Son and nephew of former Disney animators George (Roy) and Bill Hampton, Bret grew up in an artistic family. His dad Roy was a prolific Western Artist, known for official portraits of John Wayne, Charlton Heston, Ben Johnson. Some of his work resides at the Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Olaf Wieghorst Museum. Bret's son Shane Ryan is an independent filmmaker and actor.
In his twenties, Bret worked with disabled children in special education and became a sign language interpreter and helped setup casting opportunities for deaf actors.