, Death & Robots
TV · as K-VRC (voice), Shower Head / Litter Box (voice) · 2 eps
101 Dalmatian Street
TV · as Dylan · 52 eps
The Front Runner
Movie · as Doug Wilson
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
TV · as Donatello (voice) · 70 eps
Star Wars Resistance
TV · as Neeku Vozo (voice) · 38 eps
The Neighborhood
TV · as Trevor · 1 ep
Unleashed
Movie · as Luke
The Belko Experiment
Movie · as Keith McLure
Brand New Old Love
Movie · as Bruce
Where's the Money
Movie · as Clarke
DuckTales
TV · as Mark Beaks / Mega Beaks (voice), Mark Beaks (voice) · 1 ep
Welcome to Happiness
Movie · as Ripley
Baked in Brooklyn
Movie · as David
Max Steel
Movie · as Steel (voice)
The Rumperbutts
Movie · as Richie
Jim & Helen Forever
Movie · as Aaron
Silicon Valley
TV · as Nelson 'Big Head' Bighetti · 53 eps
Star Wars Rebels
TV · as Erskin Semaj / Imperial Tech (voice), Erskin Semaj (voice) · 1 ep
The Internship
Movie · as Lyle Spaulding
Maron
TV · as Kyle · 12 eps
Say It Ain't Solo
Movie · as Richie Tobolowsky
House of Lies
TV · as Wil Davis · 1 ep
Scandal
TV · as Gavin Price · 1 ep
Workaholics
TV · as Marshall Davis · 1 ep
Glory Daze
TV · as Zack Miller · 10 eps
The Condom Killer
Movie · as College Guy
The Middle
TV · as Julian · 1 ep
Modern Family
TV · as Carl · 1 ep
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
TV · as Worker (voice) · 1 ep
The Big Bang Theory
TV · as Dale · 2 eps