Biography
Who is Chad Allen?
Early life and background
Chad Allen Lazzari was born in Cerritos, California and grew up nearby in Artesia. He shares his family with a twin sister named Charity and a brother named Steve Lazzari who works for Union Pacific Railroad.
His family background consists predominantly of Italian origins alongside some German ancestry. He was raised in a strict Roman Catholic household, which helped shape his deeply spiritual worldview. For his secondary education, he attended St. John Bosco High School located in Bellflower, California.
Television and acting career
Chad Allen began his professional acting career at the age of seven. Early in his television run, he guest-starred on prime time programs such as Airwolf and St. Elsewhere, where he portrayed an autistic child named Tommy Westphall.
His breakout television success came as a teen idol when he was cast as David Witherspoon on the NBC family drama Our House. Following that project, he took on a recurring part as Zach Nichols on the NBC sitcom My Two Dads.
Adult roles and production work
As he transitioned into adult roles, he secured a major contract role playing Matthew Cooper on the CBS western series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman alongside Jane Seymour. He also appeared for several episodes on the soap opera spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift playing the love interest of Dr. Kyle Julian.
Later in his career, he starred as a gay private detective named Donald Strachey in several television movies for the here! Network. He also produced and starred in the independent film Save Me, which explored the ex-gay movement and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He appeared in theatrical productions as well, performing in a play titled Looped at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Personal life and activism
In his personal life, he faced media attention when he was publicly outed as gay by a tabloid publication. Since that time, he has worked as a prominent activist for the LGBT community, appearing on news programs and speaking about same-sex marriage rights.
He received a GLAAD Media Award for his advocacy work. He was previously in a relationship with actor Jeremy Glazer before they eventually parted ways.
Transition to psychology
After deciding to step away from the entertainment industry, Chad Allen confirmed in a video that he had quit acting to pursue mental health work. He earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
He continued his education by graduating from a clinical psychology doctoral program at Antioch University New England. He is now a practicing clinical psychologist.
Birthday and age
Chad Allen was born on June 5, 1974, which makes Chad 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Chad shares the date with 28 other famous people.
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