Cameron Monaghan

Early life

Monaghan was born on August 16, 1993, 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''

Main article: Ian Gallagher

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.

Monaghan will star as a younger version of Michael Connelly's character Harry Bosch in the MGM+ series Bosch: Start of Watch.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Web series

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Rose, Mike. (August 16, 2023). "Famous birthdays list for August 16, 2023 includes celebrities Steve Carell, Angela Bassett".
2. Pearce, Tilly. (May 14, 2018). "''Gotham''{{'}}s Cameron Monaghan FINALLY explains why he's not 'The Joker'".
3. Kernicky, Kathleen. (February 15, 2003). "The Music Boy". Sun-Sentinel.
4. Kernicky, Kathleen. (December 31, 2003). "Auld Acquaintances – Stardom Beckons". Sun-Sentinel.
5. Yehuda, Anna Ben. (March 13, 2014). "Q&A: Cameron Monaghan on ''Shameless''; Jamming with Jeff Bridges". Los Angeles Confidential.
6. "26th Annual Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards.
7. "Cameron Monaghan Credits". TV Guide.
8. Fienberg, Daniel. (April 8, 2010). "Showtime makes a ''Shameless'' pickup". HitFix.
9. Hughes, Sarah. (January 10, 2011). "Meet the new Gallaghers". [[The Independent]].
10. Gilbert, Matthew. (January 7, 2011). "All of a dysfunctional family". The Boston Globe.
11. Reker, Art. (December 22, 2011). "The Year In Television: 2011's Break-Out TV Actors". [[AfterElton.com]].
12. (February 18, 2014). "Showtime Renews ''Shameless'' And ''House of Lies''". Seat42F.
13. Jade, Saura. (August 7, 2017). "TVLine Items: Shameless Return Date, DC's Legends Hails Caesar and More". [[TVLine]].
14. Andreeva, Nellie. (November 8, 2017). "''Shameless'' Renewed For Season 9 By Showtime".
15. Otterson, Joe. (October 8, 2018). "''Shameless'' Star Cameron Monaghan Announces Series Exit". Variety.
16. Goldberg, Lesley. (January 31, 2019). "''Shameless'' Renewed for Season 10 at Showtime". The Hollywood Reporter.
17. Patten, Dominic. (May 10, 2013). "''Vampire Academy'' Adds ''Blue Bloods'' Sami Gayle, ''Shameless'' Cameron Monaghan & More To Cast".
18. Davis, Michele. (February 19, 2014). "This is Me: Cameron Monaghan". Zooey Magazine.
19. "'The Giver' actor Cameron Monaghan on Asher's expanded role".
20. Mancuso, Vinnie. (April 1, 2019). "New 'Gotham' Joker Teaser Reveals Cameron Monaghan Going Full Joker".
21. Dedmon, Tanner. (April 13, 2019). "''Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order'' Stars ''Gotham'' Actor Cameron Monaghan as Cal Kestis".
22. Couch, Aaron. (July 13, 2023). "'Tron: Ares' Enlists 'Yellowjackets' Star Sarah Desjardins". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
23. Andreeva, Nellie. (October 15, 2025). "''Bosch'' Prequel Series ''Start Of Watch'' Greenlighted By MGM+ With Cameron Monaghan As Young Harry; Omari Hardwick Also Stars".
24. Barton. (April 4, 2014). "Exclusive: Thomas Mann and Taylor Spreitler Check Into the Amityville House". [[Dread Central]].
25. McNary, Dave. (January 17, 2018). "Lea Thompson's Directorial Debut 'Year of Spectacular Men' Acquired by MarVista Entertainment".
26. Hipes, Patrick. (December 21, 2018). "'Anthem Of A Teenage Prophet', With Cameron Monaghan And Peyton List, Gets Deal And Release Date".
27. Scott, Ryan. (October 24, 2018). "Reign of the Supermen Blu-ray Release Date, Cover Art & Details Unveiled".
28. "Cameron Monaghan (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
29. Ramachandran, Naman. (June 23, 2021). "John Malkovich, Lilly Krug, Cameron Monaghan Star in Action Thriller 'Shattered,' First Look Revealed".
30. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (October 19, 2021). "Lionsgate Boards Juliette Binoche, Frank Grillo & Morgan Freeman Thriller 'Paradise Highway'".
31. Sneider, Jeff. (February 23, 2017). "Cameron Monaghan, "Shameless" Co-Stars Join Voice Cast of "My Love Affair With Marriage" (Exclusive)".
32. "25th Annual Young Artist Awards". [[Young Artist Award]]s.
33. "27th Annual Young Artist Awards". [[Young Artist Award]]s.
34. "33rd Annual Young Artist Awards". [[Young Artist Award]]s.
35. Wade Rouse. (May 6, 2015). "HBO and FX Lead 5th Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominations". [[People Magazine]].
36. Eliahou, Maya. (June 9, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016—''Captain America: Civil War'' Leads Second Wave of Nominations". NBC Universal.
37. (June 19, 2019). "''Avengers: Endgame'', ''Riverdale'', ''Aladdin'' Top 2019 Teen Choice Award Nominations".
38. (January 13, 2020). "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.
39. (February 24, 2020). "2019 Winners". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers.
40. Loveridge, Sam. (November 10, 2023). "Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 winners".
41. Spangler, Todd. (November 13, 2023). "The Game Awards 2023 Nominations: Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3 Lead the Pack With Eight Noms Each (Full List)". [[Variety (magazine).
42. (March 7, 2024). "20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". [[BAFTA]].