Dylan Rhodes O’Brien was born on 26 August 1991 in New York City. He is the son of Patrick B. O’Brien and Lisa O’Brien. His father works in the film industry as a camera operator (cinematographer) and his mother was a professional actress. In interviews Dylan has noted that growing up with a cinematographer father and an actress mother kept him “surrounded by the business” of entertainment from an early age.
O’Brien spent his early childhood in Springfield Township in Union County, New Jersey. When he was about twelve years old, his family moved across the country to Hermosa Beach in Southern California. (This move in 2003 brought him into the Los Angeles area, although he has kept details of his early years largely private.)
He completed his secondary education in California, graduating from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach in 2009. As a teenager he pursued creative hobbies: for example, he uploaded short comedy videos to his own YouTube channel (called moviekidd826). He also played drums in a high-school rock band called Slow Kids at Play, forming the group with friends soon after moving to California. These activities reflected his early interest in filmmaking and performance.
Dylan O’Brien’s career reflects a steady rise from online content creator to internationally recognized actor, known for his breakout role in Teen Wolf and leading performances in The Maze Runner film series. | Fact | Details |
| Full Name | Dylan Rhodes O’Brien |
| Born | August 26, 1991 |
| Age (2026) | 34 |
| Birthplace | New York City, USA |
| Profession | Actor, Producer |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
| Income Sources | Acting, TV, films, producing |
| Breakthrough | Teen Wolf (Stiles Stilinski) |
| Known For | Maze Runner series |
| Recent Work | Twinless, Send Help (2026) |
Dylan O’Brien’s earliest forays into entertainment came through self-produced comedy shorts. He began making amateur videos around age 10 and by 14 was regularly uploading sketches on a YouTube channel under the name “moviekidd826”.
A local producer noticed these homegrown videos and cast him in a small web series, which in turn led to an actor he worked with recommending O’Brien to a talent manager. This chain of events led the then-teenage O’Brien to begin auditioning professionally. At 17 he decided to pursue acting full-time and soon landed his first major role.
O’Brien’s first acting roles came in independent film and television. In 2011 he appeared in the improv comedy High Road, an independent film. The following year he had a leading turn as a high-school student in the teen romance The First Time (2012).
In 2013, while still working on Teen Wolf, he also co-starred as a college intern in the comedy The Internship. These projects, although modest releases, helped to establish his on-screen presence and prepared O’Brien for larger opportunities.
O’Brien’s big break came with MTV’s supernatural drama Teen Wolf. He auditioned at 17 and won the part of Stiles Stilinski, the witty best friend of the titular character. The series premiered in 2011 and ran through 2017, making O’Brien a favourite among teen audiences.
His performance as Stiles earned critical attention and fan acclaim, with O’Brien’s work on Teen Wolf winning him awards such as the 2014 Teen Choice Award for “Choice TV Villain”. This role firmly established O’Brien as a rising young actor and paved the way for his move into feature films.
Building on Teen Wolf, O’Brien quickly transitioned into leading film roles. In 2013 he filmed The Maze Runner released 2014, taking on the starring role of Thomas in the adaptation of the popular young-adult novel.
The Maze Runner was made on a modest budget and turned into a major box-office success, grossing over $340 million worldwide. O’Brien reprised this hero role in the sequels Maze Runner The Scorch Trials (2015) and Maze Runner The Death Cure (2018).
Between these films, he also led other genres for example he portrayed a college student in The Internship (2013) and later took a role in the disaster drama Deepwater Horizon (2016). By the mid-2010s, O’Brien’s name had become internationally known through this combination of a hit TV series and blockbuster films.
After conquering the teen-adventure genre, O’Brien began taking on a wider variety of roles. In 2016 he appeared as a drilling crew member in Deepwater Horizon, a serious disaster thriller, and in 2017 he led the action spy thriller American Assassin as CIA recruit Mitch Rapp. He even branched into voice acting, playing the title role in the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee (2018).
In 2020 he starred in the adventure-comedy Love and Monsters and in the mystery thriller Flashback, both of which marked a shift from blockbuster franchises to more character-driven stories. These projects demonstrated O’Brien’s versatility, showing he could handle comedy, drama, sci-fi and action with equal skill.
Throughout his career, O’Brien’s performances have earned industry recognition. He won major genre awards for Teen Wolf and Maze Runner for instance, he received MTV Movie Awards in 2015 for Best Hero and Breakthrough Performance for The Maze Runner.
He also earned numerous Teen Choice Awards for example Teen Choice’s Choice TV Villain in 2014. Beyond fan-voted honors, O’Brien was given the 2014 Experience Award by Italy’s Giffoni Film Festival, which recognizes young international talent.
In recent years his lead role in the indie drama Ponyboi (2022) even won him the Breakthrough Artist Award at Variety’s and the Golden Globe’s joint ceremony in 2024. These milestones underscore how O’Brien’s career has grown from a teen idol into an acclaimed young actor.
As O’Brien’s career has progressed, critics and colleagues have noted his range and dedication. He has smoothly shifted from playing the sidekick in a supernatural drama to headlining action films, heartfelt comedies, and independent features.
His commitment to stunts and realistic performances is well documented after a near-fatal stunt accident in 2016, he took time off to recover and later spoke openly about returning to set with renewed caution.
Industry recognition reflects this growth in addition to awards he has been featured on “star to watch” lists and has continued to work steadily in film and television. He has also received nominations such as the 2025 Gotham Award nomination for Caddo Lake, demonstrating that the industry sees him as a leading presence in diverse projects.
Dylan O’Brien’s career reflects steady growth and versatility, evolving from a breakout television role in Teen Wolf to leading performances in major films and critically recognized projects across multiple genres. In the past few years O’Brien has continued to seek varied roles. He starred alongside Mark Rylance in the 2022 crime thriller The Outfit and led the dark comedy Not Okay also 2022.
In 2025 he appeared as Dan Aykroyd in the biopic Saturday Night and starred in the Sundance-premiered satire Twinless, which won the Audience Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Looking ahead, O’Brien is slated for several high-profile projects he will co-star with Rachel McAdams in Sam Raimi’s thriller Send Help released January 2026 and will portray disability-rights advocate Ed Roberts in the drama Being Heumann 2026. These current and upcoming roles indicate that O’Brien remains an active, sought-after actor, continually expanding the scope of his career.
As of 2026, Dylan O’Brien’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no figure has been officially verified by credible financial sources. His income primarily comes from his work in film and television, along with residual earnings from past projects. He has also been credited as an executive producer on the film Twinless. However, specific details regarding his compensation for these projects remain private.
Dylan O’Brien is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He gained widespread recognition for his role as Stiles Stilinski in Teen Wolf.
He was born on August 26, 1991, in New York City, United States. He later grew up in New Jersey and California.
His breakthrough role was Stiles Stilinski in MTV’s Teen Wolf(2011–2017). The performance earned him strong fan support and industry recognition.
He is best known for The Maze Runnertrilogy, American Assassin, and Deepwater Horizon. These films helped establish him as a leading actor in action and drama genres.
He began by creating and uploading comedy videos on YouTube. These videos led to early acting opportunities and professional representation.