Joey Pollari

Joey Pollari (born April 9, 1994) is an American actor, musician, and director who became well known for his role as Eric Tanner on ABC's second season of American Crime, and in 2018, appeared in the film Love, Simon, as Lyle, one of Simon's potential boyfriends. In 2020, Pollari released his debut album, About Men. A follow-up second album, I'll Be Romance, will be released on April 5, 2024.

Joey Pollari
Born	(1994-04-09) April 9, 1994 (age 30) St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupations	Actor musician director
Years active	2006–present

Personal life

Pollari was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He started his acting career when he attended a scouting event in downtown Minneapolis with his mother. He received callbacks the next day from agents who wanted to represent him. Pollari has appeared in stage productions at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul, and the SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development, also in Saint Paul.^[1] He is gay, having come out at eighteen to friends and family.^[2]

Acting

On April 30, 2006, Pollari appeared as a newsboy in "The Hen House", an episode of the police procedural television series Cold Case.^[3] The Walt Disney Company cast him in Skyrunners, a 2009 Disney XD Original Movie about two brothers who stumble upon a spaceship that is sought after by the FBI agents and space aliens.^[1] The film, which was shot in New Zealand, premiered on Disney XD on November 27, 2009.^[4] Pollari was 15 years old when it first aired.^[1] His co-star in the film, Kelly Blatz, a long-time friend of Pollari,^[5] said Pollari grew "like a foot taller and his voice changed and everything" during the filming of Skyrunners.^[6]

In 2018, Pollari had a supporting role in the teen romantic comedy Love, Simon as Lyle, one of Simon's potential boyfriends.^[7] In 2019, he appeared in another gay-themed film, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson.

In 2023, he appeared as a pivotal guest star on SEAL Team for Paramount+, playing a grieving vet whose guilt comes with dire consequences. In 2024, his work will next be seen in the lead role of the upcoming gay rom-com "Things Like This" directed by Max Talisman, and in a recurring role for "Sugar" on AppleTV+ starring Colin Farrell and Amy Ryan.

Music

In 2020, Pollari released an album, About Men. In a June 2020 interview, Pollari said that he is still acting, but in his free time, he will be releasing more music and directing music videos.^[8] In 2023, he announced an EP, Last Evenings, that was released October 25. His first single, "Supine Soundtrack," was released September 15, and was followed by a second single, "Aliveness," which he self-directed a video for.^{[9][non-primary source needed]}

In January 2024, he announced a second full-length album, "I'll Be Romance," with an accompanying first single and self-directed music video for "So Close." The video was called both "dreamy and rousing," and Pollari's songwriting was compared to "Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen, his baritone delivery fixated on enveloping the listener in a vivid and introspective narrative" by Wonderland Magazine.^[10] The album has been teased as "a sonorous balm that seems to touch on vintage tropes" by Clash Magazine, and will be released April 5, 2024.^[11]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2009	Skyrunners	Tyler Burns	Disney XD Original Movie
2010	Avalon High	Miles	Disney Channel Original Movie
2012	Profile of a Killer	David Jenks	Indie Thriller Movie
2014	Ethereal	Asher	Short film
2015	Eden	Georgie
2018	Love, Simon	Lyle
2019	The Obituary of Tunde Johnson	Charlie

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Cold Case	Newsboy	Episode: The Hen House
2012	Up All Night	Mark	Episode: I Can't Quit You
2012	The Inbetweeners[12]	Will McKenzie	Regular; 12 episodes
2014	Saint George	Tanner Whitman	4 episodes
2014	Major Crimes	Wesley Grant	Episode: Party Foul
2016	American Crime	Eric Tanner	Season 2; Regular: 10 episodes
2022	SEAL Team	Ben	Season 6; Recurring Guest Star: 2 episodes

References

1. Justin, Neal (November 26, 2009). "A Twin Cities teenager hopes a new Disney movie will rocket him to fame". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
2. "Love, Simon's Joey Pollari: Every Love Story Is a Coming Out Story". March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
3. "Cold Case - TV Series - Seasons and Episodes". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
4. Bentley, Rick (November 27, 2009). "Music is at center of two new Disney XD programs". The Tribune. San Luis Obispo, California. Retrieved November 30, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
5. "Skyrunners Movies". Scholastic Blog. November 27, 2009. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
6. Brious, Bill (November 26, 2009). "Calif.-raised "Skyrunner" star Blatz settles in to life in Toronto". The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
7. "Love, Simon's Joey Pollari: Every Love Story Is a Coming-Out Story". March 13, 2018.
8. Reynolds, Daniel (June 1, 2020). "Joey Pollari's Album About Men Is About 'Queer Loving and Seeing'". The Advocate. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
9. "Instagram". instagram.com.
10. Staff, Wonderland (January 31, 2024). "Joey Pollari Releases 'So Close'". Wonderland.
11. Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; Murray, Robin (January 31, 2024). "Joey Pollari Announces New Album 'I'll Be Romance'".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
12. "American Crime's Joey Pollari on the Role of a (Young) Lifetime". Vanity Fair. February 18, 2016.

External links

• Joey Pollari at IMDb