Brian Vernel is a Scottish actor who portrayed Bala-Tik in the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. Vernel made his first on-screen appearance in BBC One crime drama television series The Field of Blood (2011). In 2012, Vernel starred in the Davey Anderson play The Static, which played at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. He played the lead role of Sparky, an intelligent but volatile teenager with psychic abilities. Rohanne Udall of Exeunt Magazine wrote: "Vernel is confident and accomplished, bursting with energy and vigour from his first moments and transfixing the audience with the challenging gaze of a demanding youth." The performance earned Vernel a nomination for Best Actor at The Stage Awards of 2012. In 2013, Vernel appeared in the Donna Franceschild play Takin' Ov