Jesse Bradfords transition from child star and teen talent to mature actor was remarkably smooth by Hollywood standards the former Connecticut native endured no career embarrassments, no public humiliations, and retained the qualities that first drew audiences to him in his debut in Ulu Grosbards drama, Falling in Love (1984). Those qualities a quick wit, a charming smile, and a knack for both comedy and drama helped him land adult roles in a wide variety of acclaimed films in recent years from Don Roos comedy, Happy Endings (2005) to Clint Eastwoods WWII epic, Flags of Our Fathers (2006).
Born Jesse Bradford Watrouse on May 28, 1979 in Norwolk, CT, Bradfords parents were both commercial actors, who brought their son into this world while still an infant his professional debut was at eight months in a TV spot for Q-Tips. He began modeling at the age of four, and landed his first film role at age five as Robert De Niros son in Falling in Love. Bradford continued to work steadily throughout his adolescent years and high school, where he was a self-professed geology nerd as well as homecoming king in TV-movies and minor Hollywood films.
Bradford first captured the attention of audiences and critics as the young lead in Steven Soderberghs Depression-era drama, King of the Hill (1993). Though only 14, he more than held his own in a cast that included the late Spalding Gray, Elizabeth McGovern, and Adrien Brody, and the critical praise quickly led to other substantial roles for him. He played a young computer hacker whose zeal to be accepted by his older pals (among them Angelina Jolie) attracts trouble in Hackers (1995); had a small role in Baz Luhrmanns update of Romeo + Juliet (1996); and played a fictionalized James Jones (author of From Here to Eternity) in James Ivorys underrated, A Soldiers Daughter Never Cries (1998). Bradfords handling of the latter role which was a particularly turbulent one, in that he had to learn of his own adoption endeared him to the films legendary producer, Ismail Merchant, who hired Bradford for his final project with Ivory Heights (2004), which afforded him some choice scenes with Glenn Close.
Bradford won over a broader audience as the quirky object of Kirsten Dunsts affections in the charming cheerleader comedy, Bring It On (2000); the film solidified his appeal with its largely young female audience, and also showed off his musical skills during a brief and amusing scene in which his character played guitar in a style that might be best described as frantic. Bradfords next two films played to the teen market with varying results both the sci-fi actioner Clockstoppers (2002) and the Fatal Attraction-style (1987) thriller Swimfan (2002) gave his fans plenty to eyeball especially the latter, which showcased Bradford frequently stripped to the waist as a high school swimming champ, but neither scored as well as Bring It On at the box office. For his part, Bradford expressed his disinterest in big-budget pictures like these, and devoted much of 2002 to graduating from Columbia University, from which he earned a degree in film.
Bradford returned a year later as a seemingly naïve White House page who proves savvier than he appears on several episodes of The West Wing (NBC, 1999-2006). This was followed in 2005 with the Roos film, Happy Endings, which allowed him to play one of his richest and more complicated roles since Soldier and King of the Hill. As a cynical and (mostly) inept filmmaker attempting to help star Lisa Kudrow find her adopted son, Bradford was given a superb showcase for his dramatic and comic skills, proving that he could handle adult roles with ease. It also launched Bradford into the public eye as a appealing new leading man a fact that was not lost on People magazine, which named him one of the Years Sexiest Men in 2005.
In 2006, Bradford took a further step towards leading man status as Rene Gagnon, one of the Marines captured in the famous photo of the American flag being raised on Iwo Jima during World War II, in Eastwoods Flags of Our Fathers. Like his Happy Endings character, Gagnon was both charming and somewhat tragic, and Bradford handled both sides of the man with ease and skill, making his performance one of the films standouts. With Flags under his belt, and three more features on deck, it appeared that Bradfords career was entering its to-watch phase.
Copyright © Baseline 2009.