Brian Sidney Eppes was born in Vancouver, Washington and raised in Arlington, Texas.From 1987 to 1992, Eppes played Michael, one of the original characters from Barney & Friends, from the age of 8 to 13.Eppes graduated summa cum laude from Arlington High School; while in high school, he played baseball and football, and was active in the student council. During the summer breaks, he worked for his father's company Southwest Networks, as a lead technician installing fiber optic and data cable systems; in addition he also worked for the Texas Rangers baseball team.