Brett David Stelter was born in Long Beach, CA. His family moved to Beavercreek Ohio where he attended Beavercreek High School and was an All-Area athlete (soccer). He graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Brett is the grandson of W. David Sievers, the founding faculty member of the California State University Long Beach Drama department, who studied at the New School for Social Research alongside Tennessee Williams and Stella Adler.