Brendan Hines Bio
Brendan Patrick Hines (born December 28, 1976) is an American actor and singer whose career spans stage, independent film, network television and streaming series. He is known for regular and recurring roles on Lie to Me, The Tick, Scandal, Suits and Locke & Key, and for a parallel music career releasing albums and singles under his own name and The Brendan Hines.
Early Life and Background
Brendan Patrick Hines was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest of four children on December 28, 1976. He graduated from Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore after growing up in a family shaped by a strong intellectual and religious background; his mother Mary Hines was a former nun and his father was a former Jesuit priest who left religious life to marry.
Hines’ upbringing included exposure to education and the arts; his parents moved from Brooklyn to Baltimore to teach philosophy. That environment and his early involvement in local theater set the stage for his decision to pursue acting professionally beginning in the late 1990s.
Path to Celebrity
Hines launched his career onstage in New York City, performing in several theater productions before moving into independent film and television. His first major film role came in the 2001 independent feature Ordinary Sinner, which established him in the indie film circuit and led to additional screen opportunities.
Building on those early credits, Hines worked steadily through guest appearances and recurring television roles that broadened his visibility. He combined stage work with small-screen performances, which created a foundation for his transition to regular television work and for pursuing music projects alongside acting.
Brendan Hines Career
Early Career (1998–2008)
Brendan Hines began acting professionally in 1998, with a string of stage roles in New York City forming the backbone of his early career. He moved into film with Ordinary Sinner (2001) and later appeared in features such as Heavy Petting (2007) and Deep in the Valley (2009), steadily expanding his screen resume.
Through the 2000s Hines also accumulated a number of television guest spots, including appearances on Angel and Love, Inc., and recurring parts such as Andy Goode on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and a role on The Middleman. Those varied credits established him as a versatile performer able to move between comedy, drama and genre material.
Television Breakthrough (2009–2014)
Hines joined the regular cast of Lie to Me in 2009, playing Eli Loker across all three seasons of the series; that role marked his first sustained exposure on network television and introduced him to a wider audience. His work on Lie to Me showcased his ability to blend dramatic seriousness with lighter moments and helped secure further television opportunities.
After Lie to Me, Hines took on a succession of recurring and guest roles on notable series. He appeared in Scandal, Betrayal and Suits—portraying Logan Sanders in Suits’ fourth season—and made multiple appearances on Scorpion and in the second season of Secrets and Lies. These roles reinforced his reputation as a dependable character actor in serialized television.
Streaming and Genre Work (2016–Present)
Hines moved into genre and streaming projects with a prominent role in Amazon Video’s The Tick, released in 2017, where he portrayed the superhero character Superian. The part increased his visibility in comic-book–influenced television and demonstrated his capacity for larger-than-life, genre-driven performances.
He continued working on streaming platforms with a role in Netflix’s Locke & Key in 2020, adding to a slate of recent credits that span both streaming series and network television. Across these projects Hines has balanced dramatic and comedic beats, maintaining a steady presence in scripted television into the 2020s.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hines’ acting style emphasizes naturalism, emotional range and adaptability across genres. He performs comfortably in ensemble casts and recurring-character formats, combining grounded character work with the ability to deliver heightened or comedic moments when required. His background in theater contributes to a disciplined approach to character preparation and scene work.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Hines’ career include his three-season run on Lie to Me, his transition to recognized genre work with The Tick, and his recurring appearances on several high-profile network series such as Scandal and Suits. In music, the placement of his song “Miss New York” in the 2010 film Happythankyoumoreplease represented an early crossover success between his acting and musical output.
Brendan Hines Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hines grew up in a family rooted in education and religious tradition; his mother, Mary Hines, later served in academic leadership. He is the youngest of four children and spent his formative years in Baltimore, where his family settled after leaving Brooklyn.
Personal Life
Brendan Hines married actress Tatiana Maslany in 2022. Public records and reporting list no children. Hines has maintained a private personal life beyond his marriage, while remaining publicly engaged in music and politics.
Music Career and Political Activism
Parallel to his acting work, Hines has pursued a music career under The Brendan Hines and his own name. In early 2008 he released Good For You Know Who, and his song “Miss New York” was featured in the 2010 film Happythankyoumoreplease. In 2012 he released the single “Could’ve Sworn” from the Small Mistakes EP and toured in support of the release with The Milk Carton Kids. In 2017 he released the single “Average Is” as part of material written after the 2016 election and has discussed an album called Qualms recorded in Joshua Tree.
Hines has also been active politically; he publicly supported Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential cycle and joined Sanders at several campaign events in the lead-up to the Democratic primaries. His political engagement has been a consistent and public aspect of his off-screen profile.