Benjamin Bryant (broadcaster)

Benjamin Bryant (born 1977) is an American writer, broadcaster, and filmmaker. He is a former government official in the Obama Administration and also works, on occasion, as an artist and actor.

For other people with the same name, see Benjamin Bryant.
Benjamin Bryant
Bryant at the 45th Daytime Emmy Nominee Reception
Born (1977-01-13) January 13, 1977
Nuremberg, West Germany
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationUniversity of the Incarnate Word (MS)

University of the Incarnate Word (MA)

Excelsior College (BS)

University of Texas at Austin

Giessen American High School
OccupationWriter, filmmaker
Years active1996–present
OrganizationUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliary
Known forFort Hood Shooting Task Force

Don't Ask, Don't Tell DoD Working Group

Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission
Notable work
Forever and a Day (soap opera) (actor, "Gregory Marshall")

Station to Station (director, actor)

The Brink with Benjamin Bryant: INTERSECTIONS (host, event podcast)
TelevisionJourneys Beyond(2019–present)
The Brink with Benjamin Bryant (2018–present)
Anacostia (2016-present)
America Tonight (guest, 2012–2013)
Parents
RelativesLori Bryant-Woolridge

Bryant is the former co-executive producer of the Emmy-winning drama Anacostia, and host of “The Brink with Benjamin Bryant”. He has produced several television and streaming series, specials, and a series of holiday films. He currently portrays hotelier Gregory Marshall on the dramatic serial Forever and a Day.

In the Obama Administration, Bryant served on the Pentagon’s Fort Hood Shooting Task Force, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Working Group, and the two-year Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, for which he was the commission’s final spokesperson. In 2011, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin announced the formal acquisition of several of Bryant's papers, notes, and recordings related to his historic work for the White House and Department of Defense.

Early life and education

Bryant was born in Nuremberg, Germany to American parents in a military family. His father is Brigadier General Albert Bryant Jr. He is the grandson of Brigadier General Albert Bryant, Sr., recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and a former Montford Point Marine[1] and Army Brigadier General Richard Saxton. He is also the nephew of writer and speaker Lori Bryant-Woolridge.

Bryant graduated from Giessen American High School in Giessen, Germany in 1994, commencing study at the University of Texas at Austin, that same year.[2][3] At Texas, he studied journalism and communication studies from 1994-1998, when an extended illness led to medical withdrawal prior to graduation. Bryant completed a Bachelor of Science degree from New York’s Excelsior College.[4]

In 2015, Bryant graduated with a Master of Arts in Administration and a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership, from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.[5]

Journalism and broadcasting

In 1996, Bryant was serving as a radio news intern at Austin radio station KKMJ when the Atlanta Olympic Bombing occurred.[6] His impromptu overnight coverage gathered attention from the public and Austin American-Statesman columnist Jane Grieg, leading to a full-time role at KKMJ and named Program Director, with news and local programming responsibility, of its sister station, ABC Radio affiliate KJCE.[7][8]

Bryant worked as a freelance journalist[9] and columnist before focusing on public relations and crisis communications consulting for public and private sector clients. He served as writer and editor for the Deepwater News and FHP&R: Force Health Protection & Readiness magazine.[10] He returned to broadcasting as the host of the “BZCast” podcast in 2017, including an exploration of leaking and whistleblowing in the federal government,[11] and in 2018 with the launch of non-profit media platform BZ/MP and the debut of “The Brink with Benjamin Bryant,” a series of one-on-one interviews focusing on Washington D.C. notables, and its spin-off serialized investigative podcast, “The Brink with Benjamin Bryant: INTERSECTIONS”.[12] In 2018, Bryant also appeared in a non-partisan public service announcement entitled "The One Place Everyone is Equal."[13]

Military and government

Bryant has served as a speechwriter for Rear Admiral Patrick Stillman of the United States Coast Guard, and communications advisor for James Finley, then-Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology and other military leaders during the George W. Bush administration. Bryant worked in increasingly senior roles within the Government, including work on the Pentagon’s Fort Hood Shooting Task Force, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Working Group, and the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, for which he served as the agency’s final spokesperson. In the 2010s, Bryant made multiple appearances on the nightly news program America Tonight, anchored by Joie Chen, speaking to military issues in the news,.[14][15][16]

Task Forces and Commissions
Year Name Leadership Role Notes
2009-2010 Department of Defense
Fort Hood Shooting Task Force		 Hon. Togo D. West, Jr.,
Adm. Vern Clark		 Managing Editor,
Writing and Admin Team Lead
2010 US Air Force Fort Hood Task Force Follow-on Sec. Michael B. Donley Senior Writer,
Writing Team Lead
2010 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Comprehensive Review Working Group Hon. Jeh Johnson,

