Scott Baio Biography

Date of Birth: September 22, 1961

Although he was a shy kid whose ambition was to become a veterinarian, Scott Baio followed his cousins, Joey and Jimmy Baio, into the acting business. After several years of doing television commercials, his Brooklyn accent and good looks helped him at age 14 to land the title role in the major motion picture, Bugsy Malone (1976). His co-star was Jodie Foster, a big star by then already at the age of thirteen. Featuring a cast of youngsters portraying grown-up gangsters (their singing voices were dubbed by adults), the film was a huge success and launched Baio's career. He next landed a lead role as a troubled teen in the Emmy award-winning TV movie, Luke Was There (1976).

By 1977, Baio was a regular on the TV sitcom Blansky's Beautys and on the hit series Happy Days. In 1978, when Blansky's Beautys was cancelled, he immediately landed another regular role on the short-lived Who's Watching the Kids.

Baio became a teen idol and his face adorned every teen magazine for the next few years. On Happy Days, his character, Chachi, fell in love with Joanie, the teenage daughter, which led to their own spin-off. When Joanie loves Chachi didn't last, the actors simply returned to their roles on Happy Days.

Meanwhile, Baio was also in demand for feature films and TV movies, but the three films he made at that time were unsuccessful both at the box office and with critics (Skatetown, U.S.A.; Foxes, again co-starring with Foster; and Zapped!). It seemed his best work was reserved for television, where he was applauded for his portrayal of a teenage alcoholic in the 1980 CBS TV movie The Boy Who Drank Too Much and won a 1982 Young Artist Award as "Best Young Actor in a Television Special" for the ABC Afterschool Special Stoned!.

Though Happy Days came to an end in 1984, Baio was immediately picked up for the title role in the sitcom Charles in Charge, playing a male live-in babysitter. The show ran six years, then Baio became a regular on the short-lived series Baby Talk from 1991 to 1992. He gained his first serious role in years when he portrayed Dr. Jack Stewart from 1993 to 1995 on the hour-long crime drama Diagnosis Murder, starring Dick Van Dyke.

Having gained experience as a director on Charles in Charge, Baio began directing episodic television, including Harry and the Hendersons, Kirk, Guys Like Us and The Parkers. He also played roles in several low-budget films and TV movies until 2001, when he literally disappeared off the Hollywood radar.

After not having worked as an actor on screen for several years, he made an appearance in the feature film SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004), co-starring Jon Voight. Baio also completed a role in Cursed (2005), starring Christina Ricci and directed by Wes Craven.

Never married, Baio has dated actresses Pamela Anderson, Brooke Shields, Heather Locklear, Nicolette Sheridan, Erika Eleniak and Nicole Eggert. He lives in the Los Angeles area.

Filmography:

Cursed (2005)
SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
Dumb Luck (2001)
Face to Face (2001)
Face Value (2001)
The Bread, My Sweet (2001)
Very Mean Men (2000)
Detonator (1998)
I Love N.Y. (1988)
Zapped! (1982)
Foxes (1980)
Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)
Bugsy Malone (1976)