I think that my biggest role models are people that have maybe struggled for a while and then finally gotten to their destination.

That same year Brandis played the young "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough the main character in the 1990 film Stephen King's It based on the epic horror novel. At the age of 17 he landed his best-known role as Lucas Wolenczak a teen prodigy on the NBC series seaQuest DSV. Law Who's the Boss? Murder She Wrote The Wonder Years Full House and Kate & Allie.

Beginning his career as a child model Brandis moved on to acting in commercials and eventually won television and film roles. The character was popular among teenage female viewers and Brandis regularly appeared in teen magazines.