Brian Posehn

The comedian who didn't want to fit in

Brian Posehn stands nearly six feet seven inches tall, and his voice sounds like someone dragging a sack of gravel across the basement. In the San Francisco scene of the late eighties, that physical presence was as intimidating as it was magnetic to talent scouts.

He wasn't aiming to be the heartthrob of the hit series. His goal was the alternative comedy circuit, where sarcasm and references to darker pop culture were the common currency.

In 1995 he joined the cast of Mr. Show with Bob and David. That HBO sketch show was the lab where he refined a style built on absolute deadpan in the face of absurd situations.

Because Posehn realized early on that his physique was a precision comedy tool.

At the end of that decade, his face became a regular presence in sitcoms that were looking for a strange counterpoint. He took part in Just Shoot Me! playing Kevin Liotta (a celebrity who appeared in nearly thirty episodes), and showed he could keep up with commercial television without losing his air of the odd guy.

The Refuge of Luxury Supporting Players

The general public began to recognize his face in 2007 thanks to The Sarah Silverman Program. There he played Brian Spukowski, a distorted version of himself who was obsessed with video games and heavy metal.

His on-screen appearances tend to be brief but leave a lasting impression thanks to his ability to deliver cutting one-liners without moving a single facial muscle.

In 2013 he entered the world of The Big Bang Theory as Bert Kibbler. His role as a lonely, tender geologist added a layer of humanity to a comedy that sometimes relied too heavily on cheap jokes about scientists.

And the gamble paid off.

But his career isn't limited to standing in front of a high-definition camera. Posehn is a prolific screenwriter who has managed to bring his obsession with comic books to the pages of Marvel, with considerable sales success.

The autograph of a professional fan

Between 2012 and 2015, he wrote the adventures of Deadpool alongside Gerry Duggan. During that period he revitalized the character with a irreverent humor that connected directly with a new generation of comic book readers.

In 2020 he released his musical comedy album Grandpa Metal. On this project he collaborated with members of bands such as Anthrax and Slipknot to poke fun at the dogmas of the music genre he loves so much.

Posehn continues to fill comedy clubs across the United States.

His voice has brought animated series characters to life, such as The Great North, between 2021 and 2024. Working in a voice booth lets him exploit that distinctive deep register without relying on his imposing height.

In 2024 he did voice work for the series Rock Paper Scissors, playing the character Sandstone. The Nickelodeon production recorded his voice sessions at the Burbank studios the previous winter, under the technical supervision of the network's regular sound engineers.