Larry Laverty

Laurence Arthur "Larry" Laverty is an American actor. Laverty is best known for his hilarious appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and for his supporting roles in Gus Van Sant's top film at the Cannes Film Festival "Elephant" and in John Frankenheimer's Cold War drama "The Fourth War." Over the course of his career, Laverty has appeared in starring and supporting roles in over one hundred films and has guest starred in numerous Tv shows, including "Judging Amy" and "The Practice." Laverty was born in Berkeley, California. His father, Gordon Laverty, was a high-level engineer and manager for one of the world's top utilities. His mother, Marjorie Laverty, was a bookkeeper, historian, and housewife. Two of Laverty's paternal great great grandparents immigrated from Ireland while his paternal great grandparents immigrated from Scotland. In addition to being active in the Boy Scouts of America in his youth and earning the rank of Eagle Scout, Laverty was a star athlete in track and field from elementary school through his membership on the track team at Skyline High School in Oakland, California. Laverty also gravitated to the outdoors, attending the renowned Yosemite Mountaineering School and could often be found rock climbing, skiing, cycling, and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Laverty attended college in Idaho at highly accredited Boise State University where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Political Science. It was in his final year for the second degree that Laverty enrolled in an acting class and his interest in theatre and film ignited. While also embarking on an intense eleven year attempt to make the U.S. Olympic Team in speed skating, Laverty returned to California to live part-time to perform at Oakland's Woodminster Summer Musicals where he took part in the casts of over a dozen musicals and several of Shakespeare's plays. In 1988, Laverty was signed by his first agent, Steele Agency of San Francisco. One year later, he made his film debut in the action-adventure drama "Deadlock"(1989). For the next several years, Laverty appeared as a principal performer in four national commercials along with acting in various music videos and narrating corporate films. Upon retiring from athletics, Laverty moved to Los Angeles and signed with his first agent there, William Kerwin. Laverty eventually became established in Hollywood, appearing in numerous Tv shows and soap operas along with maintaining an active schedule appearing in dozens of independent films produced throughout the country. Laverty from a young age has been a conservationist, joining the Sierra Club at age 11 and for years supporting The Nature Conservancy. But it is his efforts to further the rights of animals that Laverty is most passionate about. He is a longtime supporter of PETA, the ASPCA, the Buffalo Field Campaign, and in recent years has been dedicated to efforts around the world to save elephants from extinction in Africa and lives of horror in captivity in Asia and elsewhere.