From his parents? Carney basement, Brandon Hardesty has reached millions. His fans have watched the 20-year-old grocery bagger?s one-man re-enactments of famous movie scenes on the Internet site YouTube.
His uncanny ability to master everything from a philosophical Christoper Walken to an enraged Samuel L. Jackson has now caught the eye of late-night TV comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
The talk show host challenged Hardesty to re-enact scenes from five Oscar nominees and broadcast his versions of “Atonement” and “There Will be Blood” last week live from the basement of the Baltimore County home where Hardesty lives with his parents. Three more will air this week.
“It?s embarrassing,” Hardesty said Sunday while taking a second look at his scene from “Atonement,” which offered Kimmel?s 2 million viewers a shot of Hardesty in a woman?s dress and lipstick.
“I watch it and think I could have done better,” he says.
Fans say they like Hardesty?s innovation under a nonexistent budget. Some lint and Scotch tape become a mustache. He raids his nephew?s toy chest for a plastic bowling set to recreate a scene from “There Will Be Blood.” He makes no attempt to camouflage his mother?s knickknacks and family photos in the background.
“I think it?s funnier that I don?t have a budget,” Hardesty said. “For a year, I didn?t have a working tripod so I stacked some old Disney movies and balanced the camera on that and hoped it didn?t fall over.”
Hardesty says he is a testament to YouTube?s power to catapult careers.
Last summer, car insurance company Geico used Hardesty?s “strange noises and faces I can make” montage in a commercial. Their point? Customers can waste 15 minutes watching Hardesty imitate what appears to be a rabid horse.
Or they could save money on insurance.
“It?s one minute and 39 seconds of ridiculousness,” Hardesty said. “They are totally making fun of me and they have every right to do so.”
Hardesty?s re-enactments are attracting a cult following on YouTube. More than 100,000 people have viewed his earlier re-enactments, including scenes from “Fight Club” and “Willy Wonka,” and fans have started making requests.
Posted beneath a clip of his first appearance on Kimmel?s show, a fan known as “Gwizdo” confessed her admiration.
“People think I?m stupid, but I do have a slight crush on Brandon,” she posted. “He?s cute. Giggles.”
But Hardesty?s fan base is starting to transcend the Internet. An admirer approached him recently in the grocery store. Agents and producers have started sending him scripts to review. He will appear in the indie teen comedy “Bart Got a Room” that will be released later this year.
Hardesty describes himself as an “introvert who learned to be an extrovert.” Not until high school did he dabble in theater and film. In 10th grade, his teacher suggested he try out for the school play. He didn?t.
But the next year, he took a part in the schools? production of “The Crucible” and discovered his talent. He hasn?t stopped acting since, he said.
“Even work is all an act,” Hardesty says, before offering his best customer-service smile. “Oh, OK, you have a coupon? Great.”
But Hardesty isn?t ready to end his gig at the supermarket just yet. While bagging those groceries, he said he?s collecting material for a screenplay about the store, which he hopes will star other YouTube phenomenons such as the “numa numa” boy, aka chubby GaryBrolsma, who posted his entirely seated dance to an odd but catchy Romanian pop song.
The video, posted from Brolsma?s New Jersey bedroom, has been viewed nearly 9 million times.
“YouTube is unfiltered,” Hardesty says. “It?s good stuff and it?s crappy stuff. But it?s a great way to get your stuff out there.”
WATCH BRANDON:
Where: Jimmy Kimmel Live!
When: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, midnight
Network: ABC
