Brandon Micheal Hall has made a name for himself on screen, captivating audiences in television shows like “Search Party,” “The Mayor,” and “God Friended Me.”
Now, he’s returning to his theater roots, stepping into one of the most intense and celebrated plays of modern theater. Hall stars as Lincoln in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Topdog/Underdog” at the Pasadena Playhouse, running from Feb. 26 to March 23.
The play follows two African American brothers, Lincoln, and Booth, abandoned by their parents, and left to navigate life on their own. Lincoln, once a master hustler, now earns a living as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator at an arcade.
Meanwhile, Booth, desperate to prove himself, dreams of perfecting the street con his brother gave up. Their relationship is a tightrope walk between love and rivalry, survival, and destruction.
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It’s a story that forces its characters—and its audience—to grapple with race, history, and family in raw and unflinching ways.
For Hall, the role hits close to home. “Honestly, man, all of them,” he said when asked which past role changed his perspective on himself.
“I wanted to be a family. That was all. That’s the beautiful thing—that’s what Lincoln and Booth are trying to do. Two brothers who have lost, trying to figure out what happens when they have to depend on each other. Whether they’re Black, whether they’re brothers, whether they’re human.”
Born and raised in Anderson, South Carolina, Hall was deeply influenced by both his Southern upbringing and his mother’s role as a minister. “For me, growing up in the South and growing up in the church—that type of theater shaped me,” he said. “Family is community. It is everything.”
“Topdog/Underdog” is a play that strips away distractions and forces its characters to confront themselves.
“If you’ve read the play, then you understand,” Hall said. “By the end of it, you see yourself in a new way. The entire play is about stripping everything else away and putting two brothers together to figure out how they survive.”
For Hall, acting is not about simply reciting lines—it’s about fully immersing himself in a character’s reality.
“I enjoy getting lost in the idea that I am this person,” he said. “That I am this human going through these challenges, these emotional roller coasters. When you get lost in the world of the stage, that’s when the work becomes real.”
DAVID SPADE, BRANDON MICHEAL HALL
That authenticity is why Hall loves live theater. “What I love most about the theater is the live energy,” he explained.
“Whether you’re seeing a piece from the comfort of your home or experiencing it in person, theater gives you something unique. It’s a human connection that you’ll never get the same way twice.”
Although Hall has built a successful career in television and film, returning to the stage has felt like a homecoming. “It feels like being back in school,” he said. “I haven’t been under this type of artistic pressure in a while, and I like that. I missed that. And the universe granted it to me, you know, and I get to do it with someone I truly respect.”
Hall credits Juilliard, where he trained from 2011 to 2015, for preparing him for the demands of live performance.
“Back in my day, we had to go through a rigorous process,” he recalled. “Auditions, callbacks, writing essays, and then sitting with Jim Houghton in his office, where he would ask, ‘Do you really want this?’ It was like a therapy session.”
Despite all he has accomplished, Hall hesitates when asked if he has had an “I made it” moment.
“I prayed about this. I wanted this,” he said, reflecting on how deeply he desired this role. “Being back in school, being back in the theater—that’s what it feels like. The power of manifestation is real.”
“Topdog/Underdog” presents a powerful exploration of race, brotherhood, and survival, and Hall hopes audiences walk away with more than just entertainment.
“Two Black men in a room doesn’t mean this story is going to go one particular way,” Hall said.
Hall continued, “It can go down millions of different ways. That’s the heart of the play—Suzan-Lori Parks holds up a mirror and asks real questions about family, survival, and what happens when all you have is each other.”
The play requires its audience to engage beyond the performance. “You have to be in it, live it, and question it,” Hall said. “The theater brings that conversation. That’s what I love about it—it makes you think beyond the stage.”
As opening night approaches, Hall remains deeply committed to the work. “This is for me,” he said. “I really want this to work, to be something special, to push me as an artist.”
