American actor Ethan Embry was born on June 13, 1978 in Huntington Beach, California. He began acting as a child, appearing in over a hundred television and radio commercials, and eventually started acting for the screen at age 13. His debut was in the miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story, followed up by the romantic comedy Defending Your Life. Since then, he has appeared in several films—All I Want for Christmas, Season of Change, Empire Records, That Thing You Do!, Montana, Disturbing Behavoir—and got a regular role in the short-lived comedy series Work With Me.
After Work With Me was cancelled due to dismal ratings, Embry got a fresh start with FreakyLinks. The series, which premiered in 2000, was a comedy series inspired by supernatural-themed programs. He played the lead character, Derek Barnes, who owns a website that sought to find the truth behind paranormal events and urban legends. Created by the same people behind The Blair Witch Project, it failed in the ratings and was cancelled after its first season, but nevertheless attracted a cult following. In 2003, Embry joined the cast of another prime time series, Dragnet. A remake of the classic police drama, he played the role of Frank Smith. However, the series’ format was changed in the second season, and his character was written out entirely; the new format was cancelled because of low ratings. During the time, he appeared in other films, such as Sweet Home Alabama, They, Timeline and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
Embry’s next regular television role came through the drama series Brotherhood, which premiered in 2006. He played the role of Declan Giggs, a detective working for Rhode Island Police who is tasked to investigate the activities of the Caffee brothers (Jason Isaacs and Jason Clarke), despite them being his childhood friends. The program received much more success, with a second season being commissioned in 2007.