Will Estes

Actor

Birth Name: William Estes Nipper

Birth Date: October 21, 1978

Age: 46 years old

Birth Place: Los Angeles, California

A handsome mainstay for a certain television generation, Will Estes earned three Young Artist nominations as the master of "The New Lassie" (syndicated, 1989-1992). While guesting on a slew of tween faves of the era, including "Full House" (ABC, 1987-1995), "Boy Meets World" (ABC, 1993-2000) and "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (Nickelodeon, 1994-98), he booked series regular roles on a string of nonstarter sitcoms, including "Kirk" (The WB, 1995-97), "Meego" (CBS, 1997) and "Kelly Kelly" (The WB, 1998).

Estes fared better in the big screen submarine drama "U-571" (2000) and as J.J. Pryor, older brother to a teen dancer who became a young Marine caught up in the Vietnam War on "American Dreams" (NBC, 2002-05). Although the murder mystery "Reunion" (Fox, 2005), which featured Estes in a series regular role as a young priest hiding many secrets, was short-lived, he rebounded on the commercial and critical hit "Blue Bloods" (CBS, 2010- ) as the rookie cop son of police commissioner (Tom Selleck). A veteran of television who was finally rewarded with a hit series, Will Estes proved that his impressive career longevity and ability to land jobs reflected his true talent and potential.

Born Oct. 21, 1978 in Los Angeles, William Estes Nipper began acting as a child, making appearances on everything from the soap opera "Santa Barbara" (NBC, 1984-1993) to the uplifting series "Highway to Heaven" (NBC, 1984-89) to the feature film "Dutch" (1991). His first truly prominent role came when he was chosen to star as the youthful owner of "The New Lassie" (syndicated, 1989-1992) in yet another iteration of the adventures of Hollywood's most beloved dog, for which he earned three Young Artist nominations. Billed as "Will Nipper" up until 1993, the young actor began to go by "Will Estes" as he added to his impressive list of TV credits, including a regular role on the Faye Dunaway sitcom "It Had to Be You" (CBS, 1993) as well as appearances on such era-defining tween faves as "Step by Step" (ABC, 1991-97; CBS, 1997-98), "Full House" (ABC, 1987-1995) and "Boy Meets World" (ABC, 1993-2000). He notched a minor appearance in the Winona Ryder-led ensemble drama "How to Make an American Quilt" (1995) and struck out twice more with regular roles on doomed sitcoms: "Kirk" (The WB, 1995-97) and "Meego" (CBS, 1997).

Young fans who had grown up with Estes enjoyed his recurring turn on the supernaturally gifted tween show "The Secret World of Alex Mack" (Nickelodeon, 1994-98), but he had less luck as a regular on the DOA Shelley Long sitcom "Kelly Kelly" (The WB, 1998). Estes notched an impressive supporting turn as Seaman Ronald "Rabbit" Parker in the big screen submarine drama "U-571" (2000), and subsequently appeared in co-star Jon Bon Jovi's music video for the single "It's My Life" that same year. He recurred on the family drama "7th Heaven" (The WB, 1996-2006; The CW, 2006-07) and essayed two supporting turns in the direct-to-video horror films "Mimic 2" (2001) and "May" (2002). Estes hit another high-water career mark when he booked a series regular role on the acclaimed drama "American Dreams" (NBC, 2002-05). The actor played J.J. Pryor, who eventually enlisted in the Marines to fight in the Vietnam War and was the older brother of "American Bandstand" (1952-1989) dancer Meg (Brittany Snow).

Estes impressed with a nuanced take on a young man who becomes a quadriplegic after a diving accident in the drama "The Dive From Clausen's Pier" (Lifetime, 2005), and landed another series regular role as Will Malloy, a young priest harboring many secrets on "Reunion" (Fox, 2005), which chronicled the span of 20 years in the lifetimes of a group of friends, culminating in a murder mystery. The actor continued to collect impressive credits, but his luck changed for the better when he was cast on the police drama "Blue Bloods" (CBS, 2010- ). The series became a much-loved hit, following police commissioner Frank Reagan (Selleck) and his rookie cop/Harvard grad son Jamie (Estes), assistant DA daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) and detective/Marine son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg). Focusing on the family dynamics and the four strong leads as much as on police and legal business, the show won over critics and fans.