John Corbett

John Joseph Corbett (born May 9, 1961) is an American actor and country music singer. He is best known for playing Chris Stevens on Northern Exposure from 1990 to 1995; and Aidan, Carrie Bradshaw's boyfriend, on Sex and the City—a role which he reprised for the series movie sequel Sex and the City 2. He also played the leading male role opposite Nia Vardalos in Vardalos's film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). He starred in United States of Tara as Max Gregson, and has appeared on NBC dramedy Parenthood as Seth Holt. Corbett started his acting career in television commercials, and in recent years, he has done TV and radio voiceovers for Applebee's Restaurants and Walgreens drug stores, among others. Aside from acting, Corbett has recorded and released two country music albums. Early life Corbett was born on May 9, 1961 in Wheeling, West Virginia, the son of Sandy and John Corbett. He grew up in an apartment block near the Ohio River in West Virginia, with his mother, a waitress who worked in his uncle's music club. His mother was of part Russian Jewish descent, though Corbett was raised Catholic. He attended Wheeling Central Catholic High School, where he graduated in 1979. He started playing the guitar at age seven, and at 16 he had a job as a security guard at the Capitol Music Hall. Following his graduation from high school, Corbett moved to California and worked in a steel factory for six years. During his time as a boilermaker in the factory, Corbett spent a year training to become an L.A. County Deputy Sheriff, but ultimately failed. He stopped working at the factory when he got injured, and went to Cerritos College in Norwalk, California. There he took acting classes, and studied hair dressing, for a year. Corbett said: "I went to hair school by day and studied theatre at night." He is a licensed hair stylist since 1986. He then landed a Samsung commercial, and after three years he had starred in 50 national commercials. Career Corbett's first major role was as the hippie boyfriend of Karen Arnold in season 1, episode 4 ("Angel"), of The Wonder Years in 1988, but was credited as "Jack Corbett." Corbett has co-starred in three successful television series to date: Northern Exposure from 1990 to 1995, Sex and the City (spanning 22 episodes from 2001 to 2002), and United States of Tara (2009–2011). Corbett played the leading role in two short-lived television series. The first was the 1997 sci-fi series, The Visitor, in which Corbett played Adam MacArthur, a man abducted by aliens, only to find his way home 50 years later and endowed with unearthly powers. In 2003 he starred in his second series, Lucky, which was about a professional poker player, Michael 'Lucky' Linkletter, living in Las Vegas. Corbett guest starred on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives as a hospital administrator for two episodes in late-December 1995 and two episodes in early March 1996. Corbett's film credits include Tombstone, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Raising Helen, Dreamland and The Messengers. Corbett appeared in Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, and he played the role of a music teacher in Raise Your Voice, which starred Hilary Duff. He had a cameo role as Ken Roloff in Dinner Rush (2000). Additionally, Corbett starred in the 2007 Lifetime Television film, Montana Sky, and co-starred as a corrupt LAPD vice squad member in Street Kings (2008). Corbett starred as Tom Marks, father of a little girl fighting for her life, in the Hallmark movie "November Christmas" that premiered November 28, 2010, on CBS. Corbett co-starred in the 2009–2011 Showtime series, United States of Tara opposite Toni Collette. In 2011-12, he had a recurring role on Parenthood. In March 2013, Corbett appeared in two episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles and was considered to be the star of a NCIS spin-off series that was ultimately not produced. Corbett provided the voiceover for Applebee's Restaurant television commercials and, since 2012, for Walgreens drug store television and radio ads. Corbett released a full-length, self-titled country music album co-produced in Nashville, TN, by D. Scott Miller and Tara Novick, on April 4, 2006, and went on tour that year to promote the album, opening for ZZ Top, Lisa Marie Presley and Charlie Daniels. Its only single, "Good to Go" (which was also recorded by Jason Aldean on his self-titled debut album), debuted at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, which was the highest debut by a new artist from an independent label, and later reached a peak of No. 43. In addition Corbett was featured as a primary actor in Trisha Yearwood's music video of her 2008 single, "This Is Me You're Talking To". In 2013, Corbett released his second country album Leaving Nothin' Behind, co-produced by Jon Randall who also wrote 7 of the 10 songs. Personal life Corbett was raised Roman Catholic, but he is now a born-again Christian, although he does not attend church. He has never been married, and has stated that he does not see himself getting married or having children. He has been in a relationship with actress Bo Derek since 2002.