Brandon McKnight

Intro

Brandon McKnight is a Canadian actor with Jamaican roots whose career connects independent film, stage performance and superhero television. He is especially recognizable as Chester P. Runk in The Flash, the scientifically minded member of the team surrounding Barry Allen. That role made him familiar to an international television audience, but it sits within a broader working life that includes Canadian theatre and feature films. His professional biographies also identify music as an interest: the CW describes him as both a listener and a player of jazz.

Career snapshot

McKnight trained in the Canadian Film Centre's 2018 Actors Conservatory cohort. The program culminated in a February 26, 2019 showcase at TIFF Bell Lightbox, where seven residents presented short character studies developed with other filmmakers. The CFC's account emphasizes collaboration with writers, directors, editors and music creators. This was a setting for developing an original character and bringing it to the screen, rather than simply presenting a conventional audition. Photographs from the showcase place McKnight alongside the other members of that cohort at an identifiable early professional milestone.

The entry point

His feature film debut was in Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water. Subsequent screen work included the horror film I'll Take Your Dead, the restaurant drama Nose to Tail opposite Aaron Abrams. These projects show the variety of productions surrounding his television breakthrough. A survey of his early work can move from a large fantasy production to smaller Canadian films, following an actor working within quite different ensembles and storytelling scales.

Screen identity and style

Chester entered The Flash during its sixth season. TVLine's report on McKnight's promotion to series regular describes a scientist whose experiment accidentally opens a black hole, bringing him into contact with Barry Allen and the team at S.T.A.R. Labs. The promotion applied to the seventh season. Chester's technological ingenuity became part of the series' ensemble rhythm: while Barry's speed drives the action, other characters investigate, devise equipment and help solve the problems that arise. McKnight's role belongs specifically to the CW television series rather than the separate feature film adaptation.

Collaborations and patterns

The seventh-season episode The One With the Nineties offers a particularly useful Chester-centered viewing choice. Its trip back to 1998 pairs him with Cisco, played by Carlos Valdes, and connects the adventure to Chester's family history. In a TV Insider interview, McKnight discussed the emotional background behind the character's enthusiastic manner. The episode therefore gives viewers more than comic banter or technical explanation. It allows the performance to move between an enjoyable partnership and personal stakes, providing context for the man who has joined the established group.

Era reflection

McKnight's theatre work includes Judas Noir at Tarragon Theatre and Of Mice and Men with Unit 102 Theatre. For Soulpepper's 2025 Kim's Convenience, his listed roles were Rich, Alex, Mr. Lee and Mike. Playing several people in one stage production asks an actor to establish distinctions quickly for a live audience. His professional biographies also list an appearance in the CBC television version of Kim's Convenience. Those are separate credits in different media; the multiple stage roles should not be mistaken for the characters he played in the television adaptation.

Legacy and rediscovery

The gallery records McKnight at two Canadian Film Centre events in February 2019: the annual gala and the showcase for his conservatory class. They are professional-event photographs, not stills from The Flash or another fictional production. Together with his stage credits, they place his television visibility within a continuing community of Canadian performers and filmmakers. A useful introduction to his work pairs a Chester-focused episode with a film or theatre credit, attending to how his contribution changes with the size of the role, the ensemble and the medium.

Selected screen roles

• The Flash: Chester P. Runk — Seasons 6–9
• Kim's Convenience: Rich, Alex, Mr. Lee and Mike — 2025 stage production

A career in pictures

Two distinct Canadian Film Centre photographs document the gala and the showcase for the 2018 conservatory cohort, both held in February 2019.

At the CFC gala (2019)

Brandon McKnight at a professional event

Portrait crop photographed by Tom Sandler Photography for the Canadian Film Centre, February 21, 2019.

Conservatory showcase (2019)

McKnight with his conservatory cohort

McKnight stands third from the left among the six people present; Michelle McLeod appears by video. Photo: Sam Santos / George Pimentel Photography, February 26, 2019.

Rewatch notes

• McKnight was part of the Canadian Film Centre Actors Conservatory class of 2018.
• He played Chester P. Runk on the CW television series The Flash.
• His 2025 stage work in Kim's Convenience included four roles.