Growing Up Grunny

I'm that rare breed –The Los Angeles Native. I am a survivor of Roscomare Elementary school, Emerson Junior High in Westwood and then University High in West LA. I was dating all my teachers…and that's how I passed. Well, barely passed.

I have an older brother Brad and a younger sister Tiffany. Brad's probably one of the funniest guys in the world, and thank god he’s an actor so everyone gets to see how funny he is. He was doing stand up a few years ago and his nickname was Johnny Cocktails. My parents were very, very proud of that.

Meet the Parents

My mom was a supportive theatrical mother who taught me how to dodge bullets and improv my way out of most situations -- two handy skills that I still use today. Dad was in the shmata business. He was very entrepreneurial, and I get that from him – I actually act on my crazy ideas. (My character on "Felicity" was basically based on me.) One of the things Dad did was manufacture leotards, and I used to sell the samples in sorority houses:

"Hello girls! Can I interest you in a Superman leotard with the suspenders? Or maybe I can interest you in a pair of bikini briefs? Let me help you with those…Oh what beautiful, silky skin you have."

It was a good gig for a guy trying to make his way through college.

Friends

My biggest stroke of luck took place in a sandbox when I was three years old. There I met Jeffrey Jacob Abrams, better known as J.J. Abrams, who is currently taking over Hollywood. Every day after school, we'd get a snack and go to his house. We'd do all kinds of stuff - magic, art, clay…and prank phone calls! Those were a big thing for us. We were very creative and mature for our age.

Most people know that J.J put me in "Felicity" and "Alias," but he actually cast me in my very first movie. I was six.

It was a little mini movie on super 8, also starring Jonathan Roberts, Matt Reeves (he directed "Cloverfield"), Bryan Burk (one of the executive producers of "Fringe"), Jesse Alexander (one of the original executive producers of "Heroes"), and Jason Brooks (he's HUGE in the soap world, you should IMDB him)…the elementary school sandbox was a true power hub.