Ross Shor Lynch (born December 29, 1995) is an American actor, singer, and musician.
He was the lead vocalist of the
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
band
R5 and is one half of the band
the Driver Era (with his brother Rocky Lynch). As an actor, he rose to recognition for his debut role as
Austin Moon
''Austin & Ally'' is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Disney Channel from December 2, 2011 to January 10, 2016. The series stars Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez, and Calum ...
on
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's comedy television series ''
Austin & Ally
''Austin & Ally'' is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Disney Channel from December 2, 2011 to January 10, 2016. The series stars Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez, and Calum W ...
''
and for his role as Brady in the network's ''
Teen Beach Movie
''Teen Beach Movie'' is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on July 19, 2013, on Disney Channel, starring Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell. Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, ''Teen Beach Movie'' was filmed in Puerto Rico. It was the only Disney ...
'' film series.
In 2017, Lynch starred in the biopic ''
My Friend Dahmer
''My Friend Dahmer'' is a 2012 graphic novel and memoir by artist John "Derf" Backderf about his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer, who later became a serial killer. The book evolved from a 24-page, self-published version by Backderf in 20 ...
''
as a teenage
Jeffrey Dahmer
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (; May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed and dismemberment, dismembered seventeen men and boys ...
. In 2018, he starred in ''Status Update'' as Kyle.
Between 2018 and 2020, he starred as Harvey Kinkle in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
television series ''
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
''Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'' is an American comic book series published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, beginning in 2014. The series is a darker take on the characters and setting of ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''. It is writ ...
''.
Early life
Lynch was born and raised in the
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
suburb of
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a home rule municipality city located in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistica ...
. He has four siblings, sister
Rydel, and brothers
Riker, Rocky, and Ryland. He was educated at home starting in the fourth grade when he learned to sing and play the guitar and piano.
Lynch is a second cousin of entertainers
Derek Hough
Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series ''Dancing with the Stars'', w ...
and
Julianne Hough
Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leavin ...
, their maternal grandmothers being sisters.
Lynch and his family moved to Los Angeles in 2007.
Acting career
Film and theater
Lynch made a cameo appearance in the 2014 film ''
Muppets Most Wanted
''Muppets Most Wanted'' is a 2014 American musical crime comedy film and the eighth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, the film is a sequel to ''The Muppets'' (2011) and sta ...
''. In 2016, he voiced the role of Piers in the English dub of the animated French adventure film ''
Snowtime!
''Snowtime!'' (french: La Guerre des tuques 3D), also released as ''La Bataille géante de boules de neige'' in France and ''Cleo'' in the United Kingdom, is a 2015 Canadian computer-animated comedy-drama film from Quebec. '' The film centers around a group of children who plan and stage a giant snowball fight during the Christmas holiday.
Lynch starred as Mark Anthony in the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018.
The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
's production of ''
A Chorus Line
''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...
'', which ran for three performances over the weekend of July 29, 2016. The musical, about dancers auditioning for a
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
musical, was directed and choreographed by
Baayork Lee
Baayork Lee (born December 5, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, theatre director, and author.
Early life and career
Lee was born in New York City's Chinatown, to an Indian mother and Chinese father. She started dancing ...
, who starred in the original Broadway production.
In May 2016, it was announced that Lynch would be starring in his feature film debut, ''
Status Update'', a comedy that began filming in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
in June and wrapped in July 2016.
Lynch stars as a teenager who stumbles upon a magical app that causes his social media status updates to come true.
In July, he was cast as a teenage
Jeffrey Dahmer
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (; May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed and dismemberment, dismembered seventeen men and boys ...
in ''
My Friend Dahmer
''My Friend Dahmer'' is a 2012 graphic novel and memoir by artist John "Derf" Backderf about his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer, who later became a serial killer. The book evolved from a 24-page, self-published version by Backderf in 20 ...
