Ben Brainard

Ben Brainard, born in 1996 in Ormond Beach, Florida, is an American stand-up comedian and social media personality. He initially pursued studies in physics, computer-aided design, and manufacturing within the mechanical engineering program at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University. However, he left his studies to join the United States Army Reserve, where he served as a specialist. During his time in the Army Reserve, Brainard developed and utilized his talent for impressions, often pranking other soldiers. He later drew upon these experiences for early comedic content, including a TikTok video humorously critiquing his unit’s reliance on Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint for virtual briefings. His early life and military service provided foundational experiences that would later shape his unique comedic perspective.

Brainard initiated his stand-up comedy career in Orlando, Florida, in 2017, performing at various open mics, including at the Drunken Monkey. His career took a pivotal turn in 2020 when a planned comedy tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a friend’s suggestion, he began posting comedy sketches on TikTok. His first viral video, uploaded on March 30, 2020, depicted U.S. states discussing the pandemic, leading to his popular “The Table” series. In this series, Brainard portrays different U.S. states as characters debating political and current events, often featuring his fan-favorite ‘Florida Man’ character, who is depicted as absent-minded and indifferent. This series quickly garnered him significant attention and a large following across multiple social media platforms.

His success on TikTok was rapid, achieving 1 million followers and verification within six months of starting his account. His content also gained traction on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, where he had over 480,000 subscribers by June 2022 and 969K subscribers and 690M views as of May 2024. Brainard’s comedic work has touched on various topical issues, including COVID-19, the George Floyd protests, and the 2020 United States presidential election. Notably, he collaborated with Orlando Rep. Anna Eskamani in 2021 on a TikTok skit critiquing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s anti-protesting legislation, which amassed over 1 million views on TikTok and 50,000 on YouTube. Brainard has since performed at venues such as Margaritaville Resort Orlando, The Funny Bone, and Red Rock Resort, and opened for comedian Drew Lynch. He moved to Los Angeles in late 2021 to further his career.