Biography
Brando Crawford is an Argentine-American director, producer, actor, innovator, and educator born and raised in Oak Park, IL. He was heralded as a “Visionary” in a front page, full page, cover profile in the Chicago Tribune (May 8th, 2020, Arts and Entertainment). He also has features in BBC World News, Variety, TimeOut New York and more.
Crawford is best known for creating Acting for a Cause, a viral series of curated play and screenplay table-reads with the best actors of young Hollywood, including Oscar Nominee Florence Pugh, Emmy Nominees Margaret Qualley and Zazie Beatz, Grammy Winner Kathryn Gallagher, with participating writers including Oscar winner Kenneth Lonergan and Nominee Jason Reitman, raising funds for charities primarily EIFoundation. In 2021, Crawford launched Acting for a Cause Media, a production company to continue collaborating with his peers in Young Hollywood creating “art for the sake of art and impact”. As an actor, Crawford appeared in "Fine Tuned" (2015) by Craig Benzine, produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, among other works. Brando Crawford’s roots are in Chicago’s avant garde theatre scene, having performed in the National Premiere of “Martyr” by Marius Von Mayenberg (“Brando Crawford is an excellent actor”- Jacob Davis, Chicago Critic, 2015).
More recently, Crawford has served as an Executive Producer on Finn Wolfhard’s directorial debut “Night Shifts” (Fantasia Film Festival Silver Winner) as well as music videos for some of America’s top performers totaling over 100 million streams. His upcoming projects include "Who am I?" directed by Johanna Block. Crawford regularly works with theatre companies in Chicago, including The Second City.
In 2021, Crawford was accepted into the Second City Comedy Conservatory Program.
Crawford owns and manages Ford International Investments LLC, a diverse Real Estate Portfolio. He owns and operates The Language and Music School at International Mansion in Oak Park along with his mother, dedicated to arts education. Crawford is is a board member of Visit Oak Park, Hemingway Business District, and the International Foundation for Education and Innovation. Crawford’s mother Maria Emilia Fermi first moved to Chicago, because of shared linage with Nobel Prize Physicist, Enrico Fermi, whose daughter was on faculty at University of Chicago. Brando Crawford’s family is recognized at the King David Legacy Center in Jerusalem for paternal Davidic Descent from both grandfathers, and he served as international spokesperson for Davidic Dynasty in 2020. Crawford is represented by Wolf Kasteler PR, Framework Entertainment, DDO Agency, and Ken Elkins Esquire. (C. April 2021).
To read referenced articles, please visit: www.brandocrawford.com
