Zachary Michael Gilford (born January 14, 1982) is an American actor, known for his role as Matt Saracen on the NBC sports drama series '' Friday Night Lights''. In 2021, he starred in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
horror limited series '' Midnight Mass''. In 2022, he appeared in the horror mystery-thriller series '' The Midnight Club''.
Early life and education
Gilford was born in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, Downtown Chicago, ...
, the son of Anne and Steve Gilford. His mother is Lutheran, and his father is Jewish. He graduated from Evanston Township High School and
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Chart ...
. He worked as a trip leader for Adventures Cross-Country and has led wilderness and adventure trips for teenagers to
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...
, and the
South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. Gilford also worked as a staff member for
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
In 2005, he appeared in an episode of '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''. In 2006, Gilford landed a regular role in '' Friday Night Lights'', in which he played the role of Matt Saracen in the main cast, from Season 1 to Season 3. In 2009, Gilford was switched to the recurring cast in Seasons 4 and 5. That year, he also made his feature film debut, co-starring in '' The Last Winter'' (2006). He had a cameo in the film '' Rise: Blood Hunter'' and guest starred in an episode of ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into ...
''.
In 2009, he co-starred as Adam Davies in the romantic comedy '' Post Grad'' opposite Alexis Bledel. He also starred as Johnny Drake in the romantic drama '' Dare'' opposite Emmy Rossum. In 2010, he starred as Gus in the indie drama film '' The River Why'' alongside Amber Heard. He had a cameo in the movie '' Super''.
In 2010, he joined the cast of ABC's medical drama '' Off The Map'' which premiered in January 2011 but was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2011, he appeared in
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
's music video for " Ours", in which he played her love interest. He played the role of Evan in the drama film '' Answers to Nothing''. In 2012, he starred as Seth in the indie drama film '' In Our Nature'' alongside Jena Malone.
In 2012, he was cast in another medical drama, '' The Mob Doctor'', on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
, opposite Jordana Spiro; however this was also cancelled after 13 episodes. In January 2013, he appeared with Arnold Schwarzenegger in ''
The Last Stand
Last stand is a position against overwhelming odds.
Last Stand or The Last Stand may also stand for:
Film and TV Film
* ''The Last Stand'' (1938 film), an American film directed by Joseph H. Lewis
* ''The Last Stand'' (1984 film), a film about ...
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, and released on January 17, 2014. He also co-starred in the film sequel '' The Purge: Anarchy'', released on July 18, 2014. He guest starred in shows such as '' Drunk History'', '' Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories'' and '' Kingdom''. In 2016, he starred as Danny Warren in the ABC drama series ''
The Family
A family is a domestic or social group.
Family or The Family may also refer to:
Mathematics
*Family of curves, a set of curves resulting from a function with variable parameters
*Family of sets, a collection of sets
*Indexed family, a family wh ...
''. In 2017, Gilford starred as Conner Hooks in the YouTube Red futuristic web series ''
Lifeline
Lifeline or Lifelines may refer to:
Support, care, and emergency services
* Crisis hotline
** Lifeline (crisis support service), Australia-based, now international
** National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, United States
* LifeLine (medical tran ...
''.
Since 2018, Gilford has had a recurring role as Gregg in the NBC series '' Good Girls''. In 2019, Gilford was cast as Ben Walker in the '' Bad Boys'' spinoff drama '' L.A.'s Finest.'' Zach also held a leading role in '' Midnight Mass'' released in 2021. In 2022, Gilford was cast in a recurring role as Elias Voit, the series recurring unsub in '' Criminal Minds: Evolution''. His real life spouse Kiele Sanchez joins the series as his wife Bridget Voit.
Personal life
In the spring of 2010, Gilford began dating actress Kiele Sanchez, whom he met on the set of the television pilot for ''The Matadors''. The couple became engaged in November 2011, and married on December 29, 2012. The couple also co-starred in '' The Purge: Anarchy''. In August 2015, Sanchez announced that she and Gilford were expecting a son in November. In October 2015, they announced that Sanchez had suffered a late-term miscarriage. The couple have one daughter, born in November 2017 through surrogacy.