# Bryan Greenberg
**Bryan Greenberg** (born 1978) is an American actor and singer-songwriter best known for the recurring role of Jake Jagielski on *One Tree Hill* and for starring as Ben Epstein on HBO's *How to Make It in America*[1](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/bryan-greenberg/). He is married to actor [Jamie Chung](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamie-chung) and made his directorial debut with the 2024 film *Junction*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 in Omaha, Nebraska; birth name Bryan E. Greenberg[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/) |
| Training | B.F.A. in acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/) |
| Breakout TV role | Recurring role as Jake Jagielski on The WB/CW series *One Tree Hill*, a high school student and single father[1](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/bryan-greenberg/) |
| Signature TV lead | Ben Epstein in HBO's *How to Make It in America* (2010–2011, two seasons)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/how-to-make-it-in-america) |
| Film work | *Prime* (2005) opposite Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep; *Bride Wars* (2009); *Friends with Benefits* (2011)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/) |
| Music | Second album *We Don't Have Forever* released 2011[5](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php) |
| Directorial debut | *Junction* (2024), about the opioid crisis, which he wrote, directed, and starred in[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/bryan-greenbergs-directorial-debut-tackles-the-opioid-crisis) |
| Spouse | Jamie Chung, married October 31, 2015; twin boys born 2021[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/) |
## Early life and education
Greenberg was born in [Omaha, Nebraska](https://www.edgepedia.org/omaha-nebraska), to two psychologists, and grew up in one of the few Jewish families in the region, in a Conservative household; he belonged to Jewish youth groups, attended Jewish summer camps including Herzl Camp in Webster, Wisconsin, and traveled to Israel[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/) • [5](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php). His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, when he was 12, and he later graduated from Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/). His first paid acting work in St. Louis was a commercial for [Cookie Crisp](https://www.edgepedia.org/cookie-crisp) cereal[5](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php).
He majored in acting at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, earning a B.F.A., and performed with theater companies including the Experimental Theater Workshop, the [Atlantic Theater Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-theater-company), and the Amsterdam Experimental Workshop[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/) • [5](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php). To support himself while auditioning, he worked as a waiter, bartender, caterer, and assistant to a mortgage broker[5](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php). He has said he developed an interest in acting around age 10, wanting to be [Michael J. Fox](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-j-fox)[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/quotes/).
## Early screen work
Greenberg made his television debut with a 1997 guest appearance on *Law & Order* and his film debut the next year in *A Civil Action* (1998), which starred [John Travolta](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-travolta)[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/). Guest appearances followed on *The Sopranos*, *Third Watch*, and *Boston Public*[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/). He landed a lead role in the heist comedy *The Perfect Score* (2004), opposite [Erika Christensen](https://www.edgepedia.org/erika-christensen) and [Scarlett Johansson](https://www.edgepedia.org/scarlett-johansson)[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/).
His career landmark came in 2003 with the recurring role of Jake Jagielski on *One Tree Hill*, a high school basketball player who leads a double life as a single father[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/). He was not a series regular; Greenberg later said he was "dying to be a regular" but was offered other projects that took him away from the show[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/swooon/1183940/bryan-greenberg-one-tree-hill-jake-peyton-romance-prime-suits-la/). In 2005, executive producers [George Clooney](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-clooney) and [Steven Soderbergh](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-soderbergh) cast him as one of three principals in their improvised HBO series *Unscripted*, playing a version of himself with the same name and credits; the series even folded his real-life casting in *Prime* into its storyline[9](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/bryan-greenberg/umc.cpc.6ab89r88s0mhel7ubczgjywuu). In *Prime* (2005) he played David, a 23-year-old artist involved with a 37-year-old divorcée ([Uma Thurman](https://www.edgepedia.org/uma-thurman)) whose therapist is his own mother, played by Meryl Streep[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/swooon/1183940/bryan-greenberg-one-tree-hill-jake-peyton-romance-prime-suits-la/). His chemistry test had been with Sandra Bullock, who was originally attached to the project[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/swooon/1183940/bryan-greenberg-one-tree-hill-jake-peyton-romance-prime-suits-la/).
