If you are a fan of TV shows like Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, or CSI: Vegas, you might have wondered if Matt Lauria and Dan Lauria are related. After all, they share the same last name and both have impressive careers in the entertainment industry. However, the truth is that Matt Lauria and Dan Lauria are not related at all. They are just two actors who happen to have a common surname.
Who is Matt Lauria?
Matt Lauria is an American actor and musician who was born on August 16, 1982 in Virginia. He moved to Ireland with his family when he was seven years old and spent his childhood there. He later returned to the U.S. to attend high school and college. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in drama.
Matt Lauria made his television debut in 2007 on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock as Winthrop. He then landed a recurring role on the NBC romantic sitcom Lipstick Jungle as Roy Merritt. His breakthrough role came in 2009 when he joined the cast of the NBC/ DirecTV drama Friday Night Lights as Luke Cafferty, a high school football player. He stayed on the show until it ended in 2011.
Matt Lauria also starred as Caleb Evers on the Fox crime drama The Chicago Code, Charlie Carnegie on the ABC drama pilot Gilded Lilys, Ryan York on the NBC family drama Parenthood, Ryan Wheeler on the Audience drama Kingdom, Jackson Pruitt on the TV series Tell Me A Story, and Bill on the TV series Little Birds. In 2021, he appeared as a series regular on the crime television series CSI: Vegas as Josh Folsom, a former FBI agent who joins the crime lab team.
Matt Lauria is also an avid electric guitarist and has performed with several bands. He married musician Michelle Armstrong in 2006.
Who is Dan Lauria?
Dan Lauria is an American actor who was born on April 12, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. He is of Italian descent and has two siblings. He graduated from Lindenhurst Senior High School in 1965 as a varsity football player and briefly taught physical education there. He then served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
Dan Lauria got his start in acting while attending Southern Connecticut State University on a football scholarship. He made his film debut in 1981 in C.O.D. and his television debut in 1982 in The Clairvoyant. He is best known for playing Jack Arnold, the money-conscious father on the TV series The Wonder Years, that ran from 1988 to 1993. He also played James Webb in the TV miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, Eustace Dolan in The Spirit, Jimmy Hoffa in Good Bobby, Vince Lombardi in Lombardi, Jack Sullivan on Sullivan and Son, and Al Luongo on Pitch.
Dan Lauria has also appeared in many other films and TV shows, such as Stakeout, Independence Day, Big Momma’s House 2, Alien Trespass, Criminal Minds, Boy Meets World, The Mentalist, Army Wives, This Is Us, MacGyver, Shameless Hall of Shame, Fantasy Island, The Good Doctor, and Cinnamon. He has also directed one episode of The Wonder Years and written one video called Dog Watch.
Dan Lauria was married to Eileen Cregg from 1991 to 2001.
Conclusion
Matt Lauria and Dan Lauria are not related by blood or marriage. They are just two talented actors who share a common last name and have worked hard to achieve success in their respective fields. They have never worked together on screen or stage, but they have both contributed to some of the most popular and acclaimed TV shows of their time. They are both admired by fans and critics alike for their versatility and charisma.
