Brandon J. Dirden

Brandon J. Dirden (born 1978 or 1979) is an American actor whose Broadway career has spanned from 2007 to 2025. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Illinois, where he also completed his graduate studies. Dirden is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Robert Schenkkan's All the Way on Broadway.

Dirden made his Broadway debut in Prelude to a Kiss and has since accumulated a substantial list of stage credits both on and off Broadway, including Waiting for Godot, All the Way Home, Clybourne Park, The First Breeze of Summer, and Detroit 67. His work with August Wilson's canon has been a recurring thread throughout his career. In 2012, his portrayal of Boy Willie in the Signature Theatre's revival of The Piano Lesson earned him an OBIE Award, an AUDELCO VIV Award, and a Theatre World Award, along with nominations for the Drama League and Lucille Lortel awards. He appeared in Wilson's Jitney at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2017, and in 2024 starred in Wilson's Gem of the Ocean at Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey.

In 2022, Dirden appeared on Broadway in two productions: Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew, in which he played Reggie, and the revival of Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out. His performance in Skeleton Crew earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

Beyond performing, Dirden made his directorial debut in September 2015, staging August Wilson's Seven Guitars at Two River Theater. On television, he has had a recurring role as Dennis Aderholt on The Americans and has guest-starred on The Big C, The Good Wife, and Ed Burns' Public Morals.

In his personal life, Dirden is married to actress Crystal A. Dickinson, whom he met during graduate school at the University of Illinois. The couple has one son, Chase Ari Dirden. His brother, Jason Dirden, is also an actor, and the two have appeared together in stage productions on multiple occasions.