Boyish and likeable American actor Christopher Gorham was a fixture on television since the late ‘90s, specializing in earnest if awkward young men who succeeded largely by their own gumption. He made his earliest splash as a gay teen on “Party of Five” (Fox, 1994-2000), and later, attracted a fan base with shows like “Popular” (The WB, 1999-2001) and the cult science fiction show “Jake 2.0” (UPN, 2003-04). He found perhaps his largest audience as America Ferrara’s introverted love interest on the hit series “Ugly Betty” (ABC, 2006- ).
Born Aug. 14, 1974 in Fresno, CA, Gorham admitted that his adolescence and teen years were often spent pursuing the same interests as many of his characters – he loved role-playing games, math, and teaching ballroom dancing. He also developed a passion for acting at a very young age, winning kudos for his stage performances while still in grade school, and earning the top prize at an international talent contest while attending Roosevelt High School of the Arts. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Theater Arts, he began appearances on episodic TV shows and the occasional film – his first feature was Danny Boyle’s romantic comedy “A Life Less Ordinary” (1997).
Gorham earned both critical acclaim and the respect of many members of the gay community for his portrayal of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s gay boyfriend on “Party of Five” during the 1997-98 season. This brave role led to more appearances on youth-oriented shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (WB, 1997-2003) and “Saved by the Bell: The New Class” (NBC, 1993-2000). In 1999, he made his debut as a series regular on the outlandish high school comedy “Popular” (WB, 1999-2001) where he imbued his “nerd” role of Harrison John with a humanity and humor that transcended the occasional low-brow writing – especially during a storyline arc that found his character suffering from leukemia. While on the show, Gorham also fell in love with his castmate, Anel Lopez, and married her in 2000.
Following the demise of “Popular” due to low ratings, Gorham forged ahead with a variety of projects. He was top-billed in the feature, “The Other Side of Heaven” (2001) as a young American missionary who discovers himself while serving in the South Pacific, and enjoyed a cult audience on the short-lived Canadian science fiction series “Odyssey 5” (Showtime, 2004), as a 20-something space traveler who must relive his painful teenage years when he and his crew are sent back in time to prevent the Earth’s destruction. Gorham ventured deeper into sci-fi with his next series, “Jake 2.0,” in which he played the title character, a government worker who develops super powers. Like “Odyssey 5” and his next series, the lukewarm hospital drama “Medical Investigation” (ABC/NBC, 2004-05), it lasted a single season, but retained a small but committed fanbase long after it departed the airwaves.
Gorham switched to comedy for his next stab at a series. Despite a stellar cast that included Henry Winkler, Stockard Channing, Ty Burrell, and Jennifer Tilly, “Out of Practice” (CBS, 2005- ), about a family of dysfunctional therapists, earned low ratings and was pulled from the schedule after 14 episodes. In 2006, Gorham was tapped by his former “Jake 2.0” producer Silvo Horta to appear on his new series, “Ugly Betty.” As Henry, a possible love interest for the show’s main character, Betty Suarez, the dorky but sweet accountant for the show’s fictional Mode magazine, Gorham provided the same underdog qualities – warmth, determination and a sense of humor – that made audiences fall for Betty. It was no wonder that the sparks flew between the two characters. Gorham announced in 2007 that he would join the cast as a regular in its third season, so “Betty” fans would get their wish to see their heroine live happily ever after.