Josh Zuckerman
Joshua Ryan Zuckerman (born April 1, 1985) is an American actor, writer, and director recognized for his work in film and television, particularly his lead role as Ian Lafferty in the 2008 road comedy Sex Drive and recurring roles such as Mark in the sci-fi series Kyle XY (2007–2009) and Eddie Orlofsky, the Fairview Strangler, in Desperate Housewives (2009–2010).[1][2][3] Born in Stanford, California, and raised in nearby Los Altos as the youngest of five children, Zuckerman began his acting career at age ten through local theater at the Los Altos Youth Theater.[4][5] He moved with his family to Los Angeles after seventh grade to pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry, attending high school there before studying at Princeton University.[6][7] Zuckerman's early screen credits include guest appearances on shows like Once and Again (2000) and NYPD Blue (2002), followed by film roles in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) as the young Scott Evil and Surviving Christmas (2004) as Brian Valco.[8][1] Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Zuckerman built a diverse portfolio with supporting parts in films such as Feast (2005), Pretty Persuasion (2005), The Hottest State (2006), Lions for Lambs (2007), and later Oppenheimer (2023).[3] On television, he portrayed Max Miller across 26 episodes of 90210 (2011–2013), appeared in episodes of Chicago Med (2024) and S.W.A.T. (2024), and took on the role of Mr. Martin in the Paramount+ series School Spirits (2023–present).[9] In addition to acting, he has credits as a writer, director, and producer on select projects.[1] More recently, Zuckerman appeared in Bau, Artist at War (2024), which has a 93% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] In his personal life, Zuckerman married fellow Desperate Housewives alum Andrea Bowen on August 29, 2024; the couple announced in September 2025 that they are expecting their first child together.[10] Of Jewish descent, he resides in Los Angeles.[7]Early Life and Education
Childhood and Family Background
Joshua Ryan Zuckerman was born on April 1, 1985, in Stanford, California.[1] As the youngest of five children in a close-knit family, Zuckerman grew up in the nearby town of Los Altos, California, where he experienced a supportive home environment that would later influence his career choices.[4] His early years were marked by typical suburban activities, shared among his four older siblings, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared responsibilities within the household.[11] Zuckerman attended Bullis-Purissima Elementary School in Los Altos, completing his primary education there before advancing to Egan Junior High School.[12] At Egan, he briefly participated in school leadership, being elected student body president during his seventh-grade year.[13] Following this, his family relocated to Los Angeles after the completion of seventh grade to better support his burgeoning interest in acting, a decision that aligned with the opportunities available in the entertainment industry.[12]Initial Acting Experiences
Zuckerman began his acting career at the age of ten by joining the Los Altos Youth Theater in Los Altos, California, where he performed in local stage productions at the Bus Barn Theater.[14] This early involvement marked his formal entry into performing arts, building foundational skills through community-based theater.[7] In his initial years with the youth theater, Zuckerman participated in early auditions and secured minor roles in various local productions, which helped him develop confidence and stage presence as a child performer.[12] These experiences were primarily non-professional, focusing on ensemble parts in musicals and plays that emphasized collaboration and creativity within a supportive youth ensemble. By the time he completed seventh grade, his family's relocation to Los Angeles was prompted by his interest in acting to access broader professional opportunities in film and television.[13] His family provided essential support during this transition, enabling him to focus on auditions while adjusting to the new environment.[6] As a young teen entering the industry, Zuckerman encountered initial challenges in adapting to Hollywood's fast-paced and competitive nature, including the awkwardness of guest-starring roles where he often felt like "the new kid at school" and the difficulty of overcoming typecasting from child acting experiences.[15] These hurdles tested his resilience, particularly as he navigated auditions and the shift from local theater to professional aspirations.[16]Academic Pursuits
Zuckerman completed his secondary education at The Buckley School, a private preparatory institution in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles.[17] During his high school years, Zuckerman began balancing his academic commitments with a burgeoning acting career, which started with stage performances at age ten and soon included television appearances. This required adaptive educational arrangements to accommodate auditions and filming schedules, ensuring continuity in his studies amid professional demands.[18][16] In 2003, Zuckerman enrolled as a freshman at Princeton University, initially pursuing an undecided major but leaning toward history with courses in U.S. foreign diplomacy and ancient Roman history.[16][18] He departed Princeton after completing his freshman year to focus exclusively on acting, having nearly left earlier due to the pull of professional opportunities, though encouraged by his parents to finish the academic term. This decision marked a pivotal shift, prioritizing his career over further formal education while reflecting the ongoing tension between his academic pursuits and acting aspirations.[18][16]Professional Career
