Ethan was born on June 13, 1978 to Karen and Chuck Randall. It was only after his parents got divorced that he and his older brother decided to change their last name to Embry, to honor their grandfather. He grew up in Huntington Beach, California with his brother, Aaron, and sister, Kessia (Kessia has appeared in both "Empire Records" and "A Far Off Place" with her older bro. She recently changed her last name to Kordelle. She's dating a 20 year old.) He had direction at a young age and decided to become an actor early on in life. He started out in local theater productions, most notably "Pinnochio". This lead to a few commercials here and there and more prestigious theater work at the Pasadena Playhouse.

While working at the Playhouse, he met up with a dancer named Chris Finch who inspired Embry to take up the art form himself. His history as a competitive gymnast allowed him to take up dancing rather easily (although he claims he cannot dance). He is also a musician and is in a band along with his brother, Aaron, called Southern Comfort Colonic.

~ is 5'10

~ has 5 dogs, 8 cats (including a dalmation he takes to band practice, Sisko)

~ has been seen at pot rallies in NY City (where he lives)

~ loves photography and collects darkroom equipment and antique cameras

~ says he'd love to work behind the camera someday

~ he surfs and skates

~ did all his own stunts in White Squall

~ got the role of the Bass Player in That Thing You Do by reading for the role of "Shades"

~ Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan were "blown away" by his audition for Can't Hardly Wait

~ plays bass, guitar and piano

~ speaks Italian

~ loves to sing

~ when he was a gymnast he won the 6th place in all of California (right around the time he started acting)

~ some of his fave films are: Midnight Express, Watership Down,True Romance , Star Wars, Rebel without a cause, Dazed and Confused and Scream

~ thinks Adam Sandler is the bomb

~ thinks Kate Winslet is "annoying"

~ some of his favorite actors include Steve Buscemi, Tom Hanks, Forrest Whitaker and Johnny Depp

~ supposedly took the last still of Shannon Hoon( from Blind Melon) before he died

~ loves sandwiches and hates being drunk

~ his brother is signed on Capitol Records to write two albums

~ his sister just got her first big role opposite Oprah Winfrey in Beloved ~ had to perform community service once because he was playin' around with a cap can and people thought it was real--it was on the nightly news and everything!

~ visit the 'Lil GeMs section of this page for more little tidbits w/ accompanying pictures

~ Dutch (1991) as Doyle

~ Defending Your Life (1991) as Steve

~ Bad Attitudes (1991 on TV) as Cosmo Coningsby

~ All I Want For Christmas (1991) as Ethan O'Fallon

~ A Far Off Place (1993) as Harry Winslow

~ Season of Change (1994) as Bobby

~ Evolver (1995) as Kyle Baxter

~ Empire Records (1995) as Mark

~ White Squall (1996) as Tracey Lapchick

~ That Thing You Do (1996) as The Bass Player

~ Vegas Vacation (1997) as Rusty Griswold

~ Montana (1998 on TV) as Jimmy

~ Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998) as Squirrel

~ Can't Hardly Wait (1998) as Preston Meyers

~ Disturbing Behavior (1998) as Alan Clark

~ How to Make the Cruelest Month About a "bright and neurotic girl, Bell, [who] sets two goals for New Year - to quit smoking and to fall in love. As the first task turns out to be too difficult, she puts all her energy into the second." It was written and directed by Kip Koenig and stars Clare DuVall, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, J.D. Souther, James Duval, Mary Kay Place and Amy Smart. It was nominated for the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. [all info courtesty imdb]

~ Taken Ethan is producing this movie with Jeremy Sisto (who was also in White Squall. A friend is set to direct it.