Aurora Starchild
Brianne Howey has come a long way from her “dumb blonde” roles to the calculating matriarch in Ginny & Georgia. The Batwoman actress always has something going on, whether it’s on or off camera. Get to know the breakout star because you’re definitely going to be seeing more of her.
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Brianne Howey Wanted to Be a Flight Attendant but Studied Theatre Intensively
Brianne Howey was born May 24, 1989, in Los Angeles, California. She is the oldest of five siblings and they were raised by their single mother. Howey told Byrdie that she didn’t grow up with social media like her younger siblings, for which she is grateful. She told Maxim that she attended an all-girls Catholic high school that was uniquely devoid of drama and also admitted to being a bit of a goody-two-shoes. She focused on her studies, which included theatre and improv classes.
As a kid, despite growing up in LA, Brianne Howey had a dream of being a flight attendant. She said that she went to her father’s house every Tuesday night and watched a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie. The constant traveling that she saw the Olsens do made her want to travel, too. When she watched View from the Top starring Christina Applegate and Gwyneth Paltrow, she decided they “made being a flight attendant seem like the coolest job ever.”
After high school, Brianne Howey moved across the country to attend New York University Tisch School of Arts. She also took acting classes at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City. While studying theatre, Howey was cast in her first TV role in an episode of 90210. She also picked up roles in a variety of short films, beginning with Suckerpunch in 2008.
Howey’s First Big Feature Film Was Horrible Bosses 2
The studying paid off. Howey graduated college a semester early and was thrust into the world of Hollywood with an established resume, even if it was mostly small roles. She returned to Los Angeles and was steadily cast in TV, including an episode of NCIS and a lead role in Red Scare. In 2014, she was Candy in Horrible Bosses 2. The prestige gained from co-starring in a feature film with Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day gave her a momentary “breakout” moment, but she was only getting started.
Then Came The Exorcist, Batwoman, and Ginny & Georgia
Brianne Howey would go on to star as Kat Rance in the 2016 TV series The Exorcist and Shauna Babcock in the 2019 series The Passage. Both of these shows gave Howey the opportunity to expand into darker plot lines and roles. She played the supervillain Reagan in Batwoman from 2019 to 2020. But it wasn’t until Ginny & Georgia that Howey finally got to expand into a fully complex, keep-you-on-your-toes kind of character. That is exactly what she is in her newest TV show, which is already well into its second season on Netflix.
Speaking with Today, Howey said that she enjoys exploring Georgia’s layers as the show progresses. That character development is deeply tied into the plot, and both are unpredictable and dynamic. It’s a dream for any serious actress, to say the least.
Brianne Howey Met Her Husband Matt Zeiring at a Bar
When Brianne Howey isn’t busy filming, she has a whole other life to live. That includes her soulmate and husband, Matt Zeiring. The two met at a bar in Los Angeles with mutual friends about 6 years prior to tying the knot. They told LA Magazine that they ran into each other again the following two nights and realized they had some serious chemistry.
“It wasn’t totally random, but we had some mutual friends and now we’re here!” said Zeiring. He was celebrating taking the bar exam to become an attorney when he first met Howey. Both are individually successful, with Matt working as a lawyer and Brianne as an actress.
The couple wanted to marry in October 2020 but had to put off their plans due to the COVID pandemic. They told LA Mag that they adopted a puppy to tide them over in the meantime. Howey first introduced him via Instagram in March of 2020 as “Bodhi” and an Australian Shepherd mix.
Howey and Zeiring Tied the Knot in July 2021
Brianne Howey and Zeiring finally said their vows on July 24, 2021, in Palos Verdes, California.
“It was the most beautiful feeling to be surrounded by so many people we love. The night was more magical than I could have ever imagined,” Howey told People. She posted a photo of their newlywed kiss, standing in the garden where they said, “I do.”
They went to Aruba for their honeymoon, staying at the Ritz-Carlton before Howey had to jet off to shoot season 2 of Ginny & Georgia.
Despite their busy schedules, the couple (and Bodhi!) certainly balance time for themselves. Howey is constantly posting photos of their time together, whether doing extreme sports, hanging out with Bodhi, traveling to exotic locales, or enjoying gourmet meals. Howey never fulfilled that flight attendant dream, but it’s clear she is living the dream.
We can’t wait to see what comes next. Season 3 of Ginny & Georgia isn’t set in stone yet, but word on the street is that it’s very likely. Stay tuned!
