Brian DeRozan is not your typical Hollywood multi-hyphenate. Before making waves on the film festival circuit with hard-hitting shorts like Pure and Black Face, the Star Trek: Picard actor was running plays on the football field at Kansas State. He now takes charge behind the camera, writing, directing, producing, and acting in projects that defy convention and ignite genuine dialogue.
“The parallels are that sports can also be broken down into 3 acts,” DeRozan explains. “They have desired outcomes, conflicts, and then adjustments that lead to a resolution. My sports career has helped me as an actor because I learned the value of hard work, having a process to achieve an outcome, and being able to manage loss/rejection.”
In 2017, he founded Videohead Films with a clear mission: to make meaningful stories with his friends and build toward features. “The vision was to produce and tell stories that were important to me, to employ my friends in the industry and progress toward feature opportunities,” he says. “The mission has evolved in that I have written the feature script for Celebrity and will begin pitching it later this year.”
DeRozan’s breakout moment came with Pure, a gripping short that earned praise on the festival circuit and cemented his confidence as a creative powerhouse. “Pure was my first—as a writer, producer, and lead actor,” he says. “The experience of taking an idea and grinding through the process of getting it made, then seeing it on the big screen, was something I’ll never forget. My confidence grew because I’d completed something that at times felt impossible, but I was also humbled because I realized how much I had to learn.”That learning curve hasn’t slowed him down. In fact, it seems to have fueled his drive. Since then, DeRozan has taken on numerous roles in his short films, including director and casting director. “Each one of these hats informs the others in different ways,” he says. “I learned so much about auditioning when I had to cast my film. I learned about working with actors when I was directing and writing, which helped me understand storytelling more deeply.”
His work doesn’t fit neatly into one genre either. From the comedic bite of Dirty White to the bone-chilling suspense of Very Frightening Tales to the emotionally loaded drama of Black Face, DeRozan is unafraid to shift gears. “Comedy makes me feel the best, drama challenges and inspires me, and horror probably excites me the most,” he admits. “I believe my voice is maintained because the heart of the story and characters is consistent, regardless of the genre.”
Even as he leads his own productions, DeRozan continues to shine in projects from other creatives, with credits in Shameless and a memorable appearance in Star Trek: Picard. “Honestly, when I get to step into someone else’s story, I feel enriched because I get to do what I moved to LA to do, act,” he says. “Plus, if I don’t have to worry about all the responsibilities of producing, I can just focus on being an actor and just have fun.”
Raised in the Midwest and born in Oakland, DeRozan draws on his biracial identity and upbringing to bring depth to his storytelling. “Nothing was easy about where I came from or how I grew up, so my characters often reflect that in some ways,” he says. “They usually face big challenges, often within, that they try to overcome. For me, that includes identity. It’s something I used to shy away from when I was younger. Now, I embrace it. It’s one of my superpowers for sure.”
His latest work is particularly bold. In Black Face, a film he both wrote and starred in, DeRozan tackles provocative themes in just a few minutes of screen time. “My process is to focus on the subject matter, then find the best character to represent it,” he says. “Then I decide what portion of the story will raise questions, challenge the status quo, or inspire conversation.”
Despite growing industry attention and representation through Aqua Talent and Storm Management, DeRozan remains deeply rooted in his artistic values. “The only way to retain complete artistic control is to do it all yourself,” he says. “Some things, you just have to let go of, and trust the other talented people to do what they do.”
With shorts like Eye Witness, Long Claw, and Celebrity in the pipeline, DeRozan is already eyeing the leap to long-form storytelling. “For me, taking that leap is about timing and experience, and the time is now,” he reveals. “I’m currently pitching Magic, my first feature script, and have another one right behind it. The latest is the feature script for Celebrity, a short film that we shot in Amsterdam.”
He may have begun his journey chasing touchdowns, but today Brian DeRozan is focused on telling stories that truly matter— and if his expanding body of work is any indication, he’s only just getting started.
From Football Star to Screen Star: Brian DeRozan on Fame, Filmmaking and Finding His Voice. Brian DeRozan began his career chasing touchdowns, but today he’s focused on telling stories that truly matter. His expanding body of work indicates he’s only just getting started.
