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Brendan McDonough

Brendan McDonough

Granite Mountain Hotshot & Subject of the Film Only the Brave

Brendan McDonough’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. A heroin addict with a daughter on the way, McDonough was facing a bleak future. After recovering from that addiction, he was given a chance to completely change his life and serve a higher purpose as a member of an elite squad of firefighters. Through painstaking work, unshakeable faith, and devotion to his new family, Brendan became an invaluable member of the “Granite Mountain Hotshots.”

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Bio

Full Bio

Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona. Their superintendent, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four hotshots left the crew, and seeing a glimmer of promise in the skinny would-be recruit, he took a chance on the unlikely McDonough. Despite the crew’s skepticism, and thanks in large part to Marsh’s firm but loving encouragement, McDonough unlocked a latent drive and dedication, going on to successfully battle a number of blazes and eventually win the confidence of the men he came to call his brothers.

Then, on June 30, 2013, while McDonough–“Donut” as he’d been dubbed by his team–served as lookout, they confronted a freak, 3,000-degree inferno in nearby Yarnell, Arizona. The relentless firestorm ultimately trapped his hotshot brothers, tragically killing all 19 of them within minutes. Nationwide, it was the greatest loss of firefighter lives since the 9/11 attacks.

The story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots came to the silver screen with the release of Only the Brave in October 2017. The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski, stars Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Taylor Kitsch, and Jennifer Connelly. McDonough was portrayed by Miles Teller.

Today, Brendan McDonough continues to live in Prescott, Arizona with his daughters and fiancé.

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Topics

Topics

Know Your Why: Finding Purpose in a Chaotic World

Faith: The Guiding Principle

Recovery: My Journey to Sobriety in a Time of Epidemic

Who Stands Beside You: The Untold Story of My Lost Brothers

Videos

Videos

Brendan McDonough, Cast & Director of "Only The Brave" Speak On The Film
Brendan McDonough - Full Story

Books

My Lost Brothers: The Untold Story by the Yarnell Hill Fire's Lone Survivor
My Lost Brothers: The Untold Story by the Yarnell Hill Fire's Lone Survivor
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