Brent Comer

Brent Comer is an American actor and singer from Frederick, Maryland. He has two older brothers and attended Monocacy Middle School and Governor Thomas Johnson High School. It was at Monocacy Middle School that he first read S.E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders, the stage adaptation of which he would later perform in. His path into acting began at Governor Thomas Johnson High School after he accidentally enrolled in a musical theater elective rather than the newscasting class he had intended to join. He went on to study musical theater at James Madison University, graduating in 2019.

Before his professional career, Comer appeared in smaller-scale productions, taking on roles including the Baker in Into the Woods, Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, and Melchior in Spring Awakening. His first professional role came in 2019 with the staging of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre, though the COVID-19 pandemic brought the production to a halt and cost him the part. The period that followed was difficult; struggling to find work, Comer came close to leaving acting altogether and relocated to Maryland, where he worked at a distillery.

His career turned around when his agent recommended him for a new musical adaptation of The Outsiders. He auditioned and was cast in July 2022. From February to April 2023, he performed at La Jolla Playhouse in California, initially playing the character Paul while also understudying the role of Darrel Curtis, which was then held by Ryan Vasquez. When Vasquez departed the production, Comer auditioned for the lead role and was ultimately hired, making his Broadway debut as Darrel Curtis. His Broadway tenure spans 2017 to 2024, during which he also appeared in Les Misérables. Comer performed alongside the rest of The Outsiders cast at the 77th Tony Awards in 2024, the year the production received 12 Tony nominations. He was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album as one of four featured singers on the cast recording.

Comer is set to make his onscreen debut in The Mosquito Bowl, a 2026 film centered on a football game played during World War II. He will portray George Murphy, a quarterback who attended the University of Notre Dame, and took a leave of absence from The Outsiders to film the project. In 2025, he performed his debut concert at 54 Below in New York City alongside Benjamin Rauhala. As of 2025, Comer lives in Astoria, Queens, and has been in a public relationship with Broadway actress McKenzie Kurtz since August of that year.