Debut and Early Film Roles
Josh Zuckerman made his screen debut in 2000 at the age of 15, appearing in two productions that marked his entry into professional acting. In the Disney Channel television film Geppetto, a musical adaptation of the Pinocchio story directed by Tom McLoughlin, Zuckerman portrayed a featured performer in the ensemble of villagers from Idyllia.[19] Later that year, he took on the role of Timothy, a young orphan, in the family drama Return to the Secret Garden, directed by Scott Featherstone, which served as a sequel to the classic novel and focused on themes of loss and healing at Misselthwaite Manor. These early roles, both released in 2000, showcased his youthful energy and provided initial exposure in family-oriented cinema. Building on this foundation, Zuckerman secured a notable comedic part in 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember, the third installment in the spy parody series directed by Jay Roach. At 17, he played Young Dr. Evil, a flashback portrayal of the villain's childhood counterpart opposite Seth Green's Scott Evil, contributing to the film's humorous exploration of the character's backstory.[20] The role, announced in late 2001, highlighted his ability to handle exaggerated, satirical performances alongside stars like Mike Myers and Michael Caine.[21] By 2004, Zuckerman transitioned into more prominent supporting roles, appearing as Brian Valco, the teenage son in a dysfunctional family, in the holiday comedy Surviving Christmas directed by Mike Mitchell. Starring opposite Ben Affleck and James Gandolfini, his character navigated family tensions during the festive season, adding relatable adolescent angst to the ensemble dynamic. The following year, in 2005, he featured in the horror film Feast, directed by John Gulager, as Hot Wheels, a quirky bar patron caught in a siege by monstrous creatures alongside a cast including Navi Rawat and Henry Rollins. This role marked a genre shift, demonstrating versatility in high-stakes, ensemble-driven narratives. Zuckerman continued with supporting roles in The Hottest State (2006) as Josh, Lions for Lambs (2007) as Student #2, and achieved a lead role as Ian Lafferty in the road comedy Sex Drive (2008).[1] Throughout these projects from 2000 to 2005, Zuckerman faced the typical hurdles of evolving from child performances to teen-centric parts, including industry perceptions that could limit opportunities for young actors seeking mature roles. In a 2015 interview, he reflected on the challenge of shedding early typecasting to be viewed seriously in varied characters.[22] His prior experience in local theater, beginning at age 10 with the Los Altos Youth Theater, aided his preparation for these on-screen demands by honing improvisational skills and emotional depth.[4]Television Breakthroughs
Zuckerman's television career gained momentum with his recurring role as Mark, a close friend of the Trager family, in the ABC Family science fiction series Kyle XY across seasons two and three from 2007 to 2009.[23] The character's involvement in the show's central mysteries surrounding the titular protagonist contributed to Zuckerman's rising profile in genre television, marking one of his earliest sustained TV engagements.[24] In 2009 and 2010, Zuckerman portrayed Eddie Orlofsky in season six of ABC's Desperate Housewives, embodying the character's dual nature as an outwardly affable young man harboring a violent secret as the Fairview Strangler, the season's primary antagonist responsible for a series of murders.[25] The role highlighted Orlofsky's troubled backstory and psychological descent, culminating in attempts to target key characters like Julie Mayer, which underscored the storyline's tension and Zuckerman's ability to convey underlying menace. This performance was noted for its intensity, with the revelation of Orlofsky's identity driving much of the season's dramatic arc.[26] Zuckerman continued his ascent with the recurring role of Max Miller in The CW's 90210 from 2010 to 2013, where he played Naomi Clark's intellectual love interest, a tech-savvy entrepreneur whose relationship with her evolved through multiple romantic subplots including proposals and reconciliations.[27] Their dynamic, often marked by Naomi's initial reluctance giving way to deeper commitment, provided key emotional beats amid the series' teen drama elements.[28] Complementing these breakthroughs, Zuckerman appeared in guest spots during this era, including as Leo Donwell across three episodes of CSI: Miami season 5 in 2007 ("Internal Affairs", "Broken Home", and "Bloodline"), where his character was entangled in investigations involving murders, internal affairs, and a potential serial killer.[1]Recent Projects and Voice Work
In 2015, Zuckerman took on his first lead role as Nate Marlowe in the CW sitcom Significant Mother, portraying an ambitious young restaurateur who returns from a business trip to find his mother dating his best friend, navigating the ensuing comedic family dynamics across the single season.[29] This role marked a shift toward more prominent television leads following his earlier supporting parts in network series. Zuckerman continued building his television presence with a recurring role as Peter Bart, the legendary Hollywood executive, in the 2022 Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, which dramatized the behind-the-scenes production of The Godfather.