Jesse Bradford

Jesse Bradford Watrouse, known professionally as Jesse Bradford, is an American actor and model. He began his professional career as an infant, making his initial screen appearance in a Q-Tip commercial at eight months old before transitioning into film and television roles.

Born on May 28, 1979, in Norwalk, Connecticut, Bradford is the only child of actors Terry Porter and Curtis Watrouse, who worked in commercials, soap operas, and industrial films. His mother later played his character's mother in the 1995 film Hackers. Encouraged by his parents, Bradford pursued modeling and acting auditions from an early age. He attended Brien McMahon High School, where he served as captain of the tennis team and was named Homecoming King. He later attended Columbia University, graduating in 2002 with a degree in film.

Bradford made his feature film debut as Robert De Niro's son in Falling in Love (1984). As a child actor, he appeared in several well-reviewed films, including Prancer (1989), Presumed Innocent (1990), King of the Hill (1993), Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995), and Hackers (1995). His performances in King of the Hill and Far From Home earned him two Young Artist Award nominations for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film.

He gained wider recognition after portraying Balthasar in Romeo + Juliet (1996) and starring as the romantic interest in the teen comedy Bring It On (2000). In 2002, Bradford landed lead roles in both Clockstoppers and Swimfan. He also played White House intern Ryan Pierce in nine episodes during the fifth season of the television series The West Wing.

Bradford's subsequent film projects include Clint Eastwood's 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers, in which he played Rene Gagnon, a role depicting events from the Battle of Iwo Jima based on James Bradley's book. In 2009, he starred in the film adaptation of Tucker Max's book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. His later television credits include a main role on the 2010 NBC courtroom drama series Outlaw and a three-episode appearance on Code Black in 2016.

In his personal life, Bradford is married to Andrea Leal, and the couple has one daughter.