Although he is the first to admit that much of his success is due to his longtime friendship with writer/director/producer J.J. Abrams — who cast Grunberg in plum roles on
Felicity and
Alias — this lovable actor is no slouch on his own. After studying business in college, Grunberg founded a successful frozen-yogurt business and assisted film producers Dino De Laurentiis and Joel Silver before segueing into acting. The quintessential Average Joe, he quickly landed TV guest spots, small film roles and a number of commercials, often portraying blue-collar guys. But his kindergarten pal Abrams lifted him out of the ranks of no-name players by writing him a role as a sarcastic inventor on
Felicity. 2001 found Grunberg briefly appearing on two Abrams shows simultaneously, when he took on a recurring part as a CIA field agent on
Alias in addition to his
Felicity duties. Although TV remained his primary medium, he popped up in small film roles, notably the Abrams-directed
Mission: Impossible III. In 2006 he snagged his highest-profile role to date as a hapless cop who can read minds on
Heroes. But Grunberg has proven that his talents aren't limited to the screen. He plays in the charity-benefiting music act Band From TV, which features a star-studded lineup including Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Bob Gulney, Jesse Spencer, Adrian Pasdar and Scott Grimes. Though the band raises money for an array of causes, Grunberg is primarily involved in epilepsy research as his oldest son, Jake, has the disorder. He also created talkaboutit.org, a website to raise awareness for epilepsy and featuring several celebrity videos, and organizes frequent benefits and fund-raisers.
Greg Grunberg Fast Facts:
- Worked as an assistant to Hollywood producer Joel Silver.
- Founded and ran a successful frozen yogurt business called Yogurt Runners.
- Is a longtime friend of J.J. Abrams, who gave him his first acting role on Felicity.
- Organized Hollywood's Helping Hands, a benefit campaign to raise awareness of epilepsy, after he learned his son Jake has the disorder.
- Co-created the iPhone app Yowza!!, which allows users to access coupons based on their GPS location.
- Formed the music group Band From TV, which features an all-celebrity lineup, after guest starring on House and striking up a friendship with fellow musician Hugh Laurie.
- Greg Grunberg Relationships:
- Ben Grunberg - Son
- Johnny Cocktails - Brother
- Elizabeth Grunberg - Wife
- Jake Grunberg - Son
- Sam Grunberg - Son
- College:
- Attended San Diego State University, San Diego, CA; attended University of California, Los Angeles, CA