Chad Allen (actor)

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Chad Allen
Born Chad Allen Lazzari
June 5, 1974 (1974-06-05) (age 37)
Cerritos, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1981 – present

Chad Allen (born June 5, 1974) is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor at the age of seven, Allen is a three-time Young Artist Award winner and GLAAD Media Award honoree, best known for rising to prominence as a teen idol during the late 1980s as David Witherspoon on the NBC family drama, Our House and as Zach Nichols on the NBC sitcom, My Two Dads,[1][2] before transitioning to an adult career as Matthew Cooper on the CBS western drama, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman.[3]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Allen was born Chad Allen Lazzari in Cerritos, California and grew up in Artesia. He has a twin sister named Charity. Allen is of predominantly Italian origin, with the "dose" of German origin.[4] He was raised within a "strict" Roman Catholic household and regards himself as being a "deeply spiritual person" because of his upbringing.[4][5] Allen attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California.

[edit] Early career

A young Allen guest-starred on several prime time series including St. Elsewhere, in which he played autistic child Tommy Westphall[6] from 1983 to 1988. Notably, the series' final episode "The Last One" ends with the indication that all of its storylines occurred within Westphall's imagination.[7] In 1983, he appeared in the show Cutter to Houston, playing "a kid who got hurt and had to be given mouth-to-mouth and carried to the waiting chopper by Dr. Hal Wexler," who was played by Alec Baldwin. "I thought it was the greatest job I had ever gotten," Chad reminisced years later.[8] Allen's first regular role was as David Witherspoon on the 1986 series Our House, which co-starred a pre-Beverly Hills, 90210 Shannen Doherty, Wilford Brimley and Days of our Lives' Emmy-nominated Deidre Hall. That series ended in 1988. In 1989 and 1990 he had a recurrent role as Zach in My Two Dads. Allen's next contract role was Matthew Cooper in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman alongside Jane Seymour in 1993. Dr. Quinn ended in 1998, and Allen did not return for its two sequel television movies, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Movie (1999) and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within (2000).

[edit] Outing and activism

In 1996, at age 21, Allen was outed as gay when the US tabloid The Globe published photos of him kissing another man in a hot tub at a party.[4][9] The photos had been sold to the paper by Allen's then-boyfriend.[10] Allen has since become an activist for the LGBT community in addition to his continuing acting and producing career.[3] On January 17, 2006, Allen appeared on CNN's Larry King Live with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to represent his viewpoint in a debate over same-sex marriage. Allen thanked Newsom for his attempts to legalize same-sex marriage in the city.[11] Allen has been featured in The Advocate magazine multiple times[3][4][5][12] and has appeared on three of its covers.[4][13][14]

[edit] Further career

Starting with 2005's Third Man Out, Allen portrays lead character Donald Strachey, a gay private detective in a monogamous relationship, in a series of television movies for the here! network based on novels by Richard Stevenson. Third Man Out's 2006 sequel Shock to the System was followed by both On the Other Hand, Death and Ice Blues in 2008. Allen noted that Strachey is the first gay character he had ever played outside of theater, and that though his career was "different" since coming out, he finds it "more interesting and fun for me than it has ever been."[12]

Controversy surrounded Allen's casting as real-life Christian missionary Nate Saint in the 2006 docudrama film End of the Spear, as some conservative Christians lashed out at producers for putting an openly gay man in the role.[5][15]

In 2007 Allen starred in the film Save Me opposite Daytime Emmy-winner Judith Light and Robert Gant.[16] Developed and produced by Allen himself, the film was directed by Robert Clary and written by Light's husband Robert Desiderio, based on a screenplay by Craig Chester.[3] Save Me, a film exploring the ex-gay movement, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was later picked up for distribution by independent studio Fine Line Features.

Allen appeared alongside Valerie Harper from June through August 2008 in Looped, a stage play based on the life of Tallulah Bankhead, at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California.

Starting September 23, 2008, Allen portrayed the love interest of Dr. Kyle Julian for five episodes of the prime time SOAPnet serial General Hospital: Night Shift, a spin-off of the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital.[9][17][18]

[edit] Personal life

In November 2006, The Los Angeles Daily News wrote in passing that Allen's real-life boyfriend, actor Jeremy Glazer, was also in the film Save Me.[19] In a September 2008 interview with Out.com, Allen noted that he was currently in a three-year relationship and had been sober for eight years.[9] In October 2008, AfterElton.com noted his boyfriend to be Glazer.[20] In May 2009, Allen was the recipient of a GLAAD Media Award: the Davidson/Valentini Award. In his acceptance speech he said he had met Glazer, his partner, exactly four years earlier.[21]

