Matt Dallas

One of the most striking promotional images of the 2006 television season was of actor Matt Dallas, his shirt raised to reveal a smooth stomach — but a stomach which was missing a navel. The program was "Kyle XY" (ABC Family, 2006-08), an intriguing science fiction drama about a boy with no memory or history that has caught on with audiences, thanks in no small part to Dallas' striking features. The show was a big career boost for the Phoenix, AZ native, who had only logged a handful of television roles prior to this star-making turn.

The oldest of four siblings, Dallas was born Oct. 12, 1982, and was primarily interested in sports until the age of 12, when his grandmother brought him to an audition for a children's theater production of "The Ugly Duckling." Dallas landed the part (of the Gander, which required him to wear a ridiculous costume) and quickly fell in love with acting. Stints with numerous Phoenix-area theater groups led to his departure for Hollywood in 2001, following his high school graduation. While pursuing acting jobs, Dallas supported himself by modeling; among his earliest credits was a speaking role in a television commercial for Arizona Jeans and the romantic interest in teen rapper fan_3's video for her single "Geek Love," released in 2004.

2005 proved to be Dallas' breakthrough year - not only did he get maximum exposure in the music video for James Blunt's song "Goodbye My Lover" (which showed him rolling about in a bed with actress Mischa Barton), but he also made his feature debut in the low-budget horror film, "Way of the Vampire." He quickly followed his feature debut with a role in the tongue-in-cheek slasher tribute, "Camp Daze" (2005), and a bit role as a male model who catches the eye of a lecherous producer on an episode of "Entourage" (HBO, 2004-11).

The following year, Dallas was one of the last people to audition for the lead role in "Kyle XY," and to his surprise, he landed the part, which offered him the widest exposure of his career then to date. The role also afforded Dallas a terrific canvas for his most versatile tool - his expressive face (his dialogue was kept to a minimum for the first few episodes), which registered Kyle's wonder and confusion as he attempts to discover who he is and where he has been with impressive believability. The combination of Dallas' talents, the aggressive advertising campaign, and a savvy internet site that offered an alternate reality game for viewers to explore and discover clues to Kyle's past, drew substantial ratings, giving ABC Family its highest rating premiere to date. After an initial ten episodes aired, an additional 13 were ordered for an undetermined 2007 air date.

In the meantime, Dallas completed another independent film, an emotional drama titled "The Indian." An avid sports fan, he also stayed in regular contact with his family in Arizona.