David Monahan never actually planned on becoming an actor—truth be told, it kind of just happened. After earning an honors degree in government from Harvard, he was all set to dive into law school and start building a career in that direction. But then, out of the blue, something unexpected occurred. While still on campus, a complete stranger approached David Monahan and encouraged him to audition for the 1993 film “Swing Kids.” It was his very first time trying anything like that—no prior experience at all—but the audition went pretty well. He didn’t land the role, but that didn’t discourage David Monahan one bit. In fact, it sparked something in him. Soon after, he made the bold decision to walk away from law entirely and chase acting instead.
He packed up and moved to New York, where David Monahan began taking acting classes and slowly built his foundation. He started with theater performances and even landed some commercial gigs, gaining valuable experience along the way. Then, in 2000, David Monahan made a pivotal move to Los Angeles—and it turned out to be exactly what he needed. That same year, he scored his big break: a recurring role as a gay ex-boyfriend in seven episodes of the wildly popular teen drama “Dawson’s Creek.” That role opened doors.
From there, David Monahan kept building momentum. He appeared in several well-known crime series, including “NCIS,” “Cold Case,” and notably, “Crossing Jordan,” where he played another recurring character across 14 episodes between 2004 and 2007. His first major film role came in 2005 with “The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green,” once again portraying a gay ex-boyfriend—a role that showed off his range and emotional depth. Over the years, David Monahan continued to expand his filmography with roles in the 2008 comedy “Say Goodnight,” the 2009 thriller “Acts of Mercy,” and the 2010 crime-comedy “Miss Nobody.”
On the small screen, David Monahan remained a familiar face, appearing in recurring parts on shows like “Swingtown,” the lighthearted comedy “Privileged,” and the intense, dark crime drama “Dexter.” Throughout it all, David Monahan has carved out a steady and versatile career, proving that sometimes the best paths are the ones you never planned to take.
Well, when it comes to David Monahan’s film career, one title really stands out—The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green (2005). Interestingly enough, David Monahan’s highest rated movie is actually The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green (2005), which also happens to be his lowest rated film. Yeah, that’s right—David Monahan appears to have a bit of a paradox in his filmography. Despite the mixed reviews, this 2005 release remains a key point of discussion when looking at David Monahan’s body of work. So whether critics loved it or not, David Monahan definitely made an impression with this particular project.