Childhood & Early Life
Sean Faris was born on March 25, 1982, in Houston, Texas, to Katherine Irene Ann (Miller) and Warren Stephen Faris. He is from a working-class background and is of English, German, Scottish, and Irish descent.
He moved to Ohio at the age of 12 and attended the ‘Barbizon Modeling and Acting Center’ in Cleveland, Ohio. Faris was named the ‘Junior Male Model of the Year’ at the ‘International Model and Talent Association’ in 1999.
He went to ‘Padua Franciscan High School,’ a college-preparatory school, and graduated with honors in 2000. Before the post-graduation parties had even died down, he moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue an acting career.
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Career
Beginning as a teen model, Faris moved on to the world of acting after graduating high school. He landed an early break in 2001, with a minor role in the Ben Affleck-starrer ‘Pearl Harbor.’
The taste of early success in Hollywood reassured him of his career switch. He, however, spent his earnings quickly and did not work for the next 6 or 7 months.
The beginnings of his career are peppered with small parts in movies such as ‘Twisted’ (2001) and ‘The Brotherhood II: Young Warlocks’ (2001), guest appearances on TV shows such as ‘Smallville’ and ‘Boston Public,’ and a role in ‘MTV’s fourth season of ‘Undressed’ (2001).
After a 3-year wait, he finally landed a series-regular role, as the lead, ‘Dino Whitman,’ in the teen drama ‘Life as We Know It’ (2004–2005). Unfortunately, this ‘ABC’ series created by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah had a short run and was canceled after 13 episodes.
In 2004, he also acted in the teen comedy ‘Sleepover,’ opposite actor Alexa Vega. Directed by Joe Nussbaum, the film mostly received negative reviews, although it did earn Faris and the cast a ‘Young Artist Award’ nomination for the ‘Best Performance in a Feature Film-Young Ensemble Cast.’
Faris played his next lead role in the ‘Fox’ American drama series ‘Reunion’ (2005). However, this, too, was taken off-air only after nine episodes, owing to low ratings.
He earned widespread recognition in 2005, for his role in the family comedy ‘Yours, Mine & Ours.’ Directed by Raja Gosnell, it was a re-make of the hit classic of the same name from 1968 and was about a family with 18 children.
In 2008, he made a huge comeback with three consecutive-releases: ‘Forever Strong,’ ‘Never Back Down,’ and ‘Brooklyn to Manhattan.’ ‘Never Back Down’ ran for 84 days at the North American box office, earning $41,627,431, making this martial arts movie one of Faris’s best successes. The movie, made on a meagre budget of $20 million by Jeff Wadlow, earned Faris the ‘MTV Movie Award’ for the ‘Best Fight.’
2008 was a busy year for Faris, as he jumped into the dual role of producer and actor in the movie ‘Manifest Destiny.’ He also appeared in the nude for the centerfold poster of the June 2008 issue of ‘Cosmopolitan UK’ to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer.
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In 2010, Faris landed his three-episode gig as a bartending vampire “with a secret” on the famous show ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ He also appeared on the cover of the January/February issue of ‘Men’s Health’ magazine, which ended up being the highest-selling issue of the magazine that year.
In 2011, he began his association with ‘Hallmark TV’ films, starring in ‘The Lost Valentine,’ opposite Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt. He then appeared in more ‘Hallmark TV’ films, such as ‘Christmas with Holly’ (2012), ‘An Uncommon Grace’ (2017), and ‘A Veteran’s Christmas’ (2018).
He made a brief foray into the world of video games in 2011, voicing the character of ‘Jack Rourke’ in ‘Need for Speed: The Run.’
He acted in the crime thriller ‘Pawn’ in 2013, starring alongside the ‘Academy Award’-winner Forest Whitaker. The same year, he appeared in the recurring role of ‘Pennsylvania State Police Officer Gabriel Holbrook’ in ‘Pretty Little Liars.’ a teen drama-mystery-thriller.
In 2014, Faris was announced as one of the leads for a new series, ‘Supernatural: Bloodlines,’ which was a spin-off of the popular TV series ‘Supernatural.’ Unfortunately, it, too, found its place on the list of Faris’s discontinued or canceled works and was never picked up by the network for 2014–2015.
The actor is presently working on director Bo Brinkman’s ‘The Bay House’ and is also filming ‘Barefoot Warriors’ by Kavi Raz.
Faris has also tried his luck in production in 2008. Some of his works as a producer are ‘Manifest Destiny’ (2008), ‘Freerunner’ (2011), ‘The Truth in Being Right’ (2012), ‘Lost for Words’ (2013), and ‘Adulterers’ (2015).
Major Works
Faris is best known for his lead role of ‘Jake Tyler’ in ‘Summit Entertainment’s box-office hit ‘Never Back Down’ (2008). The role required a lot of preparatory training and was a physically demanding film to make.
In 2005, he gained considerable visibility for his performance as ‘William Beardsley,’ the eldest son of Dennis Quaid (‘Frank Beardsley’), in the comedy film ‘Yours, Mine and Ours,’ a reprisal of the original from 1968.
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He also had a notable three-episode character in the TV series ‘The Vampire Diaries’ in 2010, where he portrayed the role of a vampire bartender, ‘Ben McKittrick,’ harboring a secret.
Awards & Achievements
In 2008, Faris shared the ‘MTV Movie Award’ for the ‘Best Fight’ with co-actor Cam Gigandet for the movie ‘Never Back Down.’ Reportedly, he had gone through 3 weeks of rigorous training with mixed martial arts fighters and had broken his thumb and the L3 spinous transverse process in his lower back in the course of filming.
In 2007, he received the ‘Young Hollywood Award’ for being ‘The One to Watch.’
In 2005, he was nominated for the ‘Young Artist Award’ for the ‘Best Performance in a Feature Film-Young Ensemble Cast,’ for his role in ‘Sleepover,’ along with the entire cast.
Facts About Sean Faris
Sean Faris is an accomplished martial artist, holding a black belt in karate and competing in various tournaments before his acting career took off.
In addition to his work in film and television, Sean Faris is also a talented photographer and often shares his artistic shots on social media.
Despite his tough-guy image on screen, Sean Faris is known to be a big softie when it comes to animals and has been involved in various animal welfare charities.
Sean Faris is a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoys experimenting with different cuisines in his spare time, often sharing his culinary creations with his followers online.
In interviews, Sean Faris has revealed a love for travel and adventure, often seeking out off-the-beaten-path destinations to explore and immerse himself in different cultures.
