You’ve seen him. You might not have known his name at the time, but you definitely knew the face. Brendan Hines is one of those actors who just fits into whatever world he’s dropped into, whether it’s a high-stakes legal firm, a lie detector’s lab, or a literal superhero satire.
Honestly, his career is a bit of a marathon. He doesn't just stick to one lane. He’s the guy who can play the charming romantic interest one minute and a morally compromised executive the next. Most people first got a real taste of his talent back in the late 2000s, but his filmography has ballooned into a massive catalog of cult classics and mainstream hits.
If you’re trying to track down the best Brendan Hines movies and tv shows, you’re basically looking at a roadmap of some of the most influential television of the last twenty years.
The Roles That Defined His Career
Let's talk about Lie to Me. If you were watching TV in 2009, you remember Eli Loker. Hines played the guy who practiced "radical honesty." It was a brilliant, weird character trait—Loker literally refused to lie, even when it was social suicide. He’d tell his boss exactly why he was annoyed or tell a woman exactly why a date wasn't working. It made him the most relatable and simultaneously the most frustrating person in the room.
That role really put him on the map. It showed he could do "quirky" without it being a caricature.
Then came the recurring roles that felt like they were everywhere. Remember Logan Sanders in Suits? He was the guy who stepped right into the middle of the Mike and Rachel drama. He played the "old flame" billionaire with just enough arrogance to make you hate him, but enough charisma to make you understand why Rachel was conflicted. It's a tough balance. Play it too mean, and the audience switches off. Play it too nice, and there’s no stakes. Hines threaded that needle perfectly.
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Breaking Down the Big Hits
You can't talk about his TV work without mentioning The Tick.
In the Amazon Prime version, he played Superian. Now, this wasn't just another guy in spandex. Superian was essentially a "What if Superman had a massive ego and was low-key depressed?" type of character. Hines brought this strange, melancholy hilarity to the role. He was the world's greatest hero, but he was also deeply insecure and kind of a mess. It’s arguably his funniest work.
But then he shifted gears again for Locke & Key. As Josh Bennett, he brought a grounded, academic energy to a show that was otherwise filled with magical keys and demons. He played a history teacher searching for answers about his own past, and his chemistry with the rest of the cast made the fantastical elements of the show feel a lot more real.
A Career Built on Range
It’s not just the big series, though. Hines has been a "that guy" actor in some of your favorite procedurals.
He’s popped up in Scandal as Gideon Wallace—a role that ended... well, pretty brutally, if you remember the scissors. He was in MacGyver, Scorpion, and Secrets and Lies. He even did a stint on Chicago Med recently as Nicholas Hayes.
The man stays busy.
Movies and Indie Gems
His film work is a bit more of a mixed bag, which is usually the case for actors who thrive in "Peak TV."
He starred in Deep in the Valley (2009), which is—to put it lightly—a very different vibe from his later work. It’s a raunchy comedy that has developed its own sort of "late-night cable" following.
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On the flip side, you have things like Josie & Jack (2019) or the indie film Ordinary Sinner. These show a much darker, more dramatic side of his acting. He isn't afraid to take on roles that are small or experimental. He also voiced characters in video games and did theater in New York before he ever hit the screen.
The Secret Weapon: The Music
Here’s something most people actually get wrong about Brendan Hines: they think he’s just an actor who decided to start a band.
Actually, the music came first. Or at least, it’s always been parallel.
He’s a legit singer-songwriter. He has released several albums, including Good For You Know Who and Qualms. His latest stuff, like the 2024 album Sleep in Lightning, is actually really good indie-folk. He’s not doing the "celebrity vanity project" thing; he tours, he writes his own lyrics, and he’s clearly a musician at his core. If you listen to "Better Than Jesus" or "Guillotine," you can hear a lot of the same dry wit that he brings to his acting roles.
What to Watch First
If you’re new to his work or just want to see him at his best, here is the non-negotiable watchlist:
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- Lie to Me (TV): For the radical honesty and the breakout performance.
- The Tick (TV): To see him deconstruct the superhero mythos.
- Suits (Season 4): If you want to see him play a high-powered antagonist.
- Locke & Key (TV): For his more mature, grounded recent work.
- Our Christmas Love Song (Movie): Honestly? It’s a Hallmark movie, but he’s charming in it and he actually gets to use his musical skills.
Why He Matters in 2026
The reason we’re still talking about Brendan Hines movies and tv shows is because he represents a specific type of actor that is becoming rare. He isn't a "movie star" in the 1990s sense, but he’s a foundational piece of the streaming era. He makes every scene he’s in better.
He’s married to Tatiana Maslany (the star of Orphan Black and She-Hulk), which makes them one of the most low-key talented power couples in Hollywood. They both seem to value the work over the fame, which is probably why they both keep landing these incredible, meaty roles.
If you want to dive deeper into his career, start by checking out his discography on Spotify or Apple Music while you binge-watch The Tick. It gives you a much better sense of who he is as a creator. His music often explains the cynical yet hopeful "vibe" he brings to his characters.
Keep an eye out for his upcoming project The Young People. It's slated for a 2026 release and looks like it might be another one of those indie turns that reminds everyone why he’s been a staple on our screens for over two decades.
Next Steps for the Brendan Hines Fan:
- Watch "The Tick" on Amazon Prime: It’s his most unique performance and deserves more love than it got during its initial run.
- Stream the album "Sleep in Lightning": Listen to the tracks "A Long Way" and "Make a Man" to see the artist behind the actor.
- Track his guest spots: Look for his episodes in Brilliant Minds and Chicago Med to see how he’s evolving his "authority figure" persona in his latest roles.