Cameron Monaghan

Cameron Monaghan
Monaghan at a press event in 2014
Born
Cameron Riley Monaghan

(1993-08-16) August 16, 1993 (age 30)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • model
Years active2002–present
Websitewww.cameronmonaghan.net

Cameron Riley Monaghan (born 1993 or 1994) is an American actor and model. He is known for his role as Ian Gallagher on the Showtime comedy-drama series Shameless and as twins Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, who serve as origins for the Joker, on the DC Comics-based TV series Gotham. He also portrayed Cal Kestis in the action-adventure game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel Jedi: Survivor. Monaghan began his career as a child model at the age of three and as a child actor at the age of seven.

Early life

Monaghan was born in Santa Monica, California, the only child of Diane Monaghan, an insurance claims specialist and single mother. He and his mother relocated to Boca Raton, Florida, shortly after his birth. Recognizing that Monaghan was an exceptionally outgoing child, his mother sent his picture to modeling agencies when he was three. He appeared on the cover of his first catalogue at the age of five and appeared in his first regional commercial at seven.

He attended Addison Mizner Elementary School and began to develop his acting skills by appearing in the Little Palm Children's Theatre's productions of Stuart Little, Winnie-the-Pooh, and The Pumpkin King (a theatrical adaptation of The Nightmare Before Christmas), as well as appearing as Alex in the small independent film The Wishing Stone, which was filmed in the Lake Worth, Florida area.

Monaghan moved to the Los Angeles area when he was approximately 10 years old.

Career

Early career

Monaghan first came to national attention in 2003 for his role as Winthrop Paroo in the ABC television adaptation of The Music Man. When recounting the decision to cast the 9-year-old Monaghan, director and executive producer Jeff Bleckner explained, "There are some people, when you put them up on film, they sort of pop off the screen at you. That's how it was with Cameron. From the second we saw him, he was it. We were looking for anybody who had that wonderful appeal. And Cameron had it."

In 2004, Monaghan began a recurring role as Chad, one of Dewey's classmates on the Fox comedy series Malcolm in the Middle, which earned him the Young Artist Award as Best Young Television Actor in a Recurring Role. The following year, he began a recurring role as Palmer Noid on the Nickelodeon situation comedy Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Subsequent guest-starring television roles followed, including appearances on Criminal Minds, Numbers, The Mentalist, Monk, Three Rivers, Fringe, The Glades, and Terriers.

In 2005, Monaghan transitioned to theatrical film roles, appearing as Timmy in the independent western Brothers in Arms. The following year, he appeared as Kevin O'Doyle, the bothersome next-door neighbor in the fantasy comedy Click. A series of subsequent feature film roles followed, including appearances in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Dog Gone, Safe Harbor and Another Harvest Moon, as well as portraying the boy detective Bob Andrews in the Three Investigators film series.

Shameless

In April 2010, Monaghan was cast as an ensemble cast member on the Showtime comedy-drama series Shameless. On the series, which premiered in January 2011, Monaghan portrays Ian Gallagher, the gay bipolar teenage son of a large dysfunctional Chicago family. Sarah Hughes of The Independent commended Monaghan's portrayal for providing "one of the more nuanced depictions of a gay teenager to be seen on US TV." Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe described Monaghan's performance as "extraordinary." The gay-interest media outlet AfterElton.com cited Monaghan's portrayal of Ian in naming him to its list of "2011's Break-Out TV Actors". In February 2014, Showtime announced it had renewed the series for a fifth season, scheduled to begin airing in 2015. For his work in the fifth season, Monaghan received a Critic's Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The seventh season began airing in October 2016. The eighth season, consisting of 12 episodes, went into production in May 2017; it premiered on November 5, 2017. The series was renewed for a ninth season which premiered on September 9, 2018. Monaghan announced via Instagram that he would be leaving the series following the sixth episode of the ninth season. However, Cameron returned for the tenth season which premiered in late 2019.