## How to Make It in America
In 2010 Greenberg starred as Ben Epstein in HBO's comedy *How to Make It in America*, which premiered on February 14, 2010 and ran two seasons[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/how-to-make-it-in-america). The series, created by Ian Edelman and executive produced by [Mark Wahlberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-wahlberg), follows two twentysomething Brooklyn friends hustling a jeans and leather-jacket business; Greenberg's Ben is a graphic designer who dropped out of FIT and works in the Barneys denim department[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/how-to-make-it-in-america) • [10](https://www.vogue.com/article/vd-tv-how-to-make-it-in-america). Greenberg said he knew Edelman through basketball and a mutual friend, and described the series as "very timely with the economy," noting that viewers had to juggle "a bunch of different hustles" rather than follow a single career path[11](https://www.tvguide.com/news/bryan-greenberg-make-1015269/). The show drew frequent comparisons to *Entourage* because of its shared HBO home and executive producer; Greenberg called them "a totally different show"[11](https://www.tvguide.com/news/bryan-greenberg-make-1015269/). HBO canceled it after the second season, and both Greenberg and co-star [Victor Rasuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/victor-rasuk) have said they are repeatedly asked about reuniting the cast[12](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bryan-greenberg-victor-rasuk-revisit-161500301.html).
## Film and music
Across the 2000s and 2010s Greenberg appeared in studio comedies and independent dramas. He played Nate in *Bride Wars* (2009) opposite [Kate Hudson](https://www.edgepedia.org/kate-hudson) and [Anne Hathaway](https://www.edgepedia.org/anne-hathaway), and Parker in *Friends with Benefits* (2011) with Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/). His independent credits include *The Good Guy* (2009), *The Kitchen* (2012), *A Short History of Decay* (2013), *The Normals* (2012), and *A Year and Change* (2015)[13](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/bryan_greenberg_ii). He starred in the HBO biopic *Bessie* (2015) as record producer John Hammond, opposite Queen Latifah[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/).
He produced and starred in *It's Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong* (2015) alongside his wife Jamie Chung, the first project they had made together[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/) • [8](https://www.tvinsider.com/swooon/1183940/bryan-greenberg-one-tree-hill-jake-peyton-romance-prime-suits-la/). He also had recurring roles on *The Mindy Project* and *The Tick*[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/). The series *Everyone Is Doing Great* was co-created by James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti, who also star in it, and was sold to Hulu[14](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-almost-made-it/id1746430362) • [23](https://www.officialjameslafferty.com/work).
Alongside acting, Greenberg is a singer-songwriter who performs under his own name and has toured between acting jobs[11](https://www.tvguide.com/news/bryan-greenberg-make-1015269/). He released his second album, *We Don't Have Forever*, in 2011, and recorded a third, *Everything Changes*[5](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php) • [15](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/news/a21951/bryan-greenberg-interview/). He has said music has never been a career pursuit in the way acting is: "I just like to do it"[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/quotes/).
## Junction and later work
**Directing.** In 2024 Greenberg wrote, directed, and starred in *Junction*, a 97-minute feature about the opioid crisis told through three interconnected characters: a pharmaceutical company CEO (Griffin Dunne), a doctor (Ashley Madekwe), and an addict played by Greenberg[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/bryan-greenbergs-directorial-debut-tackles-the-opioid-crisis). The film grew out of his own experience of becoming dependent on OxyContin after a routine surgery, which he said left him feeling "dope sick" trying to get off the drug[16](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bryan-greenberg-reveals-scary-brush-165510347.html). It premiered in select theaters and on Apple TV+ on January 26, 2024, and also stars his wife Jamie Chung, Sophia Bush, Josh Peck, and Eddie Kaye Thomas[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/bryan-greenbergs-directorial-debut-tackles-the-opioid-crisis) • [17](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/how-bryan-greenberg-got-one-tree-hills-sophia-bush-in-his-new-movie/). He said he assembled the cast largely through personal calls to friends, because the budget could not otherwise attract such names[17](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/how-bryan-greenberg-got-one-tree-hills-sophia-bush-in-his-new-movie/).
