Actor Cameron Joslin Gigandet was born on August 16, 1982 in Tacoma, Washington. After graduating from Auburn Senior High School in 2001, he decided to pursue an acting career. He took his first acting class in Santa Monica College, which sparked his passion for performing.
Gigandet made his debut as a guest on an episode of CSI in 2003. The following year, he made his way to the big screen, appearing in the short film Mistaken.
Gigandet focused his early efforts on television. In 2004, he had a short-lived role on the daytime soap The Young and the Restless. The next year, he took recurring roles in Jack &a Bobby, as well as on The OC. There he appeared as scheming surfer Kevin Volchok. He earned wider recognition in 2008 through his role in the coming-of-age film Never Back Down, as the main antagonist figure (of sorts) Ryan McCarthy. He followed it up with a role in Twilight, appearing as rogue vampire James. He reprised the part in the sequel, New Moon, released in 2009.
Earning more fame with the franchise, he set out to play Jake Gibson in the film Five Star Day. Other appearances of his include those in The Experiment (2010), Easy A (2010) and Burlesque (2010).
His ex-girlfriend got him to start reading the Twilight series two months before he got the part of James.
Has two tattoos, one on his right arm and the other on his left hip that says "Godspeed".
He had his first tattoo when he was 16 years old.
His last name is of French origin and it is pronounced "Jig-and-day".
Has a black belt in the Israeli martial art of Krav Maga.
Has a black belt in Karate.
Has been studying ballet for fifteen years.
Most of his best friends, co-stars and fans who have met him describe him as being very shy and quiet.
He listens to Snow Patrol and Ray LaMontagne.
He and his girlfriend, Dominique Geisendorff, welcomed daughter Everleigh Ray Gigandet on April 14, 2009
2008: MTV Movie Awards - Best Fight, Never Back Down - shared with Sean Faris
2010: Making Change - Bishop
2010: Kerosene Cowboys - Butch Masters
2010: Easy A - Micah
2010: Burlesque - Jack
2010: The Experiment - Chase
2009: New Moon - James
2009: Pandorum - Gallo
2009: Five Star Day - Jake Gibson
2009: The Unborn - Mark Hardigan
2008: Twilight - James
2008: Never Back Down - Ryan McCarthy
2007: Who's Your Caddy? - Mick
2005-2006: The O.C. (TV series) - Kevin Volchok 2005: Jack & Bobby (TV series) - Randy Bongard
2004: The Young and the Restless (TV series) - Daniel Romalotti
2004: Mistaken - Joe
2003: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV series) - Mark Young
"I was meant to play the bad guy, for always and ever."
(Talking about his character James, whom he is playing in the upcoming movie "Twilight") "I am James. I am one of three of the bad vampires. I am a bad, bad vampire. Well, so everyone else thinks. I think I'm just misunderstood! My sole goal is to basically kill Bella, I guess, and revel in Edward's pain as he watches it. It's definitely related to Edward. I see what Edward has with her. He has love. He is everything that I am not and has everything I do not have, and Bella is directly related to that. And Bella, alone, even has something I don't understand. It's something that draws everyone to her. She has that something, so being that I don't understand it, I want to squash it."
"I really love playing the bad guys. They have so much more freedom than the hero, and it's more of a challenge to give them a heart. I have a movie coming out soon called The unborn in which I play a good guy, and I would love to do more."