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Simon & Simon Boy Episode: "A Recipe for Disaster"
1983 to 1988 St. Elsewhere Tommy Westphall 11 episodes
1984 Airwolf Ho Minh Truong Episode: "Daddy's Gone a Hunt'n"
1984 The New Leave It to Beaver Doug Williams 2 episodes
1985 Matt Houston Patrick Episode: "The Nightmare Man"
1985 Not My Kid Bobby Television movie
1985 The Bad Seed Mark Daigler
1985 Hotel Bobby Cowley Episode: "Sleeping Dogs"
1985 A Death in California Glenn 2 episodes
1985 Code of Vengeance A.J. Flowers Episode: "Code of Vengeance"
1985 Punky Brewster Conrad
Brian		 2 episodes
1985 to 1986 Webster Rob Whitaker 4 episodes
1986 Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! Charlie Brown (Voice) Television special
1986 Help Wanted: Kids Coop
1986 TerrorVision Sherman Putterman
1986 to 1988 Our House David Witherspoon 46 episodes
1987 Tales from the Darkside Sandy Episode: "The Milkman Cometh"
1988 Straight Up Ben Unknown episodes
1988 Highway to Heaven Ricky Diller Episode: "The Whole Nine Yards"
1988 Hunter Danny Sanderson Episode: "Heir of Neglect"
1989 to 1990 My Two Dads Zach Nichols 21 episodes
1990 Camp Cucamonga Frankie Calloway Television movie
1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Jono/Jeremiah Rossa Episode: "Suddenly Human"
1991 The Wonder Years Brad Patterson Episode: "The Yearbook"
1991 DEA Michael Stadler 2 episodes
1991 Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story William Flynn Television movie
1992 ABC Weekend Special Sean Episode: "Choose Your Own Adventure: The Case of the Silk King"
1993 Praying Mantis Bobby McAndrews
1993 In the Heat of the Night Matt Skinner Episode: "Every Man's Family"
1993-1998 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Matthew Cooper 147 episodes
1998 The Love Boat: The Next Wave Pete Dougherty Episode: "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
1999 Total Recall 2070 Eddie Miller Episode: "First Wave"
1999 to 2004 NYPD Blue Tommy Ibarra
Kyle Tanner		 2 episodes
2001 What Matters Most Lucas Warner
2001 A Mother's Testimony Kenny Carlson
2001 Do You Wanna Know a Secret? Brad Adams/Bradley Clayton
2002 Sexy Voice 1
2002 Getting Out Steve
2003 Paris Jason Bartok
2004 Downtown: A Street Tale Hunter
2005 Cold Case Monty Fineman 1985 Episode: "Kensington"
2005 Third Man Out Donald Strachey
2005 Charmed Emrick Episode: "Hulkus Pocus"
2005 End of the Spear Nate Saint/Steve Saint
2006 The Pool 2 Mark Casati
2006 Criminal Minds Jackson Cally Episode: "The Tribe"
2006 Shock to the System Donald Strachey
2007 Save Me Mark
2007 Terra Terrian Scientist Voice
2008 On the Other Hand, Death Donald Strachey
2008 Ice Blues Donald Strachey
2008 CSI: Miami Barry/Stan Carlyle Episode: "Bombshell"
2008 General Hospital: Night Shift Eric Whitlow 5 episodes
2009 Hollywood, je t'aime Ross
2009 Fright Flick Brock
2010 Spork Loogie
2010 Dexter Lance Robinson Episode: "Everything is Illumenated"
2010 For Better or for Worse

[edit] References

  1. ^ "VH1's '100 Greatest Teen Stars'". VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=97834. Retrieved June 25, 2011. 
  2. ^ "Gay Teen Idols". AfterElton.com. http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/people/2006/7/gayidols.html. Retrieved June 25, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c d Vary, Adam B."His grown-up Christmas list." The Advocate Issue 903. November 25, 2003.
  4. ^ a b c d e The Advocate, October 09, 2001, Issue #848 - 2001, "CHAD ALLEN: his own story ". Interviewed by Bruce Vilanch, ("Basically, I had been raised on the set and at the church - strict Catholic upbringing there. We're Italian, with a dose of German blood, ..."), Retrieved on August 08, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c The Advocate, March 14, 2006, Issue #958 - 2006, "Chad Allen's not sorry". Interviewed by Beth Schwartzapfel, ("I'm deeply spiritual person. I grew up a Catholic boy."), Retrieved on August 08, 2010.
  6. ^ Stacy, Tom (October 25, 2008). "Pride and Prejudice". Soap Opera Digest (Vol. 33, No. 44): pages 50–52. 
  7. ^ "Classic Series Finales: St. Elsewhere". TVAcres.com. http://www.tvacres.com/signoffs_finales_elsewhere.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-22. 
  8. ^ When I Knew (2005), ISBN 0060571462 - page 112
  9. ^ a b c Branco, Nelson. "Allen's Anatomy." Out.com Retrieved September 29, 2008. Archived 5 March 2010 at WebCite
  10. ^ Chawla, Sarika. "True Detective." IN Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  11. ^ "Debate Over Gay Marriage," Larry King Live transcript. CNN.com January 17, 2006
  12. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. "Chad's on the case." The Advocate. Issue 945, August 30, 2005.
  13. ^ The Advocate Issue 945 cover August 30, 2005
  14. ^ The Advocate Issue 903 cover November 25, 2003.
  15. ^ Moring, Mark. "Christian Studio Explains Hiring of Gay Actor." ChristianToday.com January 26, 2006.
  16. ^ Save Me (2007) official site Retrieved September 30, 2008.
  17. ^ Coleridge, Daniel R. "Night Shift: Meet Kyle's New BF!" SOAPnet.com August 20, 2008.
  18. ^ Mitovich, Matt (August 20, 2008). "Romance Prescribed for GH: Night Shift 's Gay Kyle". TV Guide. TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/soaps/Romance-Prescribed-GH-10081.aspx. Retrieved 2008-10-17. 
  19. ^ Hernandez, Greg (November 27, 2006). "Save Me by Chad Allen, Robert Gant and Judith Light makes Sundance". Out in Hollywood (The Los Angeles Daily News). http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2006/11/save_me_film_by_chad_allen_rob.html. Retrieved October 6, 2011. 
  20. ^ Hartinger, Brent (October 19, 2008). "Gay Celebrity Boyfriends!". AfterElton.com. http://www.afterelton.com/people/2008/10/gaycelebrityboyfriends?page=0%2C2. Retrieved November 29, 2008. 
  21. ^ Wilson, Bill (May 10, 2009). "On the Carpet at the GLAAD Media Awards – On Scene with Bill Wilson". San Francisco Sentinel. http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=26131. 

[edit] External links

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