Childhood & Early Life
Keegan Phillip Allen was born on July 22, 1989, in California, USA. His father, Phillip Richard Allen, who passed away in 2012, was an accomplished actor. He appeared in numerous movies, theatre productions, and television shows during his four decades career. Keegan’s mother, Joan Snyder Allen, is an expressionist painter. He has two sisters, namely Kim Allen and Debbie Allen.
His family is of Jewish descent - his father was a Polish Jew, while his mother is an Ashkenazi Jew. He was raised in accordance with the Jewish tradition. He describes himself as a believer of Judaism but respects all other religions and spiritual paths.
His parents divorced when he was 9. Subsequently, he lived with his cousin for a few years. He was raised by his mother and stepfather in Los Angeles, California.
He exhibited interest in fine arts and learned to play the guitar and piano at a very young age. During his childhood, he would often play musical instruments in his house. He got his first camera at the age of nine which encouraged him to pursue photography.
After his high school education, he decided to pursue fine arts. Subsequently, he enrolled at the ‘American Musical and Dramatic Academy’ in Los Angeles. He graduated in 2009 with a ‘Bachelor of Fine Arts’ degree.
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Career
Keegan Allen decided to pursue a career in performing arts at a very young age. He displayed interest in several aspects of filmmaking. He started spending a lot of time behind the camera. He was also interested in photography and cinematography from a young age. He started learning the nuances of camera work in his childhood and eventually developed passion for handling various types of cameras.
He started his television career at the age of 13 when he appeared in a documentary for ‘Animal Planet.’ His non-speaking role in the documentary was his first paid job.
Shortly after appearing in the documentary for ‘Animal Planet,’ he earned an opportunity to play a role in a short film titled ‘Small Emergencies.’ In the film, he played actress Joan Douglas’ on-screen son.
In 2007, he appeared in an episode (Wrestling) of comedy television series ‘Zoey 101.’ In the series, he played an uncredited role (boy in the audience).
In the 2010 short film, ‘As a Last Resort,’ he played the role of a driver. In the same year, he appeared in an episode (Big Time Jobs) in the comedy television series ‘Big Time Rush.’ He played a model in the series, which was aired on ‘Nickelodeon’ channel.
From 2010 to 2017, he appeared in ‘Freeform’ television channel’s teen mystery drama series ‘Pretty Little Liars.’ The series was partially based on Sara Shepard’s book series of the same name. In ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ he played Toby Cavanaugh, a character with negative shades. His performance in the series was widely appreciated. He appeared in a total of 90 episodes in the series.
In 2011, he got an opportunity to appear in one of the longest-running scripted series in US television history, ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.’ He appeared in an episode (Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead), in which he played Max Ferris.
In 2013, he played Jake in an episode (Teenage Party) of the sitcom ‘I Hate My Teenage Daughter.’ In the same year, he played Archie ‘Skull’ in the movie ‘Palo Alto.’ Directed by Gia Coppola, the movie premiered at the ‘Telluride Film Festival.’ In 2013, he also appeared in the music video of the song ‘Karma’s Not Pretty’ by pop singer Temara Melek.
In 2014, he appeared in the television film ‘The Hazing Secret,’ in which he played a character named Trent Rothman. He also made a cameo appearance (man with red tie) in the 2014 movie, ‘The Sound and the Fury.’ The film was based on author William Faulkner’s novel of the same name.
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In 2015, he appeared in an episode (Young & Back to Normal) of the sitcom ‘Young & Hungry.’ He played a character named Tyler in the David Holden-created series. In the same year, he released a book titled ‘life.love.beauty,’ which houses a collection of his photographs.
In 2016, he played Harlow Cuadra in the film ‘King Cobra’ which is based on the life and early career of American actor and director Brent Corrigan. He also played Keller in the 2016 movie ‘In Dubious Battle,’ which is set in the early 20th century. Produced and directed by James Franco, the film was loosely based on John Steinbeck’s book of the same name. His ‘In Dubious Battle’ premiered at the ‘Venice Film Festival’ on September 3, 2016. Thereafter, he played Kyle in an episode (Punisher) of the 2016 web series, ‘Youthful Daze.’
In 2017, he played Trey in the drama film ‘Actors Anonymous.’ The movie was based on James Franco’s novel of the same name. In the 2017 television film, ‘A Moving Romance,’ Keegan played Scott Norrell. In the same year, he also appeared in ‘TNT’ channel’s police procedural drama series ‘Major Crimes’ in which he appeared as Aiden Reed in a couple of episodes.
In 2017, he released his first song, ‘Million Miles Away,’ which was released as a ‘digital download only’ single. In the same year, he also started his podcast titled ‘Foreverland’ which features his experiences and interests.
In 2018, he was cast to play Jimmy Haddox in the American biographical film ‘Bukowski,’ which is based on the life of legendary author Charles Bukowski. He was also roped in to play Cole Turner in a social media thriller. In the same year, he released his book titled ‘Hollywood: Photos and Stories from Foreverland.’ The book features a collection of his photographs of Los Angeles.
Facts About Keegan Allen
Keegan Allen is an accomplished photographer and has published a book of his photography titled "life.love.beauty."
He is a talented musician and plays several instruments, including the guitar and piano.
Keegan is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and often uses his platform to promote mental wellness.
In addition to his acting career, Keegan has also dabbled in writing and has released a poetry book called "Hollywood."
Keegan is a dedicated animal lover and frequently shares photos and stories of his beloved pets on social media.
