Cameron Monaghan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cameron Monaghan
Monaghan in 2022
Born	Cameron Riley Monaghan (1993-08-16) August 16, 1993 (age 31) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor model
Years active	2002–present

Cameron Riley Monaghan (born August 16, 1993) is an American actor and model. He has been nominated for important awards like a BAFTA Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award.

Cameron Monaghan is well-known for playing Ian Gallagher in the TV show Shameless. He also played the twin brothers Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska in the DC Comics TV series Gotham. These characters are seen as early versions of the famous villain Joker. You might also know him as Cal Kestis from the video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor. Cameron started his career very young, working as a child model at age three and an actor at age seven.

Early Life and First Steps

Cameron Monaghan was born in Santa Monica, California. He is the only child of Diane Monaghan. Soon after he was born, he and his mom moved to Boca Raton, Florida. His mother noticed he was a very outgoing child. She sent his photos to modeling agencies when he was just three years old. He appeared on his first catalog cover at age five. By age seven, he was in his first local TV commercial.

He went to Addison Mizner Elementary School. There, he started to develop his acting skills. He performed in plays like Stuart Little, Winnie-the-Pooh, and The Pumpkin King. He also played Alex in a small independent film called The Wishing Stone.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in Acting

Cameron Monaghan first became known across the country in 2003. This was for his role as Winthrop Paroo in the ABC TV movie The Music Man. The director, Jeff Bleckner, said that Cameron, who was 9 years old, really "popped off the screen." He knew right away that Cameron was the perfect choice for the role.

In 2004, Cameron started a recurring role as Chad on the TV show Malcolm in the Middle. He won a Young Artist Award for this role, recognized as the Best Young Television Actor in a Recurring Role. The next year, he joined the show Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide as Palmer Noid. He also appeared in many other TV shows, including Criminal Minds, Numbers, The Mentalist, and Monk.

In 2005, Cameron started acting in movies. He played Timmy in Brothers in Arms. The next year, he was Kevin O'Doyle in the comedy Click. He also appeared in movies like The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and Dog Gone. He even played the young detective Bob Andrews in the Three Investigators film series.

Starring in Shameless

In April 2010, Cameron Monaghan was cast in the TV series Shameless. The show started in January 2011. In Shameless, Cameron plays Ian Gallagher, a teenage son in a big, complicated family in Chicago. Critics praised Cameron's acting. Sarah Hughes from The Independent said his portrayal was "nuanced." Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe called his performance "extraordinary."

The show was very popular and ran for many seasons. Cameron's work in the fifth season earned him a Critic's Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He left the show for a short time in the ninth season but returned for the tenth season, which premiered in late 2019.

Cameron Monaghan at Nerd HQ panel for The Giver 2014

Recent Roles and Video Games

Since 2011, Cameron has continued to appear in many TV shows. In 2011, he was a guest star on the CBS crime series NCIS. He also appeared on the TNT mystery series Rizzoli & Isles.

Cameron has also taken on various movie roles. In 2011, he co-starred in the Disney teen drama Prom. In 2014, he played Adam McCormick in the drama Jamie Marks Is Dead. That same year, he was Mason Ashford in the fantasy adventure film Vampire Academy. He also starred as Asher in the movie The Giver.

From 2015 to 2019, Cameron was a recurring guest star in all five seasons of the TV series Gotham. He played the twin brothers Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska. These characters are known for being early versions of the famous Batman villain, the Joker.

Cameron Monaghan also plays Cal Kestis, the main character in the popular video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which came out in 2019. He returned to voice Cal Kestis in the sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, released in 2023.

In July 2023, it was announced that Cameron would join the cast of the movie Tron: Ares alongside Jared Leto.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Web

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Cameron Monaghan para niños