7th Heaven

Background:

A child actor-turned-teen idol David Gallagher reached television stardom at the age of 11 with his role as Simon Camden, one of the children of a progressive minister, in The WB’s hit drama “7th Heaven” (1996-2006). Delivering a convincing performance, he was handed a 1998 YoungStar Award and a 2003 Teen Choice Award. He also has done numerous television films and has irregularly appeared as a voice-over artist. Moreover, the Queens native performer has dotted his impressive resume with performances in such motion pictures as the surprise hit Look Who’s Talking Now (1993), Phenomenon (1996), Kart Racer (2003) and the indie The Quiet (2005).

Off camera, green-eyed, 5’ 10½” tall Gallagher is a loyal member and spokesperson of the organization C.A.N (Cure Autism Now) because one of his brothers, Killian, is autistic. He also has used his celebrity status to support Famous Phone Friends, where many celebrities make personal calls to kids in hospital. An animal lover, the blonde actor keeps two Rotweillers, a cat, a king snake, a turtle and a fish as his pets. As for his love life, Gallagher has been linked to such celebs as Jillian Grace and Megan Fox.

“I’m more into beats than rhymes. I’m a huge fan of anything touched by the Neptunes. Dancing is kind of my thing. I go out with my friends as often as I can on the weekends, and I’m always drawn to girls with rhythm.” David Gallagher


The Oldest of 5

Childhood and Family:

In College Point, Queens, New York City, David Lee Gallagher was born on February 9, 1985. His father, Vince Casey, is from an Irish background, and his mother, Elena, is Cuban. A first child, he has two younger brothers, Kyle (born 1993) and Killian (born 1997), and two younger sisters Michele (born 1989) and Kelly (born 1992).

A passionate student, David attended Chaminade High School and finished his studies in 2003. He is now attending the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television. He enjoys such sports as baseball, soccer, basketball, football, swimming, karate and rollerblading.


From a Child Actor to a Teen Idol

Career:

David Gallagher started his career in entertainment industry at a very young age, first appearing as a model in print advertisements for such products as Hasbro toys and Fisher Price before he was not even 2 years old. He has since done several television commercials for companies like Burger King, Walt Disney World, Panasonic, Betty Crocker, Hanes and Tyson Foods. He landed his first film role at age 8, when he was cast in a lead role opposite John Travolta and Kirstie Alley in the surprise hit Look Who’s Talking Now.

This was followed by supporting roles in television films the fact-based It Was Him or Us (1995), the CBS thriller Summer of Fear (1996), playing the son of a victimized family) and the ABC adventure Bermuda Triangle (1996), where he was a part of a shipwrecked family. Gallagher had his next big screen exposure when he rejoined Travolta for the drama Phenomenon, in which he appeared as Kyra Sedgwick’s son.

It was also in 1996 that Gallagher won the role of Simon Camden, the second son Rev. Eric Camden, in the popular family drama “7th Heaven” (The WB, 1996-?). The show’s success helped the young actor become famous among television audiences. He further confirmed his victory by picking up a YoungStar for Best Performance by a Young Actor and a Teen Choice for Choice TV Actor, in addition to collecting a number of nominations.

The following year, Gallagher made a guest appearance in an episode of CBS’s series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” as Chad Morgan, a young boy with telekinetic powers, and starred as Kevin, the younger brother of troubled high school football player Jesse (Matthew Lawrence) in the made-for-television film Angels in the Endzone. Next up for Gallagher was the direct-to-video release Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish (1998), where he starred in the title role of the young millionaire. He also did voice-overs for two Nickelodeon’s series: “Rocket Power” (1999, as Oliver van Rossam) and “Wild Thornberries (1999-2000, as Ben).

After a starring role in the ABC telepic The New Adventures of Spin and Marty: Suspect Behavior (2000), Gallagher revisited the big screen by portraying the love interest of Evan Rachel Wood in the Blair Treu-directed Little Secrets (2001). He continued with a supporting role as a competitive racer in the Randy Quaid vehicle Kart Racer, two years later. Both of the films, unfortunately, did poorly at the box office. In 2005, he was cast opposite Camilla Belle in the Jamie Babbit’s sexually charged independent film The Quiet.

Recently, in 2006, Gallagher starred as Dorian in the film The Picture of Dorian Gray, a contemporary adaptation of Oscar Wilde classic tale of conceit. Several months after his last appearance in the hit show “7th Heaven,” he found himself making a two-episodic guest spots in another popular series, the CBS “Numb3rs” (2006).


Awards:

• Teen Choice: Choice TV Actor - Drama/Action Adventure,” 7th Heaven,” 2003
• YoungStar: Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Drama TV Serie, “7th Heaven,” 1998