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Brett Rice

Brett Rice is an American actor whose career grew from an unexpected theater audition into decades of work across the stage, film and television. Born on April 20, 1954, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Rice was the oldest of four children. He attended several schools before being sent to Marist Military Academy in Atlanta, followed by a short period in the U.S. Army. Acting arrived almost by accident. Rice accompanied a friend to a theater audition and was waiting in the building when the director asked whether he wanted to try out too. He landed a role, then spent the next five years auditioning throughout Atlanta and immersing himself in theater. One of those auditions was for the television pilot The Catlins, which led to a two-year contract. From there, Rice developed the kind of wide-ranging career built on steady work rather than one defining part. Early screen credits included The Bear and the television movie Poison Ivy. He continued working throughout the 1990s, appearing in series including In the Heat of the Night, I’ll Fly Away and Walker, Texas Ranger. His film and television credits from the period also included Edward Scissorhands, Passenger 57, Kalifornia, Forrest Gump, From the Earth to the Moon and The Waterboy. Rice took a prominent supporting role as Coach Tyrell in Remember the Titans, appearing opposite Denzel Washington and Will Patton. He later guest-starred in the Sheena episode “Stranded in the Jungle” and played Tucker Baggett in the A&E and Netflix series Longmire. With more than 75 film and television credits and at least as many stage credits, Rice’s career reflects the persistence that began in Atlanta’s theaters. He also became a Councilor at Large with SAG, taking a closer role in the organization’s politics and producer negotiations in Los Angeles and New York.