Grant Show Bio
Grant Show (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor known for his long-running television career and versatile stage work. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he rose to fame as Jake Hanson on the prime-time soap Melrose Place, a role he played from 1992 to 1997, helping establish him as a recognizable presence in 1990s television. After a diverse array of film and television projects, Show returned to the spotlight in the 2010s, most notably portraying Blake Carrington in The CW’s Dynasty reboot from 2017 to 2022. Trained at the University of California, Los Angeles, he has built a career spanning multiple genres, including drama, comedy, and serialized television.
Early Life and Background
Grant Show was born on February 27, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan. He is the son of Ed Show and Kathleen Show (née McMillion), and he has a sister, Kelly. Following his early years in Detroit, Show was raised in the Milpitas, California, area, where he spent much of his childhood and teenage years. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area exposed him to a broad range of cultural and artistic influences that later informed his creative path.
Show developed an interest in acting during his formative years, eventually choosing to pursue formal training at the University of California, Los Angeles. While enrolled at UCLA, he became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, a social experience that complemented his academic studies. His time at UCLA proved pivotal, as it was during these college years that he broke into show business and secured his first professional role.
Path to Acting
Show’s entry into the entertainment industry came while he was still a student at UCLA. His first major role was on the long-running daytime soap opera Ryan’s Hope, where he was cast as Rick Hyde from 1984 to 1987. During his final year on the series, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Young Actor in a Daytime Drama Series, an early signal of his dramatic ability and screen presence.
While starring on Ryan’s Hope, Show dated fellow cast member Yasmine Bleeth, and he was hyped as the program’s leading heartthrob, even appearing on a pin-up poster issued during the show’s run. Eventually, he grew dissatisfied with the pace and limitations of soap opera acting and traveled to London to study the craft more rigorously. Upon returning to the United States in the late 1980s, he landed occasional primetime television jobs, setting the stage for his major break.
He auditioned for the part of J.D. in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise, a role that ultimately went to Brad Pitt. Although he did not land that part, the audition process kept him visible to industry decision-makers, including legendary producer Aaron Spelling.
Grant Show Career
Early Career (1984–1991)
Grant Show began his professional acting career in 1984 with his role as Rick Hyde on the daytime drama Ryan’s Hope, where he quickly earned recognition. His Daytime Emmy nomination during his final season highlighted his early promise and grounded his reputation as a serious young performer. After leaving Ryan’s Hope, he ventured to London to sharpen his acting skills before returning to American television.
Back in the United States, Show took on a series of small primetime television appearances, gradually building momentum and visibility within Hollywood. These early post-Ryan’s Hope roles helped him refine his craft and prepare for the breakthrough that would soon follow.
Breakthrough (1992–1997)
Show’s defining early moment arrived when producer Aaron Spelling, impressed by his television presence, cast him as Jake Hanson on several episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210. The character was spun off into Spelling’s next project, Melrose Place, which debuted in 1992. Show appeared on the covers of both TV Guide and People immediately following the show’s premiere, signaling his arrival as a major television star.
Although Melrose Place’s first-season ratings underperformed expectations, the series was revamped mid-run into a melodramatic soap opera serial modeled after Spelling’s earlier hit Dynasty. The format change transformed the show into a cultural phenomenon, and Show became one of the most popular and best-known actors on American television throughout the 1990s. He also reprised Jake Hanson in a guest appearance on the pilot of the Melrose Place spin-off Models Inc., making him the only actor to play the same character on the first three shows in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise. In 1997, Show departed Melrose Place alongside several co-stars, a decision he later came to regret.
Later Television and Film Career (1998–2016)
Following his exit from Melrose Place, Show shifted his focus toward television movies and guest roles across a variety of networks. He starred in projects including Blessed Assurance with Cicely Tyson, Between Love and Honor with Robert Loggia, and Homeland Security with Tom Skerritt. In 2005, he was one of the leads in the short-lived Fox supernatural drama Point Pleasant, and he made guest appearances on acclaimed series such as HBO’s Six Feet Under and ABC Family’s Beautiful People.
Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Show maintained a busy television presence, including arcs on FX’s Dirt as closeted action star Jack Dawson, a lead role in CBS’s Swingtown, a recurring turn on Private Practice, and a starring role opposite Jenna Elfman in the 2009 sitcom Accidentally on Purpose. He also appeared as Michael Sainte, the Goji Guru, on HBO’s Big Love and joined the cast of Devious Maids in 2013 as Spence Westmore. On stage, he played the lead in a 1990 adaptation of On the Waterfront, appeared in The Glass Menagerie, and made his Broadway debut in 1999 playing a doctor in Wit. In 2012, he appeared in the film The Possession alongside Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick.
Dynasty Era (2017–2022)
In March 2017, Show was cast in The CW’s Dynasty reboot as Blake Carrington, the iconic patriarch originally portrayed by John Forsythe in the 1980s original. The series proved to be a significant creative and commercial vehicle, running from 2017 until 2022 and reintroducing Show to a new generation of viewers. The role reaffirmed his standing as a leading man in prime-time drama and represented one of the most high-profile assignments of his later career.
Notable Works and Milestones
Across more than four decades, Show has built a body of work defined by long-running serialized roles, including his signature portrayal of Jake Hanson on Melrose Place and his later turn as Blake Carrington on Dynasty. His 1980s work on Ryan’s Hope earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination, and his appearances on the covers of TV Guide and People during the launch of Melrose Place cemented his status as a 1990s television icon. His range across drama, comedy, supernatural thrillers, and Broadway productions has made him a versatile and enduring presence in American entertainment.
Grant Show Family
Grant Show was raised by his parents, Ed Show and Kathleen Show (née McMillion), alongside his sister, Kelly, in the Milpitas, California, area after his early childhood in Detroit. He married model and actress Pollyanna McIntosh in 2004 after the two met while posing together for a Lane Bryant advertising campaign in 2003. The couple later divorced in 2011.
In July 2012, Show became engaged to actress Katherine LaNasa, and the two married on August 18, 2012. Together, they welcomed a daughter in 2014, expanding Show’s family life alongside his continuing acting career.
Personal Life
Grant Show’s personal life has included two marriages and a growing family. His first marriage to Pollyanna McIntosh lasted from 2004 until their divorce in 2011, and he subsequently began a relationship with Katherine LaNasa, culminating in their engagement in July 2012 and wedding on August 18, 2012. The couple had a daughter in 2014, and Show continues to balance his family responsibilities with his ongoing work in television and film.