Brian Christopher O'Halloran (born December 20, 1969) is an American actor, producer and podcaster best known for playing Dante Hicks in Kevin Smith's debut 1994 film Clerks and its 2006 and 2022 sequels Clerks II and Clerks III. He has also made appearances in most of Smith's View Askewniverse films, either as Dante Hicks or one of Dante's cousins.
Career O'Halloran's first role was as main character Dante Hicks in Kevin Smith's film Clerks, in 1994. He has returned many times as Dante or another of the Hicks family in films by Smith.
O'Halloran is the lead actor in the 2000 film Vulgar, about a small town clown who is traumatized after he is attacked during one of his performances. Writer/director Bryan Johnson wrote the lead specifically with O'Halloran in mind.
He has worked on theatre productions since high school. He has said on the subject of doing theatre: "Oh, yeah. It's the best training you can do, as an actor. To be in front of a live audience. There's no 'Stop, wait, oh geez, what was that line again?' It just sharpens your reflexes. It sharpens your interaction. And it definitely sharpens your memory because you have to know an entire show from beginning to end."
Since Clerks (1994), O'Halloran has primarily been a stage actor, working with The Boomerang Theatre Company, The New Jersey Repertory Company and The Tri-State Actors Theatre, among others. In 2020, O'Halloran began presenting his own pop culture podcast, The O'HalloRant, on YouTube.
In 2025, O'Halloran appeared as a contestant on the American version of The Floor on FOX. He was eliminated in the first duel of the Semifinal episode. He won $110,000 for holding the most floor across episodes 2-6.
Personal life A first-generation Irish-American, with parents from Galway and Roscommon, O'Halloran was born in Manhattan, New York City, and lived in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, from the age of 13.Cahillane, Kevin. "For the Stars of 'Clerks,' It's Take Two" . The New York Times. July 16, 2006. Accessed February 15, 2011. "Mr. O'Halloran, a resident of Old Bridge since age 13 in 1983, has not had to go the McJob route." His father died when O'Halloran was 15 years old in 1985.Filichia, Peter. "Brian O'Halloran goes from 'Clerks' to 'The Crucible'", The Star-Ledger, July 23, 2010. Accessed March 26, 2011. He graduated from Cedar Ridge High School.O'Donnell, Chuck. "O'Halloran revisits Central Jersey theater roots", Courier News, August 3, 2015. Accessed October 6, 2019. "Playing Dante Hicks in Clerks has made Brian O'Halloran a working-class hero to generations of register jockeys.... Funny thing is, it all almost never happened. The skinny kid with glasses who once played the titular role of Snoopy at Cedar Ridge High School in the late 1980s had given up acting." He has two older brothers.
Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryWorkResult2015Atlantic City CinefestLivesaver Achievement AwardHimself2018Hang Onto Your Shorts Film Festival, NJBest Actor in a ComedyMonsters Anonymous2019Garden State Film Festival Spirt of New JerseyHimself
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1994 Clerks Dante Hicks 1995 Mallrats Gill Hicks 1997 Chasing Amy Executive Jim Hicks 1999 Dogma Grant Hicks As Brian Christopher O'Halloran 2000 Clerks: The Animated Series Dante Hicks Voice Vulgar Will Carlson/Flappy/Vulgar As Brian Christopher O'Halloran 2001 Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Dante Hicks As Brian Christopher O'Halloran Drop Dead Roses Shawn As Brian C. O'Halloran 2002 The Flying Car Dante Hicks 2003 Moby Presents: Alien Sex Party Clerk 2006 Clerks II Dante Hicks 2007 Brutal Massacre Jay The Junior Defenders Mitch Stone Originally titled Groupies; its principal photography occurred in February–March 1997 2008 The Happening Jeep Driver Hooking Up Dr. Jordan 2011 Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions Stadium Announcer 2011 Pokémon: Black & White Mr. Garrison Episode: "Gotta Catch a Roggenrola!" 2012 Cry for Revenge TBA 2016Monsters AnonymousDracula Short 2017 Right Before Your Eyes John McCann 2019 Madness in the Method Self Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Dante Hicks, Grant Hicks 2021 The Retaliators Obnoxious Guy at XMas Tree Place 2022 Clerks III Dante Hicks Also executive producer 2023 Shooting Clerks Elis Heimermann Also associate producer and special thanks 2024The 4:30 MovieFather Hicks2025 The Floor Himself (Contestant) TV game showDelco: The MoviePastor Joel Powers Smiling Friends Himself Episode: "Shmaloogles"TBA Flea Scavenger Post production
References
External links
Brian O'Halloran at NJTheater.com