Brennan Lee Mulligan’s Family Secrets: How They Transform Dimension 20 and Dropout

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Brennan Lee Mulligan is recognized as one of the leading comedians within the community of live Dungeons and Dragons games. Before taking on the role of executive producer, writer, and game master for Dimension 20, he was involved in numerous other projects such as CollegeHumor sketches, co-creating Strong Female Protagonist, and competing on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Over the years, Mulligan has taken on various roles, but among his most significant ones are those of husband and father within the Dungeons and Dragons expert’s personal life.

Game Rant had a chat with Mulligan regarding his professional journey, familial matters, and the collaboration with comedian Isabella “Izzy” Roland which adds depth to both his personal life and his roles at Dropout and Dimension 20. Extending beyond his private sphere, Mulligan also discussed the special bonds that develop among the cast of Dimension 20, as well as other comedy and live play groups, resembling a close-knit family.

The Marriage of Brennan Lee Mulligan’s Family and Career

Brennan Lee Mulligan and Izzy Roland – Family Forged in Comedy

In 2017, Mulligan and Roland started dating following a chance encounter within the improvisation community. By early 2021, they were engaged and tied the knot on April 1, 2023. This power couple truly shines when they perform together, and besides their performances on Dropout, they are right now in the middle of an improv tour. Their schedule includes shows in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Las Vegas spread throughout the year.

In my opinion, Izzy Roland is unmatched when it comes to humor, both in terms of wit and uniqueness. She constantly makes surprising yet inevitably creative choices that leave me in awe. Contrary to popular belief, our strong partnership isn’t solely based on comedy or improv. Instead, we complement each other well, much like any successful couple might, by being effective teammates and managing life’s business effectively.

If you discover an individual whom you enjoy spending time with, whom you’re deeply in love with, and whose company makes your life feel complete, it’s strongly recommended that you consider getting married.

In early 2024, the two comedians introduced a new member to their family, whom they call “Sunny” for privacy reasons. Mulligan expressed that he was a thousand times more exhausted yet a million times happier due to this new arrival. Being a father has brought unexpected joys to Mulligan’s life, but it also presented the first hurdle in his marriage with Roland – finding babysitters since they both perform frequently, meaning one of them is often away from home.

Having a child positively impacted Mulligan’s professional life in several ways. Being a non-birthing parent leads to a lifelong decrease in the body’s base level of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress response. This reduction has helped Mulligan assess and manage problems more effectively, which proves beneficial in his role as a leader and creative director for projects like Dimension 20.

In an urgent situation, someone might burst in exclaiming, ‘We have a five-alarm emergency!’ In such moments, there’s a sudden shift in focus, and you find yourself prioritizing immediately, perhaps even holding a coworker or colleague reassuringly, saying, ‘Don’t worry about that issue right now. It’s not as pressing as this emergency.’

Mulligan is thrilled at the prospect of his child expressing an interest in Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), but he emphasized that he would wholeheartedly support any interests they might have, even if it’s not D&D. He jokingly added that if they do develop a passion for D&D, they’ve essentially won the lottery. With countless hours of content from Dimension 20 alone, they’ll have plenty of Dungeons and Dragons actual plays featuring their father to watch. Comparing it to being Martin Scorsese’s daughter with access to all his films, he said, “You can’t consume all my content in a week!

Dimension 20 Doesn’t Have Any ‘Competition’

Apart from his immediate family, Mulligan has another significant circle: the one that originates from Dimension 20 and Dropout. While this group includes his community, crew, and cast members, it extends far beyond them. It encompasses special guests on Dimension 20, such as the pro wrestlers in Titan Takedown, as well as individuals from other actual play and comedy groups.

Unlike many media outlets that consider other games, shows, or companies as competitors, Dropout takes a different stance. As Mulligan put it, “The reason these various organizations often provide assistance and encouragement to each other is actually due to friendship. We know and care about the people behind these companies, and we want them to succeed.” This unique dynamic was even questioned by Mulligan’s brother when the Dimension 20 game master appeared in Critical Role’s Exandria Unlimited miniseries, and when Matthew Mercer appeared in his own actual play. When Mulligan explained his collaborative approach with these other groups, his brother had a rather amusing response.

My brother expressed it like this: “In essence, you two aren’t actually competing against each other; instead, you’re both part of the same team, facing off against those simply strolling.” I responded, “That sounds a bit dismal! I encourage everyone to take a walk… Do go for walks! There’s nothing negative about going for a walk!

In various platforms such as Dimension 20 (for Critical Role), Smartypants (Smosh), and Um, Actually (The Try Guys), there have been instances where creators from these groups collaborate. These individuals, including Aabria Iyengar and Erika Ishii, are well-known in the actual play, comedy, and voice acting scenes, and they even attended Mulligan and Roland’s wedding. These creators are not rivals but rather an extended family within the entertainment industry, all fighting for the same cause of enriching their respective fields. As a result, their successes contribute to the growth and expansion of the actual play scene overall. In other words, their achievements help broaden the audience base across the actual play community.

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2025-05-27 13:24