Soirée: Brandon T. Jackson at the Arlington Improv

Soirée: Brandon T. Jackson at the Arlington Improv

Brandon T. Jackson is a multifaceted young actor carving his own path in Hollywood. Earning critical praise at every step, he started out in stand-up and has evolved into a burgeoning young film star. This past winter Fox studio's released the third incarnation of the highly profitable "Big Momma's House" franchise. Jackson starred opposite Martin Lawrence as the two went undercover to solve a murder. In 2010, Jackson starred in "Lottery Ticket" for Warner Bros. The action-comedy surrounds a group of friends living in the projects. After winning the lottery, they must find a way to survive a holiday weekend before they can cash in the winning ticket.

Also in 2010 Jackson co-starred in the FOX box office hit "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief." He received rave reviews for his role as the satyr Grover Underwood, the best friend and protector of Percy Jackson.

Jackson is perhaps best known as Alpha Chino from the high-concept runaway hit "Tropic Thunder." The ensemble cast also included Ben Stiller,

Robert Downey Jr. and Black Jack. The role earned Jackson a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Black Reel Awards and Daily Variety named him one of "10 Comics to Watch."

Jackson won Black Reel's 2006 Best Breakthrough Performance award for his part in "Roll Bounce" for FOX Searchlight.

Jackson's talent for entertaining was apparent early on. By the age of 14, he was performing at his father's church and was soon invited to perform at the famed "Showtime at the Apollo" and BET's "Comic View."

From there, Jackson and BET launched the "Teens of Comedy Tour," showcasing the nation's funniest teen comedians. He also hosted the "Up Close and Personal Tour," featuring Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Lil Wayne. Jackson would later host his own sketch comedy special, "The Brandon T. Jackson Show," on The N Channel and was a series regular on Nick Cannon's MTV sketch comedy show "Wild 'N Out." Jackson grew up in Detroit with seven siblings and parents who were both pastors. He credits his sense of humor to both his father and his life straddling the fence between suburbia and the inner city. He now lives in Los Angeles.