Third-generation Alaska fisherman and star of the reality series Deadliest Catch Andy Hillstrand was born in Homer, Alaska. Hillstrand grew up in a family of fishermen, and even today in his mid-40’s he boasts more than three decades of experience at sea. He and his brother were essentially born into the industry, and by the time of their television debut, had both clocked thousands of hours aboard the family shipping vessels.
Andy and his brother’s lives changed when in 2005, the Discovery Channel launched its new reality series, Deadliest Catch. The series explores the real lives of the men and women aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea, vessels designed to hunt crab. Shot in the port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska and on the actual vessels, the show gets its name from the fact that this line of work frequently results in the highest rates of injury and death.
Hillstrand and his brother were invited to join the cast of Deadliest Catch in 2006, starting the show’s second season. Now twelve seasons later, the duo appears on the show in command of their sea vessel, Time Bandit; the show chronicles their experiences during the snow crab, bairdi crab, and Alaskan king crab fishing seasons in October and January. Today, Deadliest Catch today airs in over two hundred countries and is one of the Discovery Channel’s most popular showsm and the Hillstrand brothers are fan favorites on the show.
In addition to their extensive and dangerous work aboard the Time Bandit, Andy and his family manage their various Time Bandit businesses – Time Bandit Productions and Time Bandit Entertainment – and also Time Bandit Fireworks, Time Bandit Spirits, and Time Bandit Gear Store. Andy Hillstrand also enjoys writing and playing music; his original songs, “Fishing Man’s Life” and “Ode to Phil,” are both available for purchase on iTunes.
