Best known for playing the good-hearted, but perennially tragic Bailey Salinger on the underrated family drama “Party of Five” (Fox, 1994-2000), Scott Wolf went from an unknown to Teen Beat cover boy virtually overnight. His status as a teenie bopper heartthrob over the course of the show’s run – one that was plagued by a cloud of cancellation – was at first tolerated by Wolf. But the constant attention – not to mention the media’s intrusion upon his private life, particularly with former fiancée Alyssa Milano – proved to be too much for the actor, who retained his privacy after “Party of Five” was finally axed after the 1999-2000 season. Since that time, Wolf kept a low-profile, appearing here-and-there on television, including a recurring – and more adult – role on “Everwood” (WB, 2002-06). But the limelight beckoned once more when he joined the ensemble cast on “The Nine” (ABC, 2006- ), a one-hour crime-drama that followed the always-popular “Lost” (ABC, 2004- ) and promised to again make Wolf a household name.Born June 4, 1968, Wolf was raised in West Orange, NJ into a normal, middle-class home – his mom was a therapist and his dad was a nursing home administrator. The future actor had visions of becoming a sportscaster – he liked hockey and baseball – but planned on having a routine life – go to college, find a career and raise a family. Things seemed headed down that path when he began attending George Washington University as a business major, but a good friend of the family – who was also an actor – persuaded Wolf to try drama. After graduating college, he went to New York City where he took acting classes at HB Studio, before moving to Los Angeles, where he gained valuable stage experience at Playhouse West. He began appearing in commercials to pay the rent –his most prominent being playing tennis with Tony the Tiger for a Frosted Flakes spot – then landed his first appearance on a series, playing a 15-year-old twin on “Kids Incorporated” (Disney Channel, 1984-1994). Despite actually being 22, the ever-youthful looking actor landed the gig after he convinced the producers he was 18.
Soon after “Kids Incorporated,” Wolf began landing more jobs on television shows, appearing in episodes of “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose!” (Fox, 1990-93), “Blossom” (NBC, 1991-95) and “The Commish” (ABC, 1991-95). He then landed a recurring role as a waiter at the burger joint that served as a hang out for Kelly, AC, Screech, et al. on the cheesy teenage sitcom “Saved By the Bell” (NBC, 1988-2000). Venturing into features, Wolf made his big screen debut with “Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde” (1993), a sexually-charged actioner about two teenagers (Wolf and Maureen Flannigan) drawn into a life of crime, turning them into wanted felons who make a race for the Mexican border. He next starred in “Double Dragon” (1994), a futuristic martial arts flick based on a popular video game that showcased Wolf and Mark Dacascos as brothers on a quest to battle an evil crime lord for possession of a magical medallion. Wolf met Milano on the set of “Double Dragon” and the two were soon engaged, only to separate after a very public – and intrusive – relationship.
Wolf began his six-season run on “Party of Five” in 1994, a one-hour drama that focused on five siblings in San Francisco, determined to make it on their own after the car accident death of their parents. Right from the start, “Party of Five” was in jeopardy of being canceled because of poor ratings – it ranked among the five lowest prime-time shows at the time – but critics loved the show, and the network –knowing they had a quality program—were surprisingly loyal. The show’s fate was uncertain until it won a Golden Globe in 1996 for best television drama, ensuring its longevity throughout the rest of the decade. Meanwhile, Wolf continued appearing in feature films, but nothing seemed to advance the actor’s recognition outside his “Party of Five” fame. In “White Squall” (1996), he played one of 13 prep school students aboard a schooner that is hit by a squall, capsizing the boat and forcing the survivors to deal with dangers they have never faced before. After a small part in “The Evening Star” (1996), the unnecessary sequel to “Terms of Endearment” (1983), Wolf was a soap opera actor roaming the Los Angeles party scene with several other 20-somethings looking for drugs and good times in the critically acclaimed film, “Go” (1999).
Once “Party of Five” was canceled in 2000, Wolf continued working consistently, though he remained off the teen crowd’s radar, thanks to his pursuit of adult roles. He secured a four-episode arc on “Spin City” (ABC, 1996-2002) as the lover of Communications Director Caitlin Moore (Heather Locklear), before starring in the straight-to-video thriller “Emmett’s Mark” (2001), playing an ambitious young detective who learns he has a terminal illness and hires a mysterious stranger (Gabriel Byrne) to kill him. Wolf next landed a recurring role on “Everwood,” playing Dr. Jake Hartman, a young hotshot doctor who brings the miracle of plastic surgery to the small Colorado town, much to the irritation of Dr. Andy Brown (Treat Williams). He then went back to regular series with “The Nine,” about a group of nine people held hostage for two days during a bank robbery who develop an inescapable bond that draws them together in the crime’s aftermath. The series premiered to strong numbers in the fall of 2006, with Wolf the most visible member of the largely unknown cast.