Jake Brennan, 13, is a favorite among television’s youngest viewers. He is most recognized for playing Richie Rich in the Netflix original series.

Jake’s acting career began at eight years old with appearances in stage productions of “The Lion King,” “Seussical Jr.,” “Mulan,” and “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” At 9-years-old, he made his network television debut in an episode of Criminal Minds, which he followed with appearances in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and in Nickelodeon’s Sam and Cat. He also appeared in the feature films Super Buddies (Disney) and Dark Skies.

The secret to Jake’s early success, his mom Lacy Washburn told us, is improv training. She recommends The Groundlings Theater & School for young actors who are serious about making it in Hollywood.

“Improv is absolutely the number one thing kids need in this industry,” Lacy said. “I don’t think anybody should audition until they’ve had it. Every job Jake has had — once he’s behind the camera — there’s always improv. They want the raw, funny kids who can just roll with it.”

When he’s not in front of the camera, Jake is either spending time with family, practicing music (he plays the drums, guitar, and ukulele), or playing basketball or football.

You can catch Jake in the upcoming feature Airplane Mode expected for release later this year. He also made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last month as “Little Trump.” Give it a laugh below!