Gen. Carter Ham

 Lead Editor,
Editorial and Production Lead
2011 Virginia Department of Health/VA Beach
Pandemic Influenza Program Assessment		 Benjamin Bryant Executive Director,
Report Author
2013-2016 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Hon. Al Maldon Assoc. Director, Public Relations and Outreach (2015-2016),
Lead Writer and Editor and
Editorial and Production Lead (2013-2015)

In 2011, news reports covered Bryant and Thomas Zamberlan's donation of their original editor's copies from several Presidential and DoD task forces to the Smithsonian Institution.[17] That same year, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at Bryant's alma mater University of Texas at Austin, announced the acquisition of Bryant's personal notes, papers, and recorded recollections related to his work on the historic Fort Hood investigation and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeals and their intention to make them available to researchers.[18]

Since 2010, Bryant has been an Auxiliarist in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, including service as a Flotilla Staff Officer.[2]

Film, television and radio
Benjamin Bryant with actress Marion Akpan on the set of Anacostia in 2017

Bryant began producing narrative television and film projects in 2016, first joining the digital series Anacostia, from creator Anthony Anderson at the start of its fifth season, as a supervising producer.[19][20] Beginning with episode five, Bryant was named co-executive producer of the series, a role he continued in until September 2019.[20][21] He occasionally recurred on the series in the role of news anchor "James Vance," an homage to the late Washington D.C. news anchor Jim Vance.[20]

In 2019, his company, the Bryant Zamberlan Group, partnered with Gemelli Films and writer-director Candice Cain to produce the first three entries in the "Candy Cain" series of holiday films,[22] completing work on the holiday romances Ivy & Mistletoe, starring Cody Calafiore, Carrie Genzel, and Cynthia Gibb; Destination: Christmas, starring Calafiore, Clayton Snyder, and Abigail Hawk; and Painting Christmas, starring Calafiore, Genzel, Patrick Muldoon, Frank Whaley, Terri Garber, and Jennifer Bassey.[20] Bryant, who served as the supervising producer on the films, also makes cameo appearances in the films.[20] Bryant also served as an Associate Producer on Cain's Joy & Hope a western-themed romance co-starring Vivica A. Fox.

In September 2019, Bryant and travel writer Olivia Taylor announced on their respective social media platforms that they would co-host an upcoming travel show for the 2019-2020 season, titled "Journeys Beyond."[23][24][25]

In 2020, Bryant wrote and directed two films, the comedy Aidy Kane and the psychological drama, Station to Station. He also debuted in the series regular role of troubled businessman "Gregory Marshall" on the dramatic serial Forever and a Day.[26]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Courage Under Fire Army Soldier (uncredited) [20]
2019 Ivy & Mistletoe Supervising Producer, "Air Traveler" (cameo) [20]
2019 The Maltese Holiday Supervising Producer, "Airline Clerk" (cameo) [20]
2019 Magic in Mount Holly Supervising Producer, "Waterbury Coach" (cameo) [20]
2020 Joy & Hope Associate Producer [27]
2020 Aidy Kane Writer, Director, “Phineas Strong” [28]
2020 Station to Station Writer, Director, "Martin" [29]

Television and digital streaming
Year Title Role Notes
2016-2019 "Anacostia" co-Executive Producer, “James Vance” [20][21]
2018-2019 "The Brink with Benjamin Bryant" Executive Producer, Host [30]
2018 "Unraveling Knots: The Journey Begins" Executive Producer, Host [31]
2018 "Welcome to the Show" "The Narrator" (character) [32]
2019 "Journeys Beyond" Executive Producer, co-Host [23][24]

Radio and podcasts
Year Title Type Role Notes
1996 "KJCE: The Week in Austin" Interview Program Host, Interviewer [8][6]
2016-2018 "The BZCast" Interview Program Host, Interviewer [11]
2018 "The Brink with Benjamin Bryant:

INTERSECTIONS"

 Narrative Podcast,

Investigative Serial

 Host, Narrator [12]
2020-2021 "Forever and a Day" Audio Drama (series) "Gregory Marshall" [26]
2020 Birthday Blues Audio Drama (feature) "James" [33]

Business

Since 2010, Bryant has served as the Managing Partner of the Bryant Zamberlan Group of companies, which include a global communications consultancy and BZ/MP, a non-profit news and media endeavor.[2]

