Chad Allen (actor)

Chad Allen
Allen in 2009
Born
Chad Allen Lazzari

(1974-06-05) June 5, 1974 (age 50)
Cerritos, California, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Actor, psychologist
Years active1981–2015

Chad Allen (born Chad Allen Lazzari; June 5, 1974) is an American psychologist and retired actor. Beginning his career at the age of seven, Allen is a three time Young Artist Award winner and GLAAD Media Award honoree. He was 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] He announced his retirement from acting in April 2015.[4]

Early life

Allen was born Chad Allen Lazzari on June 5, 1974,[5] in Cerritos, California, and grew up in Artesia. He has a twin sister named Charity and a brother named Steve Lazzari who works for Union Pacific Railroad. Allen is of predominantly Italian origin, with a "dose" of German origin.[6] He was raised in a "strict" Roman Catholic household and regards himself as being a "deeply spiritual person" because of his upbringing.[6][7] Allen attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California.

Career

Allen guest-starred on several prime time series, including an early episode of Airwolf for which he was nominated as "Best Young Actor: Guest in a Series" at the 6th Youth in Film Awards and St. Elsewhere, in which he played autistic child Tommy Westphall[8] (1983–88). The series final episode, "The Last One", ends with the indication that all of its storylines occurred in Tommy's imagination.[9] In 1983, he appeared on 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 (Alec Baldwin)". "I thought it was the greatest job I had ever gotten," he later stated.[10] Allen's first regular role was as David Witherspoon on Our House (1986–88).

On November 5 of that year, the three part mini series Straight Up premiered, where he co-starred with Louis Gossett Jr.. In it Allen plays a teen tempted by drugs, while Gossett plays a magical character who operates the "fate elevator", so that each time Allen is tempted by a substance Gossett takes him on an elevator ride which shows the consequence of that substance.[11]

In 1989–90, he had a recurring role as Zach in My Two Dads. Allen's next contract role was Matthew Cooper in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman alongside Jane Seymour (1993–98). During the final season of his run on St. Elsewhere, Allen was teamed with his sister Charity Allen on an episode of NBC's Saturday morning children's game show I'm Telling!.

Starting with Third Man Out (2005), Allen stars as 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. The sequel, Shock to the System (2006), was followed by On the Other Hand, Death (2008) and Ice Blues (2008). Allen noted that Strachey is the first gay character he had ever played outside of theater and that, though his career is "different" since coming out, he finds it "more interesting and fun for me than it has ever been."[12]

When Allen was cast as real-life Christian missionary Nate Saint in the docudrama End of the Spear (2006) some conservative Christians lashed out at producers for casting an openly gay man in the role.[7][13]

In 2007, Allen starred in the film Save Me.[14] Developed and produced by Allen, the film was directed by Robert Cary and written by Robert Desiderio.[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.

From June through August 2008, Allen appeared with Valerie Harper in Looped, a play based on an afternoon looping session with Tallulah Bankhead for the film Die! Die! My Darling!, at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California.

Starting on 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.[15][16][17]

In April 2015, Allen confirmed in a YouTube video that he had quit his acting career to become a clinical psychologist.[18]

Personal life

In 1996, at age 21, Allen was outed as gay when the U.S. tabloid The Globe published photos of him kissing another man in a hot tub at a party.[6][15] The photos were sold by someone who claimed to be a friend of the couple.[19] 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.[20] Allen has been featured in The Advocate magazine multiple times[3][6][7][12] and has appeared on three of its covers.[6][21][22]

In November 2006, The Los Angeles Daily News wrote in passing that Allen's partner, Jeremy Glazer, was also in the film Save Me.[23] In a September 2008 interview with Out.com, Allen stated that he was currently in a three-year relationship and had been sober for eight years.[15] In October 2008, AfterElton.com stated his boyfriend to be Glazer.[24] 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.[25] They broke up in 2015.

