NAME: Brody Callahun GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis Man / He/Him/They AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 35 years old / December 23rd HOMETOWN: Great Falls, MT TIME IN GREAT FALLS: Previously 18 years, recently returned RESIDENCE: Downtown OCCUPATION: Tattoo Artist at Altered Ink
BACKSTORY —
Brody Callahun was born in Great Falls, MT to a construction worker and bakery owner. The Callahun family were known around town because of his mother’s bakery being the best in the town. The two parents were also life residents who went to Forest Hills High School – were prom king and queen, football star and lead cheerleader. Yes, that kind of couple. They had such high hopes for Brody to follow in their ‘popularity’ footsteps, but boy where they wrong.
From a young age the boy showed interest in the arts, in coloring, in painting; in creating everything and anything he could with pen and paper. His father saw this and instantly didn’t take to it. Instead Brody was forced into biddy basketball and t-ball. Unfortunately for the father, his son did not do well in the sports and the coaches advised Brody to not be on the teams. Because of this, Mr. Callahun pretty much looked down on his son. That’s when he and his wife tried for another child – and it was another boy. Maddox Callahun was born and it was as if Brody never existed.
He didn’t do any better in school. Brody was the student sitting in the back who didn’t talk to anyone, who always had a notepad and grew in it during class. He often wore a black zip-up jacket with the hood up. Because of this, and because Brody was very skinny and frail looking, he was picked on. This wasn’t a ha-ha once in a while being made fun of, no this was constant bullying to where Brody would sometimes end up at the nurse’s station to fake an illness to get out of school. Of course, his parents didn’t really pay any mind and would tell him to stay in school. Brody kept telling himself it was just high school and once he was out he’d never have to see his classmates again. He was going to move out of Great Falls, hell he was going to move out of state and start a new life.
That plan was fast forwarded before he graduated. This was due to the football players ganging up on him the day before prom. They found out Brody was going to prom with someone a player wanted to go with, and they jumped him leaving him on the ground bleeding from the nose, a busted lip, a few broken ribs, and a sprained ankle. As Brody was recovering in the hospital, the poor boy broke into the supply cabinet finding anything he can to try and end his life. He couldn’t, so instead he tied the blankets together and tried hanging himself. The nurse came in just in time and got him down.
While the hospital recommended the boy going to a psychiatric ward, Brody’s parents instead talked them out of it saying they would ‘handle it’. Their ‘handling it’ was shipping Brody off to Chicago with his uncle.
There the boy was at 18, no high school degree, standing alone at an airport in Chicago. His uncle was there to pick him up, an annoyed glare being sent his way. Brody ran. Brody ran off and promised himself he was going to whatever he could to make a life for himself no matter what it took.
Homeless, Brody got a job at a small and private owned gym as the front desk clerk. He liked the job and almost felt as if he was connecting with the members. Brody would smile, greet them as they entered and when they left. And after a while the owner allowed Brody to use the equipment. Soon enough the boy was able to get a studio apartment. He also attended classes to get his G.E.D. all while working countless hours at the gym.
The gym was practically his home and he owed management for allowing him to work there. The smell of the rubber mats, the sounds of dropped barbells, the whirling from the treadmills – it was all comforting for Brody.
By the time Brody was 20 he had bulked up pretty significantly. At this point he was catching a few eyes from trainers wanting to know his secret and what he was actively doing. While they watched him, one bold trainer approached Brody with an offer; train in boxing, make good money. Knowing he had nothing else to do, Brody agreed.
Brody did his first game a little after he turned 21 – and won. He was able to gain 10k in his first game with only an inch cut on his cheekbone. The thrill of it all was addicting and Brody continued. With the money Brody bought a tattoo gun and began practicing. Becoming a tattoo artist was always a dream for him and it seemed like it was finally time.
Fast forward to present day and Brody found himself living in Great Falls once again. It was the absolute last place he wanted to be saying he would rather willingly jump into an active volcano than return to his own personal hell. But his father passed away leaving an estate to be handled and a mother who was disabled and needed care. Of course his younger brother Maddox refused to do it so Brody did it knowing there wasn’t much time left with his mother.
Portrayed by TOM HARDY, written by J.