Up-and-coming actor Brian Geraghty first caught the attention of moviegoers when he faced off against Jake Gyllenhaal in the Desert Storm marine drama, “Jarhead” (2005). Hot on the heels of this big screen break through, the fresh-faced, clean-cut look of the former commercial actor found a wide range of movie roles – from earnest college student to budding political activist. He hoped someday to achieve the intensity of his idol Sean Penn, and with well-selected roles in dramas and action films, he was well on his way in a matter of only a few years.

Brian Geraghty was born in 1975 and raised in the coastal town of Toms River, New Jersey. While growing up, he was intensely interested in surfing and admittedly did not focus much on school or have any involvement with theater at that time – though acting held a secret appeal to him. After graduation in 1993, he stuck around town waiting tables and doing odd jobs until his calling came to him in the form of “Dead Man Walking” (1995). After watching the film, Geraghty decided to follow in the footsteps of fellow surfer and intense, Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn. He enrolled in the two-year conservatory program at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, making his acting debut on “The Sopranos” (HBO, 1999-2007) by playing a lackey who gets shot in the foot by Michael Imperioli. It was just the nudge Geraghty needed to land more spots on shows like “Law & Order” (NBC, 1990- ) and commercials for FedEx and Pizza Hut. He supplemented his growing acting career by tending bar and working in a video store.

Geraghty eventually made the leap and headed to Los Angeles with his sights set on feature films. The commercial work continued while he auditioned for film roles and worked as a surf instructor. He managed to rack up a few small roles in independent films but finally got a chance to shine with Sam Mendes’ “Jarhead.” Playing a Marine-in-training alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jamie Foxx, Geraghty shared a memorable fight scene with Gyllenhaall in the film, in which Geraghty inadvertently knocked out of one Gyllenhall’s teeth, causing some tension for the duration of the shooting.

Geraghty’s phone began ringing off the hook after “Jarhead,” and within a year he landed roles in five high-profile 2006 films: the critical favorite, “Art School Confidential;” the teen-slasher remake, “When a Stranger Calls;” and “Bobby,” where he played a young Kennedy campaign worker in director Emilio Estevez’s labor or love. The promising actor was even able to put all those years spent in the ocean to good use for his role as a Coast Guard rescuer in the critical dud, “The Guardian” alongside Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner. Geraghty rounded out the fruitful year as Tom Bogdan in the period football drama, “We Are Marshall.”