Rick Jay Glen

Rick Jay Glen (born October 13, 1981) is an American actor, voice actor, singer, songwriter, director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for the voice of Briar, from the hit Chinese animated television series Boonie Bears, and the animated films Boonie Bears: To the Rescue (2014) and Boonie Bears: Mystical Winter (2015).

Early life

Growing up in the Bay Area of California, Rick was a creative child. He started drawing and writing stories from the time he was in grade school. Coming from a family of three siblings and many cousins, he always had people around to inspire his creative and artistic side. His parents were attentive and active in his creative process. Rick was a below average student.

By the time he reached junior high, his family moved to Concord, California. He later attended Concord High School. Though his grades were below average, he had an outstanding passion for learning but struggled with grades. He was very interested in science and psychology, and would often read books more advanced than his grade level.

After he graduated from high school in 2000, he continued performing with his metal band, Umbra. The band unfortunately disbanded in 2004, when Rick's best friend, lead guitarist, and Umbra's co-songwriter's father committed suicide in their Antioch, California, home on July 22, 2004. Rick moved to Maui in September.

After returning to California in 2005, Rick attended college in Chico to further pursue his interest in psychology. However, his passion for creative arts led him to be more involved in theater, radio, commercial and video game voice work, and independent films. He returned to Concord in 2009, due to financial struggles. He worked retail and business-to-business marketing jobs to earn a living over the next year, before moving to Shenzhen, China, to

Cancer

At the age of four months, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the connective tissue. He was treated at Children's Hospital Oakland, where they surgically removed the tumor. He underwent chemotherapy for the following two years. The cancer has not returned since.

Filmography