Short Biography

Chad Allen (born Chad Allen Lazzari on June 5, 1974 in Cerritos, California, U.S.) is an American actor. Performing since he was a child, Allen is perhaps best known for appearing on the television series Our Home from 1986 to 1988 & Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman from 1993 to 1998.

Early career

A young Allen guest-starred on several prime time series including St. Elsewhere, in which he played autistic child Tommy Westphall from 1983 to 1988. Notably, the series` final episode "The Last One" ends with the indication that all of its storylines occurred within Westphall`s imagination. Allen`s first regular role was as David Witherspoon on the 1986 series Our House, which co-starred a pre-Beverly Hills, 90210 Shannen Doherty, Wilford Brimley and Days of our Lives` Emmy-nominated Deidre Hall. That series ended in 1988, and Allen`s next contract role was Matthew Cooper in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman alongside Jane Seymour in 1993. Dr. Quinn ended in 1998, and Allen did not return for its two sequel television movies, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Movie (1999) and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within (2000).


Outing and activism

In 1996, at age 21, Allen was outed as gay when the US tabloid The Globe published photos of him kissing another man in a hot tub at a party. The photos had been sold to the paper by Allen`s then-boyfriend. Allen has since become an activist for the LGBT community in addition to his continuing acting and producing career. On January 17, 2006, Allen appeared on CNN`s Larry King Live with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to represent the gay viewpoint in a debate over same-sex marriage. Allen thanked Newsom for his attempts to legalize same-sex marriage in the city. Allen has been featured in The Advocate magazine multiple times and has appeared on three of its covers

Further career

Starting with 2005`s Third Man Out, Allen portrays lead character Donald Strachey, a gay private detective in a monogamous relationship, in a series of television movies for the here! network based on novels by Richard Stevenson. Third Man Out`s 2006 sequel Shock to the System was followed by both On the Other Hand, Death and Ice Blues in 2008. Allen noted that Strachey is the first gay character he had ever played outside of theater, and that though his career was "different" since coming out, he finds it "more interesting and fun for me than it has ever been."

Controversy surrounded Allen`s casting as real-life Christian missionary Nate Saint in the 2006 docudrama film End of the Spear, as some conservative Christians lashed out at producers for putting an openly gay man in the role.

In 2007 Allen starred in the film Save Me opposite Daytime Emmy-winner Judith Light and Robert Gant. Developed and produced by Allen himself, the film was directed by Robert Clary and written by Light`s husband Robert Desiderio, based on a screenplay by Craig Chester. Save Me, a film exploring the ex-gay movement, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was later picked up for distribution by independent studio Fine Line Features.

Allen appeared alongside Valerie Harper from June through August 2008 in Looped
, a stage play based on the life of Tallulah Bankhead, at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California.

Starting September 23, 2008, Allen portrayed the love interest of Dr. Kyle Julian for four episodes of the prime time SOAPnet serial General Hospital: Night Shift,

Miscellaneous Information

Friends and Family

Charity Lazzari [Sister] (his twin sister)

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