'', a film based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same name by
Derf Backderf
John Backderf (born October 31, 1959), also known as Derf or Derf Backderf, is an American cartoonist. He is most famous for his graphic novels, especially ''My Friend Dahmer'', the international bestseller which won an Angoulême Prize, and ea ...
.
Television
Lynch has appeared on the television shows ''
So You Think You Can Dance
''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
'' and ''
Moises Rules!'', and in the 2010 short film ''Grapple''.
He was in
Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop is an American children's music group composed like a music brand that produces family-friendly cover versions of pop songs and related media. Kidz Bop releases compilation albums that feature children covering clean versions of contemp ...
, appearing in a 2009 Kidz Bop video.
He was also in
Cymphonique's music video for "Lil' Miss Swagger".
In early 2011, Lynch was cast in the pilot for the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
sitcom ''
Austin & Ally
''Austin & Ally'' is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Disney Channel from December 2, 2011 to January 10, 2016. The series stars Ross Lynch, Laura Marano, Raini Rodriguez, and Calum W ...
'', playing the lead male role of Austin Moon, a teenage singer who becomes an overnight sensation after a music video featuring him performing is uploaded to the Internet. He later forms a partnership with Ally, played by
Laura Marano
Laura Marie Marano (born November 29, 1995) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role in the Disney Channel series '' Austin & Ally'' as Ally Dawson. Marano was one of the five original classmates in '' Are You Smarter than a ...
. The pilot was later picked up for a full season's production; the show debuted in December 2011, and was renewed for a second season in March 2012.
After four seasons, the series ended on January 10, 2016. Lynch guest starred with the ''Austin & Ally'' cast in a crossover episode with ''
Jessie'', and also he guest starred with his co-star Laura Marano on ''
Girl Meets World
''Girl Meets World'' is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20 ...
'', where he reprised his role as Austin Moon.
In early 2012, Lynch began working on the
Disney Channel Original Movie
Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner nam ...
''
Teen Beach Movie
''Teen Beach Movie'' is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on July 19, 2013, on Disney Channel, starring Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell. Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, ''Teen Beach Movie'' was filmed in Puerto Rico. It was the only Disney ...
'', playing the male lead role, Brady. The film was directed by
Jeffrey Hornaday
Jeffrey Hornaday is an American choreographer and film director. He has choreographed films such as ''Flashdance'', ''Dick Tracy'', ''Captain Eo'' and ''A Chorus Line'' .
Hornaday was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for his di ...
and premiered July 19, 2013, earning around 8.4 million viewers. Lynch also starred in the sequel, ''
Teen Beach 2'',
which premiered on the Disney Channel on June 26, 2015, earning 7.5million total viewers.
In 2018, Lynch was cast in the role of Harvey Kinkle,
Sabrina Spellman
Sabrina Victoria Spellman is the eponymous character of the Archie Comics series ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch.'' Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and she first appeared in ''Archie's Mad House'' #22 in October 19 ...
's boyfriend, on the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series ''
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
''Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'' is an American comic book series published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, beginning in 2014. The series is a darker take on the characters and setting of ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''. It is writ ...
''.
Music career
Lynch plays piano, drums, and bass; he specializes in guitar. He has danced for the Rage Boyz Crew, a group founded by a dance company in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
.
His debut single, "
A Billion Hits", was released on April 2, 2012. On July 13, 2012, Lynch released his second soundtrack single, "
Heard It on the Radio", which reached number 196 on
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Lynch has recorded a multitude of songs for ''Austin & Ally''. He sang all 14 songs for the
TV show's soundtrack, which was released on September 12, 2012.
These songs include "Can't Do It Without You" (the theme song for the series), "A Billion Hits", "Heard It on the Radio", and two songs with his band R5. The album peaked at #27 on the
''Billboard'' 200, one on the
''Billboard's'' Top Soundtracks and one on the
''Billboard's'' Kid Albums.
