Brandon Barash may not be an A-list celebrity in Hollywood but there is no denying his impact in the industry. For fans of long-running soap operas, such as General Hospital and Days of Our Lives, he is one of the most beloved stars to grace their screens and this is thanks to his portrayal of some unforgettable characters on these shows.
In General Hospital, Barash portrayed the character of a mobster named Johnny Zacchara while in Days of our Lives, he is the ruthless syndicate boss/political terrorist, Stefan DiMera. Even though both roles typically cast him in the bad boy mold, Barash manages to retain wide popularity among the viewing public thanks to the fact that he is an all-round nice guy in real life.
What We Know About Brandon Barash
Brandon Joseph Barash was born on the 4th of October 1979 in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States of America. He spent the first four years of his life in St Louis Missouri before his family moved out to Calabasas, Los Angeles. From L.A., the family relocated once more to Houston where the young Barash completed his high school diploma.
As a high schooler, Brandon initially aspired to become a doctor. He, therefore, focused all his attention on math and sciences without knowing that fate had an entirely different plan for him. That plan eventually manifested when his girlfriend asked him to audition for a musical after the lead actor dropped out.
Brandon wasn’t too happy with this request but had to accede in order to make his girl, who was also going to feature in the musical, happy. The young man ended up not only landing the part but also falling in love with acting in the process. He, therefore, started nursing acting ambitions and by his second year at the University of Southern California, he changed his major to theatre.
His Emergence As A Soap Opera Star
Upon graduation from college in 2001, Brandon Barash pursued his acting career with full force and eventually got his debut on the popular CW sitcom, Gilmore Girls in 2001. He appeared in about three episodes of the hit show, portraying the role of Jamie. Following the conclusion of his time on Gilmore Girls, Brandon went on to score guest appearances on other TV series including Threat Matrix, The West Wing, 24, NCIS, and Tell Me You Love Me. He finally got his big break after being cast in the role of Johnny Zacchara on the soap opera, General Hospital.
General Hospital is the longest-running soap in America and primarily revolves around the lives of the wealthy Quartermaine family in the fictional city of Port Charles. In the series, Brandon Barash portrays the role of Johnny Zacchara, a mobster as well as the son of notorious NYC crime lord, Gino Soleito. Zacchara leads a dangerous life filled with womanizing and manipulations and eventually kills his murderous mob-boss of a grandfather, Anthony Zacchara. He, however, kills two innocent persons in the process and is jailed for triple homicide.
Barash made his debut appearance as Zacchara in September 2007. He remained on the show for six years during he was praised for his obvious talent and chemistry with his co-stars. The St Louis native also frequently made the list of soap’s sexiest men. Given this status, it would have been easier for Barash to remain on General Hospital for a lifetime. He, however, refused to stay in his comfort zone and in 2013, took the painful decision to leave the show. He stated that this was to enable him to pursue his other dreams such as music, prime time TV, film, and photography.
What Has He Been Up To After General Hospital?
Brandon Barash may not have achieved all his ambitions since leaving General Hospital but there is no disputing the fact that he is doing well for himself. The actor has gone on to feature in some prime time TV series such as Timeless and Major Crimes. He has also scored a role in the TV film, The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story (2015). Barash has also played in a rock band known as Port Chuck.
Port Chuck is a collaborative effort with other GH alum such as Steve Burton (vocals), Bradford Anderson (vocals), and Scott Reeves (vocals and guitar). Barash supplies vocals and harmonica for the band and they have dropped a couple of CDs. They have also performed several shows together. The quartet was scheduled to do a tour in 2019 but had to cancel as a result of technical difficulties.
His Marriage and Subsequent Divorce From Co-Star, Kirsten Storms
Brandon Barash did not only find fame on GH but also love as he was previously married to one of his co-stars namely Kirsten Storms. She is an American actress who first rose to fame thanks to her work on several Disney movies such as Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Johnny Tsunami, and Kim Possible. She subsequently cemented her stardom by appearing on soaps such as Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. Barash and Storms first met each other in the course of co-starring on GH. They became very good friends after they were paired up, and their relationship blossomed.
The pair, however, kept things platonic as Brandon was already engaged to an actress, Natalie Hall. The engagement sadly fell apart in 2012 and Storms provided a crying shoulder for her pal. They grew closer as the days passed by and fell in love with each other. The couple hid their relationship for several months and tied the knot, in Las Vegas in June 2013, without anyone knowing. They later revealed the matrimony on their terms in August 2013. Brandon’s marriage to Storms lasted for three years during which they welcomed a daughter named Harper Rose in January 2014. The couple sadly called it quits in April 2016.
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They revealed that there had been a breakdown in communication and they had attempted to deal with it through couple’s counseling but to no avail. They, therefore, decided to go their separate ways while remaining friends. Storms and Brandon have so far kept to this promise and they peacefully co-parent their daughter. They are now regarded as one of the friendliest exes in Hollywood.
Meanwhile, Brandon is now in a thriving relationship with L. A. personal trainer, Morgan Mitchell. The two have been together since June 2018 and their love shows no signs of waning. A simple scroll through their respective social media accounts would reveal lovely couple’s pictures as well as heart-warming tributes to each other.
Who Are Other Members of His Family and What Happened to His Father?
Brandon Barash hails from reformed Jewish family background and his father is former Sysco Foods Ventura CEO, Jerry L. Barash. The senior Barash got his start in his parent’s wholesale food distribution business, Isis food, before going on to work for food/kitchenware multinational company, Sysco Foods. Jerry spent about three decades working for Sysco during which he rose to become their president and CEO.
He eventually retired to a quiet life in Lake Sherwood California. Jerry Barash sadly passed away in December 2017 and his son took to Instagram to share his tribute. The actor stated that his biggest regret was that his daughter, Harper, would not know her grandpa. Barash is moving on from his pain and has dedicated himself to his surviving relatives namely mother, Susan Gale, brother, Jordan, and half-sister, Alison Barash (from his father’s second marriage to Karen Forman).
