Biography
Date of Birth
13 December 1978, Huntington Beach, California, USA
Birth Name
Ethan Philian Randall
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini Biography
Ethan Embry was born Ethan Philan Randall on June 13, 1978 in Huntington Beach, California, to Karen and Charles Randall. Before he started acting in movies, Ethan appeared in more than 100 TV and Radio commercials. In 1991, at the age of thirteen, he appeared in three films and has continued acting ever since. On average, Ethan released or filmed at least two films per year, which continued up until 1999, when he filmed about five films.
Ethan spent most of his childhood in Southern California, growing up with his older brother, Aaron (said to be one of the best musicians in LA), and his little sister, Kessia. In 1998, he bought a home of his own.
In the Fall of 1999, Ethan co-starred as Sebastian in the short-lived CBS sitcom Work with Me (1999). Sadly, due to lack of ratings, the show ended after only four episodes. 1999, however, did bring a happy event, Ethan's then-wife, Amelinda Smith, gave birth to their first child, whom they named Cogeian, after the Latin word "cogeo," which means "to think over."
In the fall of 2000, Ethan starred as Derek Barnes in FreakyLinks (2000) on Fox. Thirteen episodes were shot, but the series was soon canceled after its debut. Later success include a role as detective Frank Smith on Dick Wolf's remake of the classic series Dragnet (2003), a part in the recent cult classic Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), and a guest-starring role on the series Numb3rs (2005).
He has been married to actresses Amelinda Smith, with whom he has one child, and Sunny Mabrey.
Trivia
Won 6th place in a California gymnastics tournament at the age of 10 (one can see Ethan doing back flips in Can't Hardly Wait (1998), right after the scene where someone calls Mike Dexter a fag).
(November 14, 1998) Married actress Amelinda Smith (auditioned to play "Stacy" in the CBS sitcom Work with Me (1999), but Emily Rutherfurd landed the role - Ethan read Amelinda's script, liked it, auditioned and snagged the role of "Sebastian").
(December 10, 1999) Amelinda Smith gave birth to their son, Cogeian coming from the Latin word cogeo meaning "to think over" while Ethan Embry's 1993 A Far Off Place (1993) was still airing.
Is the owner of many pets (in 1998, he had five cats and eight dogs).
Produced an unreleased movie titled "Taken" with his White Squall (1996) co-star and friend, Jeremy Sisto, and a friend of Embry's was to direct it
Can't Hardly Wait (1998) opened the day before Ethan's 20th birthday.
At the age of 22, Ethan had already appeared in many TV and radio commercials, movies (including doing his own stunts in one), produced and directed a short film (at the age of 13), co-produced another film, married, and become a father.
Middle brother of Aaron Embry and Kessia Embry.
Writes with his left hand, but plays his guitar with his right hand.
Is interested in photography.
Last name was Randall, but he changed it to Embry because it was his grandfather's last name.
Did his own stunts in White Squall (1996).
Kessia Embry is his younger sister.
In between the films That Thing You Do! (1996) and Vegas Vacation (1997), he only had two days off.
Plays in a band, Southern Comfort Colonic, which is a mix of punk and hardcore speed metal.
Appeared with Ed O'Neill in Dutch (1991) at the age of 13 and later played his partner in Dragnet (2003).
The song "Romeo and Juliet" by Dire Straits plays in the background in scenes featuring him in two different movies, Empire Records (1995) and Can't Hardly Wait (1998).
He is of English, and smaller amounts of Irish and German, descent.
Revealed he has been battling opiate addiction for the last six years including prescription painkillers and black tar heroin. [May 2017]
Settled a lawsuit with model Angelina Roudeza who had sued him after being thrown from his motorcycle three years earlier. [2008]
He has said that he gave his unnamed character in That Thing You Do! (1996) the first name "Tobias". It was something for him to hold onto as an actor.
Divorced from his wife of seven years Sunny Mabrey due to "irreconcilable differences" in July 2012. The two reconciled and started dating in 2013 and remarried in June 2015.
Quotes
You can't think about things you want to change. Just be yourself.
Everybody tries to be exactly the same. I think being an outsider is a good thing.
Real love is more than a physical feeling. If there's even the slightest doubt in your head about a guy, then forget about it. It's not real.
[From an article with the cast of Can't Hardly Wait (1998)] "I was home-schooled. But going to high school, I never would've been able to travel the U.S. or been able to do acting".
[on Ed O'Neill] He's like my dad. He taught me everything.
For me, I've always taken being on a set as my school, because I've been working since I was ten.
You just have to do your own thing, no matter what anyone says. It's your life.
I always play these rodent type characters - skittish and hyper like a chipmunk. It's a complete act though. I'm a very normal person.
The first The Matrix (1999) genius, the second one, what's up with the dancing? I haven't even seen the third one.
Donner likes what he does and enjoys being on a set. He doesn't have to do it, its not like he has to make the rent. When I get to be his age and still enjoy what I'm doing like him, I'd be lucky.
When I finish a film, I like to drastically change my appearance. I get sick of looking at the same thing in the mirror for months at a time. So when a film's over, I'll do something like shave my head.
I went to public school for like, one day. I don't get it. Everybody tries to be exactly the same. I think being an outsider is a good thing.
The Exorcist (1973) doesn't get me, but The Omen (1976) does.
If did go back to school, I would want to learn another aspect of the entertainment industry like to become a producer or an agent, you need a law degree.
