Ethan Embry (born June 14, 1978), credited early in his career as Ethan Randall, is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, with starring roles in the films Dutch (1991), All I Want for Christmas (1991), and A Far Off Place (1993). He gained mainstream recognition for his supporting role in Empire Records (1995) and starring roles in Evolver (1995) and That Thing You Do! (1996).
In the late 1990s, Embry had the lead role in the teen comedy film Can't Hardly Wait (1998), starred in Vegas Vacation (1997) and Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998), and a main role as Sebastian on the CBS sitcom Work with Me (1999). In the 2000s, Embry starred in the films They (2002) and Vacancy (2007) and had main roles as Derek and Adam Barnes on the Fox television series FreakyLinks (2000–2001), Frank Smith on the ABC television series L.A. Dragnet (2003), and Declan Giggs on the Showtime television series Brotherhood (2006–2008).
In the 2010s and 2020s, Embry starred in the films Cheap Thrills (2013), Blindspotting (2018), and Last Seen Alive (2022), and had a main role as Coyote Bergstein on the Netflix television series Grace and Frankie (2015–2022).
Early life
Embry was born in Huntington Beach, California, and was raised in Los Angeles. His father was a dental technician. Embry was homeschooled by his mother as a result of a teacher allegedly recommending Ritalin after his first day of kindergarten.
Embry participated in gymnastics from a young age and enjoyed the sport. That Thing You Do! (1996), Vegas Vacation (1997), and the teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998).
In 2002, Embry appeared as Bobby Ray Bailey opposite Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama. The two actors had previously worked together a decade prior in the 1993 live action Disney film A Far Off Place.
Embry had a major role in Showtime's Brotherhood, which premiered in 2006 and in 2013 he had a recurring role as Greg Mendell on the television series Once Upon a Time. In 2015, Embry had a guest role as Carter on The Walking Dead. That same year, Embry began a recurring role as Coyote Bergstein on Grace and Frankie on Netflix.
In 2018, Embry took a small role as astronaut Pete Conrad in the Damien Chazelle film First Man.
Embry has appeared in a recurring role as the real Pete Murphy in Sneaky Pete, an Amazon Video original series.
He was also on Grey's Anatomy in 2012 where he played Prosthetist Dr. David Moore.
Personal life
Embry married actress Amelinda Smith on November 14, 1998; they divorced in 2002. They have a son together.
Embry married actress Sunny Mabrey on July 17, 2005. In 2012, Mabrey filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The two maintained some contact through Mabrey's weekly contact with his son, which escalated to the couple dating again by 2013, Embry and Mabrey have homes in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
In November 2006, Embry and Mabrey were robbed at gunpoint in their driveway.
In 2008, Embry settled a lawsuit with former Deal or No Deal model Angelina Roudeva, who had sued him after being scarred over her torso when thrown from his motorcycle in 2005.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1991
| Defending Your Life
| Steve
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| Dutch
| Doyle Standish
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| All I Want for Christmas
| Ethan O'Fallon
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| 1992
| A Dog and His Boy
|
| Short film (Producer/Assistant Director)
|-
| 1993
| A Far Off Place
| Harry Winslow
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| 1994
| Season of Change
| Bobby Bascomb
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| Evolver
| Kyle Baxter
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| Empire Records
| Mark
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| White Squall
| Tracy Lapchick
|
|-
| That Thing You Do!
| The Bass Player
|
|-
| 1997
| Vegas Vacation
| Rusty Griswold/Nick Papagiorgio
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1998
| Montana
| Jimmy
|
|-
| How to Make the Cruelest Month
| Dillger
|
|-
| The Prophecy II
| Young Coroner
| Direct-to-video
|-
| Dancer, Texas Pop. 81
| Squirrel
|
|-
| Can't Hardly Wait
| Preston Meyers
|
|-
| Disturbing Behavior
| Allen Clark
|
|-
| 2000
| The Independent
| Bert
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2001
| Rennie's Landing
| Trevor Logan
| also known as "Stealing Time"
|-
| Ball in the House
| Bobby
|
|-
| Male Order
| Actor #2
| Short film
|-
| Who Is A.B.?
| unknown role
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2002
| Sweet Home Alabama
| Bobby Ray
|
|-
| They
| Sam Burnside
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2003
| Manfast
| Johnny Shore
|
|-
| Timeline
| Josh Stern
|
|-
| 2004
| Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
| Billy Carver
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2005
| Pizza
| Matt Firenze
|
|-
| Standing Still
| Donovan
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2006
| A Slice of 'Pizza'<nowiki/>
| Matt Firenze
| Short film
|-
| Escape
| Hollywood Agent #1
| Short film
|-
| Kidney Thieves
| Guy
| Short film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2007
| Vacancy
| Mechanic
|
|-
| Order Up
| Man
| Short film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2008
| Player 5150
| Joey
|
|-
| Heart of a Dragon
| Lee
|
|-
| Eagle Eye
| Agent Toby Grant
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2010
| You're So Vain
| Boyfriend
| Short film
|-
| The Kane Files: Life of Trial
| Jace Olsen
|
|-
| 2011
| The Reunion
| Leo Carey
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2012
| Dorothy and the Witches of Oz
| Frick
|
|-
| Ordinary Man
| Jason Watts
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2013
| Cheap Thrills
| Vince
|
|-
| The House Across the Street
| Tom
|
|-
| Armed Response
| Kevin
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2014
| The Guest
| Higgings
|
|-
| Late Phases
| Will
|
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2015
| Bereave
| Tommy
|
|-
| Echoes of War
| Seamus Riley
|
|-
| Covergence
| Daniel
|
|-
| White Cops and Unarmed Black Civilians Playset!
| unknown role
| Short film
|-
| The Devil's Candy
| Jesse Hellman
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2016
| Fashionista
| Eric
|
|-
| Those Eyes
| Son
| Short film
|-
| 2017
| The Feminist
|
| Short film (Cinematographer)
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2018
| Blindspotting
| Officer Molina
|
|-
| Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats: You Worry Me
| Husband
| Short film
|-
| First Man
| Pete Conrad
|
|-
| 2022
| Last Seen Alive
| Knuckles
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2025
| Alma and the Wolf
| Ren Accord
|
|-
| Christy
| John Salters
|
|-
| Safe House
| Sorello
|
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2026
| The Gymnast
| Rich
|
|-
| Scream 7
| Marco Davis
|
|-
|
|
| Post-production
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| 1990
| Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
| unknown role
| Miniseries (3 episodes)
|-
| 1991
| Bad Attitudes
| Cosmo Consingsby
| Credited as Ethan Randall
|-
| 1993–1994
| Harts of the West
| Randy
| 2 episodes, credited as Ethan Randall
|-
|1994
| rowspan="2" | Murder, She Wrote
| Jimmy Taylor
| Episode: "The Trouble with Seth"
|-
| 1995
| Mike Seresino
| Episode: "School for Murder"
|-
| 1998
| Hercules
| Melampus
| Voice, 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1999
| The Wild Thornberrys
| Ned Fervel
| Voice, episode: "Chimp Off the Old Block"
|-
| Rocket Power
| TV Announcer
| Voice, episode: "Rocket Girls"
|-
| 1999–2000
| Batman Beyond
| Lee, Terrapin
| Voice, 2 episodes
|}