Garrett Clayton Bio
Gary Michael Clayton, known professionally as Garrett Clayton, is an American actor and singer born on March 19, 1991, in Dearborn, Michigan. He adopted the stage name Garrett Clayton early in his career after casting directors suggested his birth name sounded too mature for the roles he was pursuing. Clayton gained recognition for his leading role as Tanner in Disney’s Teen Beach Movie (2013) and its sequel Teen Beach 2 (2015), establishing himself as a rising talent in musical theater and screen acting. He trained at Crestwood High School and Oakland University, where he studied musical theater, and has since expanded his work to include television, independent films, and live theater performances.
Early Life and Background
Garrett Clayton was born Gary Michael Clayton on March 19, 1991, in Dearborn, Michigan. He has Lebanese heritage and began his acting journey at Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where he actively participated in numerous drama club productions, nurturing his passion for performance from an early age.
After completing high school, he pursued higher education at Oakland University, where he focused on studying musical theater. This formal training provided him with the foundational skills that would later support his diverse career across stage and screen. While at university, he developed his craft in singing and acting, preparing himself for the competitive entertainment industry.
Path to Celebrity
Garrett Clayton began his professional acting career in 2008. Early in his career, casting directors told him his given name sounded too old, which prompted him to adopt the stage name Garrett Clayton to better align with the opportunities he was seeking in Hollywood.
His first notable television appearances came in 2010, when he appeared on the soap opera Days of Our Lives and the Disney Channel series Shake It Up. These early roles helped him establish a presence in the entertainment industry and gain valuable on-screen experience.
In December 2012, Clayton appeared in the Lifetime movie Holiday Spin, co-starring Ralph Macchio, playing the role of Blake, a rebellious teen forced to live with his father after his mother dies in a car accident. This role demonstrated his ability to handle dramatic material and work alongside established actors.
Garrett Clayton Career
Early Career (2008–2012)
Garrett Clayton launched his professional career in 2008, beginning with appearances on Days of Our Lives and Shake It Up in 2010. His role in the Lifetime movie Holiday Spin in 2012, alongside Ralph Macchio, provided him with significant exposure and demonstrated his range as an actor capable of handling dramatic material. These early years established him as a promising young talent in the industry.
Breakthrough (2013–2017)
Garrett Clayton achieved major recognition in 2013 when he was cast as Tanner in Disney Channel’s musical Teen Beach Movie. The film, directed by Jeffrey Hornaday and filmed in Puerto Rico, premiered in July 2013 and starred Ross Lynch, Maia Mitchell, and Grace Phipps. Clayton portrayed a cool but vacuous surfer character described as a mix between Frankie Avalon and Link from Hairspray. The film was a significant success and established him as a rising star in family entertainment.
The success of Teen Beach Movie led to a sequel, Teen Beach 2, in 2015, which further cemented Clayton’s status as a Disney star. Following these musical films, he began to pursue more diverse and mature roles, transitioning away from family-oriented content.
In 2016, Clayton took on the challenging role of gay porn star Brent Corrigan in the film King Cobra, starring alongside James Franco and Christian Slater. The same year, he played Link Larkin in the NBC television broadcast of Hairspray Live!, showcasing his musical theater abilities to a live television audience.
2017 saw Clayton star as Brady Mannion in the horror-thriller film Don’t Hang Up, released in theaters in February. That same year, he expanded to stage work, appearing at the Pasadena Playhouse as Luke alongside Al Pacino and Judith Light in a six-week run of Dotson Rader’s play God Looked Away, about the later life of Tennessee Williams.
Notable Works and Milestones
Garrett Clayton’s most notable works include Teen Beach Movie and its sequel, King Cobra, Hairspray Live!, Don’t Hang Up, and his appearance in The Fosters. His career has been marked by successful transitions across multiple entertainment mediums, from Disney Channel films to independent cinema, live television broadcasts, and professional theater. He has demonstrated versatility as both an actor and singer throughout his career.
Personal Life
In August 2018, Garrett Clayton publicly came out as gay and revealed he had been in a long-term relationship with Blake Knight since 2011. Clayton had actually come out in his personal life at age 16 but was advised by representatives not to go public for career reasons after moving to Hollywood at age 19.
In January 2019, Clayton announced that he and Knight had become engaged, having gotten engaged in 2018. In September 2021, the couple married at an outdoor, garden party themed wedding in Los Angeles, with the ceremony officiated by Clayton’s King Cobra co-star Alicia Silverstone.