**Suits LA and recent work.** In 2024 Greenberg was cast in NBC's *Suits LA*, a spinoff of the legal drama *Suits*, playing Rick Dodson, head of entertainment law at the firm[1](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/bryan-greenberg/) • [18](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/suits-la-trailer-cast-photos). The series premiered on NBC on February 23, 2025, with Gabriel Macht reprising Harvey Specter in a recurring arc[18](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/suits-la-trailer-cast-photos). Greenberg has said he describes the role as his "dream job," partly because shooting in Los Angeles let him be near his family[19](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/why-bryan-greenberg-is-calling-suits-la-his-dream-job/). NBC canceled the series after one season, citing low streaming viewership of roughly one million viewers per episode[20](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/drama-shows/suits-spin-off-cancelled-at-nbc-after-just-one-season/). He also joined the cast of *Emily in Paris* for its fifth season[21](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2001563/filmography).
In January 2025, wildfires in Los Angeles destroyed his home; Greenberg described the loss as a personal reset that led him to reassess his relationship with the city and the direction of his career[22](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/bryan-greenberg-in-conversation-with-chris-evans).
## Personal life
Greenberg became engaged to Jamie Chung in 2014 and married her on October 31, 2015; the couple announced in October 2021 that they had secretly welcomed twin boys[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/). He and Chung have spoken about balancing careers and parenthood[14](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-almost-made-it/id1746430362).
## References
1. [Bryan Greenberg, Us Weekly profile](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/bryan-greenberg/)
2. [Bryan Greenberg Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/bio/)
3. [Bryan Greenberg, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/bryan-greenberg/)
4. [How to Make It in America, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/how-to-make-it-in-america)
5. [Bryan Greenberg Biography, The Famous People](https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bryan-greenberg-44297.php)
6. [Bryan Greenberg's Directorial Debut Tackles the Opioid Crisis, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/bryan-greenbergs-directorial-debut-tackles-the-opioid-crisis)
7. [Bryan Greenberg Quotes, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1034965/quotes/)
8. [Romance Rewind: Bryan Greenberg Looks Back at 'One Tree Hill,' 'Prime' & More, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/swooon/1183940/bryan-greenberg-one-tree-hill-jake-peyton-romance-prime-suits-la/)
9. [Bryan Greenberg Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/bryan-greenberg/umc.cpc.6ab89r88s0mhel7ubczgjywuu)
10. [How to Make It in America, Vogue](https://www.vogue.com/article/vd-tv-how-to-make-it-in-america)
11. [How Bryan Greenberg Made it to How to Make it in America, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/bryan-greenberg-make-1015269/)
12. [Bryan Greenberg & Victor Rasuk Revisit 'How To Make It In America', Deadline via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bryan-greenberg-victor-rasuk-revisit-161500301.html)
13. [Bryan Greenberg Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/bryan_greenberg_ii)
14. [We (Almost) Made It podcast, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-almost-made-it/id1746430362)
15. [Hot Topic: Bryan Greenberg, ELLE](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/news/a21951/bryan-greenberg-interview/)
16. [Bryan Greenberg Reveals His Scary Brush with Opioid Abuse, People via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bryan-greenberg-reveals-scary-brush-165510347.html)
17. [Bryan Greenberg Made 'Personal Calls' to Get Sophia Bush in His New Movie, Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/how-bryan-greenberg-got-one-tree-hills-sophia-bush-in-his-new-movie/)
18. [Suits LA: Trailer, Cast, Release Date, Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/suits-la-trailer-cast-photos)
19. [Why Bryan Greenberg Is Calling Suits LA His 'Dream Job', Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/why-bryan-greenberg-is-calling-suits-la-his-dream-job/)
20. [Suits spin-off cancelled at NBC after just one season, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/drama-shows/suits-spin-off-cancelled-at-nbc-after-just-one-season/)
21. [Filmography: Bryan Greenberg, El Cinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2001563/filmography)
22. [Bryan Greenberg, in Conversation with Chris Evans, Interview Magazine](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/bryan-greenberg-in-conversation-with-chris-evans)
23. [Work, James Lafferty.](https://www.officialjameslafferty.com/work)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Go to G*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license