[30] In 2023, he appeared as Paul, the neighbor to the central character Alex, in two episodes of the Paramount+ thriller series Fatal Attraction, a reimagining of the 1987 film focusing on obsession and consequences. These streaming projects highlighted his versatility in ensemble dramas and limited series. From 2023 onward, Zuckerman has starred as Mr. Martin, a ghostly teacher trapped in the afterlife who aids students in a high school purgatory while grappling with his own secrets, in the ongoing Paramount+ supernatural drama School Spirits. The series follows a teenager investigating her own disappearance among spectral peers, with Zuckerman's character central to the unfolding mysteries of the limbo world. This role underscores his transition to starring in serialized streaming content with supernatural elements. On the film front, Zuckerman played supporting physicist Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz, J. Robert Oppenheimer's protégé at Berkeley, in Christopher Nolan's 2023 biographical thriller Oppenheimer. His performance contributed to the ensemble depiction of the Manhattan Project's ethical and scientific tensions. In 2024, he starred as Michael in the biographical drama Bau, Artist at War, portraying a young lawyer in the story of Holocaust survivor Joseph Bau.[31] Expanding into voice acting, Zuckerman provided the voice for the titular enthusiastic pony and Annie's best friend in the Nickelodeon animated series It's Pony from 2020 to 2022, voicing the character across 33 episodes in a show centered on the duo's whimsical adventures.[32] This marked his entry into animation, showcasing his range beyond live-action. Looking ahead, Zuckerman is set to appear as Wes in the 2025 sci-fi horror thriller CognAitive, where a tech startup's revolutionary AI chatbot turns homicidal, exploring themes of technology's perils.[33][34] He will also portray Jonah in the 2025 romantic comedy For Worse, following a newly divorced mother navigating a wedding with a younger date.[35] These upcoming roles further demonstrate his evolving career across genres, from horror to comedy.Filmography
Feature Films
Zuckerman's feature film roles span a variety of genres, from family dramas and comedies to horror and historical epics, often portraying young, introspective characters in supporting capacities, with notable leads in coming-of-age stories.| Year | Title | Role | Type | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Return to the Secret Garden | Timothy | Supporting | Played the young companion to the protagonists in this family adventure sequel, aiding in their discovery of the hidden garden.[36] |
| 2000 | Geppetto | Supporting role | Supporting | Appeared in this Disney musical fantasy film adaptation of Pinocchio.[37] |
| 2001 | 'Twas the Night | Danny Wrigley | Supporting | Portrayed one of the brothers in this family Christmas comedy about a magical reindeer.[38] |
| 2002 | I Was a Teenage Faust | Brendan | Lead | Starred as the protagonist in this fantasy comedy about a teen making a deal with the devil.[39] |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Young Dr. Evil | Supporting | Portrayed a teenage version of the iconic villain in this spy comedy, appearing in flashback sequences.[40] |
| 2004 | Surviving Christmas | Brian Valco | Supporting | Depicted a family member in this holiday comedy, interacting with the lead's eccentric holiday traditions.[41] |
| 2005 | Feast | Hot Wheels | Supporting | Appeared as one of the survivors in this horror film, contributing to the ensemble's desperate fight against monsters. |
| 2005 | Pretty Persuasion | Josh Horowitz | Supporting | Played a high school student entangled in a scandalous accusation plot in this dark comedy-drama.[42] |
| 2006 | The Hottest State | Decker | Supporting | Portrayed a friend to the protagonist in this romantic drama about a young actor's struggles in New York.[43] |
| 2007 | Lions for Lambs | College Student #2 | Supporting | Featured as a student in classroom scenes discussing politics and war in this ensemble drama. |
| 2008 | Sex Drive | Ian Lafferty | Lead | Starred as the awkward teen protagonist on a road trip quest for romance in this coming-of-age comedy. |
| 2013 | CBGB | John Holmstrom | Supporting | Embodied the punk magazine founder in this biographical rock drama about the legendary nightclub.[44] |
| 2014 | Acid Girls | Sebastian | Supporting | Acted as a key figure in this action-thriller involving a group of women on a dangerous mission.[45] |
| 2015 | Field of Lost Shoes | Moses Ezekiel | Supporting | Portrayed a Jewish cadet at the Virginia Military Institute during the Civil War in this historical drama.[46] |
| 2018 | Killing Diaz | Cam / Kira | Supporting (dual role) | Played dual characters in this dark comedy-thriller about friends plotting a murder to avoid confrontation.[47] |
| 2019 | Ring Ring | Jason | Supporting | Appeared as a friend in this horror-comedy about a cursed landline phone. |
| 2020 | The Bellmen | Josh | Supporting | Depicted a new bellhop navigating resort antics in this comedy about hotel staff rivalries.[48] |
| 2020 | Variant | Thomas | Supporting | Portrayed a character in this psychological thriller exploring obsession and reality.[49] |
| 2020 | Useless Humans | Brian Skaggs | Lead | Starred as a directionless millennial facing an alien invasion in this sci-fi horror-comedy.[50] |
| 2021 | For the Hits | Elliot | Lead | Played the central figure whose viral mishap upends his life in this comedy about internet fame.[51] |
| 2023 | Oppenheimer | Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz | Supporting | Appeared as a young associate in this biographical drama about the atomic bomb's creator. |
| 2025 | Bau, Artist at War | Michael | Supporting | Portrayed a lawyer seeking testimony in this Holocaust survival story centered on an artist's resilience.[52] |
| 2024 | The Tiger's Apprentice | Rudy (voice) | Supporting | Voiced a companion character in this animated fantasy adventure based on the children's book. |
| 2025 | Cognaitive | Wes | Supporting | Role in this upcoming project.[1] |
| 2025 | For Worse | Jonah | Supporting | Role in this upcoming project.[1] |