Dylan O’Brien is an American actor whose career began on YouTube. As a high school student, he uploaded comedic videos to his channel and was soon noticed by industry professionals. His earliest screen credit is also the role he is best known for – in 2011, the first season of Teen Wolf premiered to positive reception.
O’Brien was a series regular for the first five seasons of the show before he went on to star in The Maze Runner and other films. His most recent projects include Bumblebee and The Maze Runner: The Death Cure, as well as Amazing Stories, a web anthology based on Steven Spielberg’s 1985 series of the same name. Here are the actor’s best roles according to viewer ratings on IMDb.
Stuart In The Internship (6.3)
Dylan O’Brien’s role in The Internship was his breakthrough to film. Starring alongside comedy veterans Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, O’Brien plays the role of Stuart, a proud and snobby tech-savvy genius who wants to work at Google and thinks he knows more about life than Nick (Wilson) and Billy (Vaughn).
O’Brien delivers a humorous performance while leaving the stars to bask in the spotlight, but this role proves his ability to branch out from the small screen. It also cements his place in the industry as someone capable of embodying more than a clumsy high school student.
Bumblebee In Bumblebee (6.8)
Bumblebee is a 2018 Transformers film directed by Travis Knight, starring Hailee Steinfeld, Peter Cullen, John Cena, and others. O’Brien doesn’t actually appear in the film; he provides the voice for the titular character.
The announcement regarding O’Brien’s role wasn’t made until December 2018 – only a few weeks ahead of the film’s premiere. Bumblebee is actually an Autobot scout named B-127, sent to Earth after the Civil War. Steinfeld’s character befriends him and names him Bumblebee.
Thomas In The Maze Runner (6.8)
Though fans of the book series would argue that the movies don’t live up to their source material, those who only saw the movies enjoyed them thoroughly. Film fans fell in love with the story and the first film became an instant hit.
The Maze Runner is also O’Brien’s first leading role in a major film. Add to that the pressure of carrying an entire franchise, one that already has a devoted fanbase, and the stark difference in character between Stiles of Teen Wolf and Thomas – it’s safe to say that O’Brien delivers an admirable performance.
Dave Hodgman In The First Time (6.8)
One of O’Brien’s earliest film roles is that of Dave Hodgman in The First Time. The 2011 film also stars Britt Robertson (I Still Believe) as Aubrey, Dave’s romantic interest.
Dave and Aubrey meet by chance at a mutual friend’s party and feel an instant connection. They go to different schools and this proves to be one of the greatest struggles in their relationship since they know so little of what goes on in each other’s lives.
Caleb Holloway In Deepwater Horizon (7.1)
Deepwater Horizon is a film inspired by the real-life explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion killed several crew members.
In the 2016 film, Mark Wahlberg plays the chief electronics technician, who leads his colleagues, including O’Brien’s Caleb Holloway, to prepare themselves to fight for survival. Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin), Kurt Russell (The Thing), John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich), and Kate Hudson (How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days) also star.
Sam Taylor In Amazing Stories: The Cellar (7.2)
O’Brien appears opposite Victoria Pedretti, of You and The Haunting Of Hill House fame, in this anthology series. The 2020 series was produced for Apple TV+ and is based on Steven Spielberg’s 1985 creation of the same name.
Spielberg is among the crew of executive producers of the remake, but each episode has its own director and writer, given the unique setting in each “story.” O’Brien and Pedretti appear in the first episode, “The Cellar,” in which Sam Taylor (O’Brien) discovers a time portal in the cellar of the house he’s restoring.
Peter In First Dates With Toby Harris: Roommates (7.5)
First Dates With Toby Harris is a series of comedy TV shorts about an unlucky man who goes on many wild first dates. The series ran from 2011 until 2013, with each episode consisting of one scene.
O’Brien portrays Peter in the sixth episode of the second season, titled “Roommates.” Toby Harris is trying to organize a double-date with his friend Nibs, who doesn’t show up. The episode premiered in February of 2013.
Stiles Stilinski In Teen Wolf (7.7)
The role O’Brien is perhaps best known for is Stiles Stilinski of Teen Wolf. Stiles is a dorky, clumsy, and extremely sarcastic character. His father is the Sheriff of Beacon Hills, a town riddled with supernatural creatures – one of whom is Stiles’s best friend Scott McCall.
At the beginning of the series, Stiles is comic relief, but he also helps Scott transition into his new lifestyle. Later, his excellent mystery-solving skills prove useful in saving his friends time and again. He’s an instrumental member of Scott’s pack, and is important to a lot of characters.
The Guy In New Girl: Virgins (8.5)
Dylan O’Brien guest stars in the twenty-third episode of season 2, titled “Virgins.” In this episode, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and her friends recount stories of how they lost their virginities.
This is O’Brien’s only appearance in the series, but it was one that fans enjoyed with an impressive rating of 8.5 on IMDb. The episode premiered in 2013, while Teen Wolf was airing, so O’Brien was likely occupied with his role as Stiles in the MTV show’s third season.
Clever Trevor In Sweety High (9.2)
Surprisingly, Dylan O’Brien’s highest-rated role isn’t one that many fans will know him for. Sweety High is a 2010 web series, produced and released before the web series form met its heyday.
The series centers around a group of four best friends who are high school students. They navigate the tumultuous and often treacherous environment of high school while managing to laugh along the way. O’Brien’s fedora-wearing character is named Clever Trevor.