Joey Lawrence

Joseph Lawrence Mignogna III, known professionally as Joey Lawrence, is an American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, podcaster, and game show host. He first rose to prominence as a child actor in the 1980s and gained widespread recognition for television roles such as Joey Russo in the sitcom Blossom and Joe Longo in Melissa & Joey. Over his multi-decade career, Lawrence has also maintained a recording career, performed on Broadway, and hosted various television programs.

Lawrence was born on April 20, 1976, and raised in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He is the eldest son of Donna Lynn, a personnel manager and former elementary school teacher, and Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Jr., an insurance broker. Raised in a family of Italian and British descent alongside his younger brothers Matthew and Andrew, his family changed their surname to Lawrence when he began acting during his childhood. He graduated from Abington Friends School in 1994 and later attended the University of Southern California.

His career began in 1981 at age five in a Cracker Jack commercial. In 1982, he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he tap danced and sang. After guest spots on Diff'rent Strokes and Silver Spoons, Lawrence landed the role of Joey Donovan on NBC's Gimme a Break!, appearing from 1983 to 1987. He made his feature film debut in Summer Rental in 1985 and voiced the lead character in Disney's animated film Oliver & Company in 1988. From 1991 to 1995, Lawrence achieved major television success portraying Joey Russo on Blossom.

Parallel to acting, Lawrence pursued a music career. In February 1993, at age sixteen, he released his self-titled debut album. He co-wrote the international hit single "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix," which was featured in the film Cop and a Half and received significant music video airplay. Following Blossom, he starred alongside his brothers in the series Brotherly Love and appeared in projects including Run of the House and the film Urban Legends: Final Cut. In 2006, Lawrence competed on Dancing with the Stars, placing third.

Lawrence made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in Chicago in 2007 and hosted TLC's Master of Dance in 2008. In 2009, he starred opposite Melissa Joan Hart in the television film My Fake Fiancé. The duo subsequently starred in the sitcom Melissa & Joey from 2010 to 2015. His later screen work includes co-hosting the reality show Splash in 2013, competing on The Masked Singer in 2022, starring in ad campaigns for VinFast, and co-creating a detective graphic novel with his brothers.

In music and podcasting, Lawrence released the singles "Rolled" and "Give It to Ya (Acoustic)" in 2011 and formed the band Still 3 with his brothers in 2017. In 2023, the trio launched the "Brotherly Love Podcast." Lawrence's personal life includes marriages to Michelle Vella, Chandie Yawn-Nelson, and actress Samantha Cope.