An American actor. He was raised in San Antonio, Texas, to a father of Polish descent and a mother of mixed European ancestry. He became famous in the early 2000s after appearing in the TV series Gilmore Girls and the films New York Minute and House of Wax. He is best known for his role as Sam Winchester in the series Supernatural as one of two brothers who travel across the United States to hunt monsters with supernatural abilities. After graduating from high school instead of going to college, he decided to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in acting. In 1999, he won the Claim Fame contest on Fox Broadcasting, then appeared in the Teen Choice Awards where he met an agent. He played his first role in a small role in the movie A Little Inside in 1999. In 2008, he starred in the home-produced movie Christmas Cottage. He also acted in the movie Friday the 13th in the produced version in 2009. He is married to American actress Genevieve Cortese and they have two children.