This handsome young actor seemed destined to play recurring roles as "the boyfriend" in TV series until he finally was cast in a meaty supporting role in the 1999 release, "10 Things I Hate About You", a modern spin on "The Taming of the Shrew". The son of a voice-over actor from Nebraska and a hairdresser from Colombia, a mixed heritage that has provided his slightly exotic dark good looks, Andrew Keegan began his career as an infant, appearing in print advertisements for Gerber baby products. By age four, he was comfortably ensconced in front of the camera doing TV commercials. It took ten years before he made it to the big time, though. In 1993, he was tapped as one of the co-hosts of the ABC Saturday morning special "Rhythm & Jam". The following year, Keegan co-starred with Jonathan Jackson and Christopher Lloyd in the lame big screen comedy "Camp Nowhere" (1994). Shortly thereafter, he began his round of recurring characters on the ABC sitcom "Thunder Alley" and went on to play teen beau to Christine Lakin's Alicia on "Step By Step", Brandy's "Moesha" and Jessica Biel's Mary on "7th Heaven". Keegan achieved perhaps his highest profile (to date) as Reed, the football player who caught the eye of Claudia Salinger (Lacey Chabert), in "Party of Five". Video enthusiasts noted his brief appearance in the blockbuster smash "Independence Day" (1996) in the blink-and-you-miss-him role where he begs his girlfriend to have sex since the world appears to be ending. It remains to be seen, however, (and depends on the success of his films) whether he can break out beyond his status as teen heartthrob.

• Also Credited As:
  Andrew Keegan Heying
• Born:
  January 29, 1979 in Tarzana, California
• Job Titles:
  Actor, TV host, Child model

Family

• Brother: Casey Keegan. born on June 12, 1980
• Father: Larry Heying. works primarily doing voiceovers
• Mother: Lana Heying. born in Colombia

Significant Others

• Companion: Christine Lakin. dated; played opposite one another on "Step By Step"; no longer together
• Companion: LeAnn Rimes. dating since c. 1998; reportedly became engaged in early 2001; separated in summer 2001
• Companion: Piper Perabo. reportedly dated in 2001

Milestones

• 1983 Made first TV commercial at age four
• 1993 Co-hosted "Rhythm & Jam", an "ABC Saturday Morning Special"
• 1994 Feature debut, "Camp Nowhere"
• 1994 Had recurring role on "Thunder Alley" (ABC)
• 1995 Played recurring role of Alicia's boyfriend Matt on "Step By Step"
• 1996 Appeared as the single-father boyfriend of Mary Camden (Jessica Biel) in the series "7th Heaven" (The WB)
• 1996 Appeared as Brandy's boyfriend Matt in episodes of "Moesha" (UPN)
• 1996 Film debut in bit part in "Independence Day"
• 1997 Co-hosted The Discovery Channel program "No Really"
• 1997 Played recurring role of Reed, a football player on whom Claudia (Lacey Chabert) develops a crush, in Fox's "Party of Five"
• 1999 Had supporting role in the feature "10 Things I Hate About You", a modern version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew"
• 2000 Portrayed a young man in the early stages of coming out in "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy"
• 2001 Had featured role in "O", a high school-set retelling of Shakespeare's "Othello"
• 2006 Cast on the short-lived WB show, "Related" as Zack the suave college undergrad
• 2006 Played a kidnapped college student in the thriller, "Cruel World"
• Began career as a print model, appearing as a Gerber baby in advertising campaigns

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