Allen graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in June 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.[26] He graduated from the Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, New England in 2020.[27][28]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Simon & Simon Boy Episode: "A Recipe for Disaster"
1983–1988 St. Elsewhere Tommy Westphall 17 episodes: Recurring Role
1984 Airwolf Ho Minh Truong Episode: "Daddy's Gone a Hunt'n"
1985 Matt Houston Patrick Episode: "The Nightmare Man"
Not My Kid Bobby Television movie
The Bad Seed Mark Daigler Television movie
Hotel Bobby Cowley Episode: "Sleeping Dogs"
A Death in California Glenn 2 episodes
Code of Vengeance A.J. Flowers Episode: "Code of Vengeance"
The New Leave It to Beaver Doug Williams 2 episodes
1985–1986 Webster Rob Whitaker 7 episodes
1985–1988 Punky Brewster Conrad
Brian 		2 episodes
1986 Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! Charlie Brown Voice role
The Magical World of Disney Coop Episode "Help Wanted: Kids"
TerrorVision Sherman Putterman Theatrical Release
1986–1988 Our House David Witherspoon 46 episodes: Main Role
1987 Tales from the Darkside Sandy Episode: "The Milkman Cometh"
1988 I'm Telling! Celebrity Guest Contestant Teamed with his sister, Charity Allen
Straight Up Ben 2 episodes
Highway to Heaven Ricky Diller Episode: "The Whole Nine Yards"
Hunter Danny Sanderson Episode: "Heir of Neglect"
1989–1990 My Two Dads Zach Nichols 26 episodes: Main Role
1990 Camp Cucamonga Frankie Calloway Television movie
Star Trek: The Next Generation Jono/Jeremiah Rossa Episode: "Suddenly Human"
1991 The Wonder Years Brad Patterson Episode: "The Yearbook"
DEA Michael Stadler 2 episodes
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
In the Heat of the Night Matt Skinner Episode: "Every Man's Family"
1993–1998 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Matthew Cooper 146 episodes: Main Role
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 & 2004 NYPD Blue Tommy Ibarra
Kyle Tanner 		2 episodes
2001 What Matters Most Lucas Warner
A Mother's Testimony Kenny Carlson
Do You Wanna Know a Secret? Brad Adams/Bradley Clayton
2002 Sexy Voice 1
Getting Out Steve
2003 Paris Jason Bartok
2004 Downtown: A Street Tale Hunter
2005 Cold Case Monty Fineman 1985 Episode: "Kensington"
Third Man Out Donald Strachey
Charmed Emrick Episode: "Hulkus Pocus"
End of the Spear Nate Saint/Steve Saint
2006 The Pool 2 Mark Casati
Criminal Minds Jackson Cally Episode: "The Tribe"
Shock to the System Donald Strachey
2007 Save Me Mark
Terra Terrian Scientist Voice
2008 On the Other Hand, Death Donald Strachey
Ice Blues Donald Strachey
CSI: Miami Barry/Stan Carlyle Episode: "Bombshell"
General Hospital: Night Shift Eric Whitlow 5 episodes
2009 Hollywood, je t'aime Ross
Fright Flick Brock
2010 Spork Loogie
Dexter Lance Robinson Episode: "Everything is Illumenated"
For Better or for Worse
2012 Hollywood to Dollywood Himself

References

  1. ^ "VH1's '100 Greatest Teen Stars'". VH1.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  2. ^ "Gay Teen Idols". AfterElton.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  3. ^ a b c d Vary, Adam B. (2003-11-25). "His grown-up Christmas list". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  4. ^ Lazzari, Chad Allen (2015-04-04). "Chad Allen's Farewell Video". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  5. ^ Prono, Luca (2008). Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 11. ISBN 9780313335990. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  6. ^ a b c d e Vilanch, Bruce (2001-10-09). "Chad Allen: His Own Story". The Advocate. No. 848. 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....
  7. ^ a b c Schwartzapfel, Beth (2006-03-14). "Chad Allen's not sorry". The Advocate. No. 958. I'm a deeply spiritual person. I grew up a Catholic boy.
  8. ^ Stacy, Tom (October 25, 2008). "Pride and Prejudice". Soap Opera Digest. Vol. 33, No. 44. pp. 50–52.
  9. ^ "Classic Series Finales: St. Elsewhere". TVAcres.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  10. ^ Trachtenberg, Robert, ed. (2005). When I knew (1st ed.). New York: Regan Books. p. 112. ISBN 0-06-057146-2. OCLC 60546531.When I Knew (2005), ISBN 0-06-057146-2
  11. ^ "Straight Up Fights Drug Abuse With Fantasy, Reality Scenes". Times-Press-Recorder. October 28, 1988. p. 22.
  12. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (2005-08-30). "Chad's on the case". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  13. ^ Moring, Mark (2006-01-26). "Christian Studio Explains Hiring of Gay Actor". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on 2006-01-30. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  14. ^ ""Save Me" Movie Official Website". Archived from the original on 2008-10-15.
  15. ^ a b c Branco, Nelson. "Allen's Anatomy". Out.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  16. ^ Coleridge, Daniel R. (2008-08-20). ""Night Shift": Meet Kyle's New BF!". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  17. ^ Mitovich, Matt (2008-08-20). "Romance Prescribed for GH: Night Shift's Gay Kyle". TV Guide. TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2009-07-03. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  18. ^ Lazzari, Chad (April 4, 2015). "Chad Allen's Farewell Video". Youtube. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  19. ^ Chawla, Sarika (2008-07-03). "True Detective". IN Los Angeles Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-07-03.
  20. ^ Allen, Chad; Mohler, R. Albert; Padgett, Guy; Parshall, Janet (2006-01-17). "CNN Larry King Live: Debate Over Gay Marriage" (Interview). Interviewed by Larry King. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  21. ^ "The Advocate Issue 945 cover". The Advocate. 2005-08-30. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  22. ^ "The Advocate Issue 903 cover". The Advocate. No. 903. 2003-11-25. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  23. ^ Hernandez, Greg (2006-11-27). "Save Me by Chad Allen, Robert Gant and Judith Light makes Sundance". Out in Hollywood. The Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
  24. ^ Hartinger, Brent (2008-10-19). "Gay Celebrity Boyfriends!". AfterElton.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  25. ^ Wilson, Bill (2009-05-10). "On the Carpet at the GLAAD Media Awards – On Scene with Bill Wilson". San Francisco Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  26. ^ Lazzari, Chad. "Chad Allen - LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  27. ^ "Mr. Chad Allen Lazzari". Massachusetts Psychological Association, Inc. Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  28. ^ Lazzari, Chad Allen (2020-07-31). ""Separating Rope Strands: An Unraveling of Shame in Gay Men" by Chad Allen Lazzari". Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-12-19. Chad Allen Lazzari, Psy.D., is a 2020 graduate of the Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, New England

Further reading

  • Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 5.
  • Lazzari, C. A. (2020). Separating Rope Strands: An Unraveling of Shame in Gay Men. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/590
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