The son of a Royal Engineer with the British Army and an aspiring world class equestrian, Ian Paul Cassidy was born on November 4, in Harrogate, England. After living in more than 11 countries by the time Ian was 9 years old, Ian's father retired from the British Army and moved Ian and his family to Australia.After graduating high school, Ian headed back to London where he attended and graduated from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Inspired by all that he learned, and eager to continue his education, Ian returned to Australia, where he attended and graduated from the The Australian Academy of Dramatic Art, in Sydney.While he was in Australia, Ian trod the boards with the Sydney Opera House Repertory Theater Company. Some of the productions in which he performed were "Richard III" and "The Taming Of The Shrew." Ian was invited to the United States by network television executives but declined the offer to work in television at that time, citing "creative differences," in order to pursue other opportunities in the U.S.As a member of the Odyssey Theater Company in Los Angeles, some of Ian's performances included roles in "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" and "Mary Barnes." He funded his passion for theater by accepting parts in commercials. It wasn't long before Ian again caught the attention of Hollywood and began making appearances on TV shows, including roles in "EZ Streets" (1996), "Pensacola: Wings of Gold" (1997), "The Pretender" (1996), "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993) and "The Beast" (2001). Although many of his roles were memorable to audiences, it was his role as Zed on the still popular "The Pretender" (1996) that caught the attention of producers and Director Doug Aarniokoski at Miramax and Dimension Films. Zed, a character described as having "no redeemable qualities," seemed to be perfect for Highlander: Endgame (2000), released in the U.S. September 1st, 2000, which Aarniokoski was casting at the time.The role of Cracker Bob was written with Ian in mind. During the summer of 2001, Ian took on the role of politically incorrect aussie cameraman, Ryan Brown, on the critically acclaimed ABC, Touchstone, Imagine Television TV drama "The Beast" (2001). This cutting edge production was the brainchild of Producer-Director Ron Howard (The Grinch, Apollo 13, Backdraft) and Executive Producer-Director Mimi Leder (Pay It Forward, Deep Impact, The Peacemaker, ER). Early in 2001, Ian married his long-time girlfriend, Lisa Cassidy. Together they have formed C & C Ltd. whose mission statement includes the long-term goal of producing more independent films.Known primarily for playing the anti-hero, Ian recently delighted his fans in the comedic role of `Miles' on the hit Nickelodeon Television sitcom, "Drake & Josh."
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