Awards and honors

Bryant won a 2020 Hermes Creative Award for the trailer for "Journeys Beyond."[2][34][35][36][37]

Other notable honors include a 2010 Platinum MarCom "Special Category" Award for his work as the Managing Editor of the report of the Fort Hood Task Force, 2012 Davey Award for his appearances on America Tonight, 2019 Communicator Award of Distinction for "The Brink with Benjamin Bryant" interview specials; and multiple Platinum AVA and Hermes Creative Awards for "The Brink with Benjamin Bryant: INTERSECTIONS" podcast (including honors for writing, hosting, and production).[2][35][36][37][34]

In December of 1996, a year-end feature dedicated to the people and stories who made the year notable, Bryant was named by the Austin American-Statesman as one of the year's "most memorable."[38]

Personal life

Bryant lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.[2]

References
  1. Shapiro, Ian. "He saw the flag raised at Iwo Jima. Now, at 94, he watches the nation fight a deadly virus". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  2. "Benjamin Bryant". LinkedIn. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. "Leadership". thebzgroup.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  4. "Alumni US | Excelsior College, Albany, New York Area". alumnius.net. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  5. "Alumni US | University of the Incarnate Word (2015)". alumnius.net. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  6. Grieg, Jane (August 1996). "Who was that voice?". Austin American-Statesman.
  7. "Americans on the Rise" (PDF). ARS Newsletter. July 1996.
  8. Herndon, John (October 1996). "The JUICE changes its on-air fare". Austin American-Statesman.
  9. "Montgomery Gazette Coverage of Maryland Regional AIDS Conference". Scribd. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  10. "Force Health Protection & Readiness Magazine - Fall 2007". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  11. "The BZ Cast – Leaking or Whistleblowing?". thebzgroup.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  12. "THE BRINK Returns with "Intersections" in 2019 - BZ/MP Radio". BZ/MP. 2018-12-13. Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  13. BZ/MP - The Bryant Zamberlan Media Project (2019-01-23), The One Place Everyone is Equal: The Ballot Box, retrieved 2019-05-23
  14. America Tonight : ALJAZAM : September 17, 2013 4:00am-5:01am EDT, ALJAZAM, 2013-09-17, retrieved 2019-05-23CS1 maint: others (link)
  15. America Tonight : ALJAZAM : April 3, 2014 12:00am-1:01am EDT, ALJAZAM, 2014-04-03, retrieved 2019-05-23CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. America Tonight : ALJAZAM : April 4, 2014 4:00am-5:01am EDT, ALJAZAM, 2014-04-04, retrieved 2019-05-23CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. KASZUBSKI, DEBRA. "Work of Sterling Heights native added to Smithsonian". Macomb Daily. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  18. "A Guide to the Benjamin Bryant Papers, 2010". legacy.lib.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  19. Bryant, Benjamin. "ANACOSTIA's Anthony Anderson tackles male/male rape (and gentrification!) in season five, and feels the responsibilities of African American storytelling". Benjamin Bryant. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  20. "Benjamin Bryant". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  21. "Amazon.com: Watch Anacostia | Prime Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  22. Newcomb, Roger. "'Candy Cain' Holiday Trio of Films Features Former Soap Stars Patrick Muldoon, Carrie Genzel, Terri Garber, Jennifer Bassey, Cynthia Gibb". Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  23. "I'm hosting a new travel show". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  24. Bryant, Benjamin. "A little tease for you". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  25. "Benjamin Bryant on Instagram: "All I can share for now, but watch this space for details on my newest adventure!"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  26. Desk, BWW News. "Quinn VanAntwerp Headlines New Podcast Soap Opera Series FOREVER AND A DAY". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  27. Joy & Hope, retrieved 2020-08-21
  28. Aidy Kane, retrieved 2019-09-11
  29. Station to Station, retrieved 2020-07-17
  30. "WATCH NOW: The Brink's BZ/MP D.C. interviews come to life!". BZ/MP. 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  31. "WATCH NOW: Unraveling Knots: The Journey Begins - BZ/MP TV". BZ/MP. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  32. "WATCH NOW: Welcome to the Show: TV's First Impressions - BZ/MP TV". BZ/MP. 2018-12-31. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  33. "YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  34. "AVA Digital Awards". enter.avaawards.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  35. "Communicator Awards | Award of Excellence Winners Gallery". Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  36. "Davey Awards | Winners". Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  37. "Hermes Creative Awards". enter.hermesawards.com. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  38. Grieg, Jane (January 2, 1997). "Looking Back at the People Who Made 1996 Memorable: 'Familiar Voice'". Austin American-Statesman.
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