Lynch also sang most of the songs from ''
Austin & Ally: Turn It Up'', the show's second soundtrack. He recorded songs for ''
Teen Beach Movie
''Teen Beach Movie'' is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on July 19, 2013, on Disney Channel, starring Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell. Directed by Jeffrey Hornaday, ''Teen Beach Movie'' was filmed in Puerto Rico. It was the only Disney ...
'', the soundtrack of which was the fourth best-selling soundtrack of 2013 in the United States with 407,000 copies sold.
He also sang two songs on the ''
Austin & Ally: Take It from the Top'' EP. In 2015, Lynch recorded songs for ''
Teen Beach 2'', the soundtrack of which debuted at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200.
In 2016, Lynch contributed vocals to
Tritonal
Tritonal is a mixture of 80% Trinitrotoluene, TNT and 20% aluminium Powder (substance), powder, used in several types of ordnance such as air-dropped bombs. The aluminium improves the total heat output and hence Impulse (physics), impulse of the ...
's song "I Feel the Love" from their album ''Painting With Dreams''.
With R5 / The Driver Era
In March 2010, R5 self-released an
EP, ''
Ready Set Rock'' and in April 2012, they signed with
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...
.
Their second EP, ''
Loud'', was released on February 19, 2013, which featured the lead single and title track "
Loud". The band's first full-length album, ''
Louder'', was released on September 24, 2013, and the album includes the four songs from ''
Loud'' as well as seven new songs. The second single from the album, "
Pass Me By", premiered on
Radio Disney
Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within the Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California.
The network broadcast music programming ...
on August 16, 2013. The music video premiered on August 29 on Disney Channel and is available for public viewing on the band's
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
channel. The third single, "
(I Can't) Forget About You", was released on December 25, 2013, and reached number 47 on the
''Billboard'' Digital Pop Songs chart, and the fourth single "
One Last Dance" was released on May 29, 2014. The third extended play, ''
Heart Made Up on You'', was released on July 22, 2014, and the self-titled single was released on August 1, 2014.
On November 16, 2014, the band released the first single from second album, "
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses ...
". "
Let's Not Be Alone Tonight", the second single, was released on February 13, 2015.
">2/sup> " All Night" was released as the third single on June 2, 2015, along with the album's iTunes pre-order. ">3/sup> The band released their second full-length album on July 10, 2015, titled ''Sometime Last Night
''Sometime Last Night'' is the second and final studio album by American pop rock band R5. It was released on July 10, 2015 by Hollywood Records. The album was announced alongside a tour, which began in June 2015 and ended in December 2016. Five ...
'', and debuted at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' 200, number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums, number 3 on the ''Billboard'' Top Digital Albums, and number 4 on the ''Billboard'' Top Album Sales.
On May 12, 2017, R5 released their fifth EP ''New Addictions
''New Addictions'' is the fourth and final EP by American pop rock band R5. It was released on May 12, 2017 through Hollywood Records.
Background
The band announced the release of the EP on April 5, 2017 via Twitter along a two-date pre-release s ...
''.
On February 1, 2018, R5 posted on their YouTube a video called "The Last Show". On March 1, R5's Instagram and Twitter handles were changed to "the Driver Era" and all of R5's previous posts were deleted. On March 2, it was reported that the Driver Era would be a band consisting only of Ross and Rocky.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theater and tours
* ''A Chorus Line
''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...
'' at the Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018.
The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
(2016), as Mark Anthony
Discography
With R5
With the Driver Era
Soundtrack
Promotional singles
Other charted songs
Other appearances
Music videos
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Ross Lynch
at TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Ross
1995 births
Living people
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
American child singers
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male guitarists
American male pop singers
American male singers
American male television actors
Child pop musicians
Guitarists from Colorado
Hollywood Records artists
Male actors from Colorado
People from Littleton, Colorado
R5 (band) members
Rhythm guitarists
Singers from Colorado
Walt Disney Records artists