Zachary Brendan McGowan, better known as Zach McGowan, was born in 1981 in New York City. Zach is of Jewish-Irish descent. He attended Ethical Culture Fieldston School, after which he attended Carleton College. While studying, Zach was a member of the theater and drama team, as well as the captain of the football team. Zack began his career in 2004 with the short film The 14th Morning. In 2011, Zack joined the cast of the series Shameless. Zach McGowan married Emily Johnson on September 27, 2008.