Jonathan Bennett

Jonathan David Bennett is an American actor and television host born on June 10, 1981. He is widely recognized for his portrayal of Aaron Samuels in the 2004 comedy film Mean Girls, as well as his roles as Bud McNulty in Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and the title character in Van Wilder: Freshman Year. He has also maintained a recurring role as Casey Gant in the mystery drama series Veronica Mars and served as a host for Food Network programming, including Cake Wars and Halloween Wars.

Bennett was raised in Ohio, the son of Toledo physician David Bennett and Ruthanne Bennett (née Mason). He grew up alongside two half-brothers, Brian and Brent, and a half-sister, Lisa. He received his early education at Eagle Point Elementary School in Rossford, Ohio, before graduating from Rossford High School in 1999. Following high school, he attended Otterbein University.

After relocating to New York, Bennett initiated his screen career on daytime television, starring as JR Chandler on the ABC soap opera All My Children from 2001 to 2002. During this period, he also expanded into episodic drama with guest appearances on series such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Smallville, and Veronica Mars.

In 2004, Bennett achieved widespread recognition when he co-starred in the comedy movie Mean Girls, playing Aaron Samuels, the love interest of the character portrayed by Lindsay Lohan. The following year, he co-starred in two feature films: the family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and the romantic comedy Lovewrecked. He continued taking on prominent comedic roles, portraying Bo Duke in the 2007 direct-to-video prequel TV series The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, playing the title character in the 2009 comedy Van Wilder: Freshman Year, and starring as Nick in the 2009 Hallmark original movie Elevator Girl.

Alongside his acting work, Bennett built a career in television hosting and reality programming. From 2015 to 2017, he hosted the Food Network cooking competition show Cake Wars, later becoming the host of Halloween Wars. In 2014, he competed on the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Allison Holker, finishing in ninth place after being eliminated in week six. He subsequently entered the Celebrity Big Brother house for its second season in 2019. On January 23, 2024, Bennett made his Broadway debut in the musical Spamalot, appearing as Sir Robin, Guard 1, and Brother Maynard.

Throughout his career, Bennett has participated in diverse film, television, and advocacy projects. In 2016, he appeared as a gay sports agent named Lucas in two episodes of Hit the Floor, and in 2018, he co-released a pop culture cookbook titled The Burn CookBook with chef Nikki Martin. He was featured in the 2019 filmed poem rendition Love Goes Never Alone for First Night Magazine in support of the LGBT+ community. His subsequent film and television projects include playing Jesus Christ in Potato Dreams of America (2021), starring in Hallmark's first LGBTQ-led Christmas film The Holiday Sitter (2022), and appearing with his husband Jaymes Vaughan on Trixie Motel in 2022. In 2024, he became the host and main judge for Hallmark's reality competition series Finding Mr. Christmas, and on April 16, 2026, he was announced as Joe Fitzpatrick on the ABC soap opera General Hospital.

Bennett got engaged to former The Amazing Race contestant and Celebrity Page host Jaymes Vaughan in November 2020. In 2021, the pair became the first gay couple featured on the cover of The Knot magazine. They married in March 2022 at the Unico Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico.