Zach Gilford

Zachary Michael Gilford was born on January 14, 1982, in Evanston, Illinois, to Anne and Steve Gilford. He pursued his passion for performance by graduating from Evanston Township High School and later Northwestern University, where he majored in theatre. Before his acting career gained momentum, Gilford engaged in various vocations, including working as a trip leader for Adventures Cross-Country, guiding wilderness and adventure trips for teenagers across destinations such as Alaska, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, and the South Pacific. He also served as a staff member for YMCA Camp Echo in Fremont, Michigan.

Gilford’s acting career began to take shape with early television appearances, notably an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2005. His breakthrough role came in 2006 as Matt Saracen on the NBC sports drama series “Friday Night Lights,” a performance that garnered him widespread recognition and critical acclaim. He was a main cast member for the first three seasons and a recurring character in seasons four and five. Following this success, he diversified his portfolio with film roles, including his feature film debut in “The Last Winter” (2006), and co-starring roles in romantic comedies like “Post Grad” (2009) and dramas such as “Dare” (2009).

Throughout his career, Gilford has demonstrated versatility across genres and platforms. He has starred in Netflix’s horror limited series “Midnight Mass” (2021) and appeared in “The Midnight Club” (2022). In 2023, he took on a main role in the horror drama miniseries “The Fall of the House of Usher.” His recent work includes a recurring role as Elias Voit in “Criminal Minds: Evolution” (2022–present) and a directorial credit for an episode of the same series in 2024. He has also expanded into production, notably as a producer for the YouTube Red series “Lifeline” (2017).