2011 to present

Monaghan appears in a variety of episodic television roles. In 2011, he guest-starred as Nick Peyton, a teenage boy accused of murdering his Marine father, on the CBS crime series NCIS. That same year he appeared as Jonathan McKenna on the TNT mystery series Rizzoli & Isles. In 2012, he guest-starred as Eddie Sandow, a 19-year-old who creates a hostage situation after his father is accused of sexual assault, on the NBC crime series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Monaghan also appears in a variety of feature film roles. In 2011, he co-starred as high school sophomore Corey Doyle in the Disney teen drama Prom. In 2012, he portrayed Jake, the son of an attractive YMCA director in the sports themed comedy 2nd Serve. In 2014, Monaghan starred as Adam McCormick, a small-town high school athlete who becomes consumed by the death of one of his classmates in the independent drama Jamie Marks Is Dead. That same year, he appeared as Mason Ashford, the best friend and romantic interest to Rose in the fantasy adventure film Vampire Academy. He also starred as Asher in the dystopian film The Giver.

From 2015 to 2019, Monaghan was featured as a recurring guest star in all five seasons of Fox's DC Comics-based television series Gotham. He plays the antagonistic twin brothers Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, who both serve origin stories for the famous Batman villain Joker.

Monaghan plays Cal Kestis, the player character in the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and its 2023 sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

In July 2023, it was announced that Monaghan would join the cast of Tron: Ares alongside Jared Leto.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2002 The Wishing Stone Alex
2005 Brothers in Arms Timmy
2006 Click Kevin O'Doyle
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause Traffic cop #1
2007 The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island Bob Andrews
2008 Dog Gone Dexter
2009 Safe Harbor Larry Parker
The Three Investigators and the Secret of Terror Castle Bob Andrews
2010 Another Harvest Moon Jack
2011 Prom Corey Doyle
2012 2nd Serve Jake
2014 The Giver Asher
Jamie Marks Is Dead Adam McCormick
Mall Jeff
Vampire Academy Mason Ashford
2017 Amityville: The Awakening James
The Year of Spectacular Men Ross
2018 Anthem of a Teenage Prophet Luke Hunter
2019 Reign of the Supermen Kon-El / Superboy Voice
2022 Shattered Chris Decker
My Love Affair with Marriage Sergei

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Music Man Winthrop Paroo Television film
2004–2005 Malcolm in the Middle Chad 6 episodes
2005 Avatar: The Last Airbender Poi & Ping Voice, episode: "The Fortuneteller"
Threshold Josh Foster Episode: "Blood of the Children"
2005–2006 Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Palmer Noid 3 episodes
2006 Criminal Minds Jeffrey Charles Episode: "The Boogeyman"
2007 Shorty McShorts' Shorts Andy Voice, episode: "Flip-Flopped"
2009 Fringe Tyler Carson Episode: "Of Human Action"
James Gunn's PG Porn Young Boy 1 Web episode: "Helpful Bus"
The Mentalist Elliot Episode: "Blood Brothers"
Monk Danny Cooper Episode: "Mr. Monk's Favorite Show"
Numbers Todd Episode "Jacked"
Safe Harbor Larry Parker Television film
Three Rivers Auden Drinkwater Episode: "Place of Life"
2010 The Glades Shane Conners Episode: "Marriage is Murder"
Terriers Cody Grice Episode: "Pimp Daddy"
2011 NCIS Nick Peyton Episode: "Out of the Frying Pan"
Rizzoli & Isles Jonathan McKenna Episode: "Don't Hate the Player"
2011–2021 Shameless Ian Gallagher Main cast
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Eddie Sandow Episode: "Father's Shadow"
2015–2019 Gotham Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska Recurring role
2016 Mercy Street Tom Fairfax Main cast
2017 Son of Zorn Jeff Episode: "The Weekend Warrior"

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2019 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Cal Kestis Voice, motion capture, and likeness
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Web

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Corey & Lucas for the Win! Corey Doyle 6 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2004 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Supporting Young Actor The Music Man Nominated
2005 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Television Series – Recurring Young Actor Malcolm in the Middle Won
2006 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Television Series – Guest Starring Young Actor Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Nominated
2012 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a Television Series – Guest Starring Young Actor 18–21 Rizzoli & Isles Nominated
2015 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Shameless Nominated
2016 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Villain Gotham Nominated
2019 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Villain Gotham Won
2020 NAVGTR Awards Performance in a Drama, Lead Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Nominated
2023 Golden Joystick Awards Best Lead Performer Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Nominated
2023 The Game Awards Best Performance Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Pending

This page was last updated at 2023-11-27 12:12 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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