Jesse Spencer

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Jesse Spencer
Jesse Spencer cropped.jpg
Born Jesse Gordon Spencer
(1979-02-12) 12 February 1979 (age 34)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation Actor, musician
Years active 1991–present

Jesse Gordon Spencer (born 12 February 1979) is an Australian actor and musician. He is best known for playing Dr. Robert Chase on the American medical drama House, and Billy Kennedy on the Australian soap opera Neighbours. He currently stars as Lieutenant Matthew Casey on the American drama series Chicago Fire.

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Early life [edit]

Spencer was born in Melbourne, Australia. His parents, Robyn and Rodney, are the founders of the Australians Against Further Immigration political party and have run several times as candidates in federal and state elections for that party and for One Nation.[1] His parents' political stance on Australian immigration is not a subject that he has been willing to discuss. [2]

Spencer attended Canterbury Primary School, Malvern Central School, and the private Scotch College. Whilst at Scotch, he auditioned for the long-running soap opera Neighbours. He continued to work toward his VCE qualification while working on the show and graduated in 1997.[citation needed]

Career [edit]

Spencer at the 2009 SAG Awards

Acting [edit]

Spencer is well known in Australia and the United Kingdom as Billy Kennedy in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, a role he played from 1994 to 2000. Spencer reprised his role in 2005 to appear in an episode celebrating the show's 20th anniversary. He has since appeared in the drama Death in Holy Orders, as well as the films Winning London, Uptown Girls, and Swimming Upstream. From 2004 to 2012, Spencer played Dr. Robert Chase on the American medical drama House. Spencer played Chase for the show's entire run, becoming the second longest-serving member of the title character's team. In 2012, he began starring as Lt. Matthew Casey in the American fire procedural drama Chicago Fire.

Music [edit]

Spencer plays the violin in Band From TV, a music group which includes his former House co-star Hugh Laurie. They play various events, putting the proceeds into the different charities that each member supports. The band also played on American Idol Gives Back alongside former Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher.

Awards [edit]

For Neighbours, Spencer was nominated for "Most Popular Actor" at the 1998 and 1999 Logie Awards. For House, he was nominated for "Choice TV Breakout Performance – Male" at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards and "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" at the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards. He received a "Golden Boomerang" at the 2006 Australians in Film Breakthrough Awards for his work on House.[3] In 2007, he was included in People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People issue.

Personal life [edit]

Spencer has two older brothers: Tarney, who is an oculo-plastic surgeon, and Luke, who is an orthopaedic surgeon; and a younger sister, Polly, who is an anaesthetic registrar.

He has played the violin since the age of ten, and also plays the guitar and piano.

He met his former House co-star Jennifer Morrison in March 2004 at Vancouver International Airport where they were on their way to film the pilot episode of House. They started dating in July 2004 and were engaged while on vacation in Paris at Christmas 2006.[4] In August 2007, the couple announced that they had called off their engagement.[5]

He is currently dating Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira.[6][7]

Filmography [edit]

Film [edit]

Year Film Role
2000 Lorna Doone Marwood de Whichehalse
2001 Curse of the Talisman Jeremy Campbell
Winning London Lord James Browning, Jr.
2002 Stranded Fritz Robinson
2003 Swimming Upstream Tony Fingleton
Uptown Girls Neil Fox
Death in Holy Orders Raphael Arbuthnot
2006 Flourish Eddie Gator
2010 Tell-Tale Lover
2012 The Girl is in Trouble Nicholas
Skum Rocks! David Lockhart

Television [edit]

Year Show Role Notes
1994 Time Trax Young Bill Episode: "A Close Encounter"
1994–2000, 2005 Neighbours Billy Kennedy
1998 Hercules: The Animated Series Triten, Jr. Voice
Episode: "Hercules and the Son of Poseidon"
2002 Always Greener Kyle Episode: "A Death in the Family"
2004–2012 House Dr. Robert Chase 171 episodes
2012–present Chicago Fire Lt. Matthew Casey
2013 Phineas and Ferb Liam Episode: "Primal Perry"

Theatre [edit]

Year Film Role Notes
1991 The King and I Louis State Theatre
1992 Winnie the Pooh Christopher Robin The Alexander Theatre
1993 Scrooge Older brother of Tiny Tim The Princess Theatre, Melbourne
1998–1999 Peter Pan Peter Pan White Rock Theatre, Hastings
1999–2000 Jack and the Beanstalk Jack Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
2003 The Modernists Terrance The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Music videos [edit]

Year Artist Song Role
2009 Caitlin Crosby "Still Have My Heart" Dentist
2010 Katharine McPhee "Say Goodbye" Boyfriend

References [edit]

External links [edit]