Neal Bledsoe

Bledsoe was born in Toronto, but grew up in Seattle, Washington. Both of his grandfathers served in the Air Force during World War II and his maternal grandfather was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in the bombing of the Nazi oil refinery at Ploiești. His mother was a life insurance underwriter and estate planner before becoming an executive for a company that worked all over the world. His father has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto where he studied under the philosopher Marshall McLuhan.{{Cite book|url=https://philpapers.org/rec/BLETAO-2|title=The Autobiography of Inquiry Reflexive Comparisons Between Children's Culture and the Culture of Science|last=Bledsoe|first=James Barry|date=1979|publisher=[S.N.]}}

He moved fourteen times around Seattle area growing up, living in Magnolia, Ballard, Fremont, Edmonds, Magnolia again, Ravenna, Downtown, Queen Anne, West Seattle, Queen Anne again, Fremont again, Queen Anne a third time, Bainbridge Island and Capitol Hill. He attended Roosevelt High School (Seattle) and Garfield High School (Seattle) in Seattle, including a brief stint at Ascent within the CEDU system of schools, before finally graduating from the Shawnigan Lake School and then spending a post-graduate year at the Idyllwild Arts Academy,{{Cite web|url=http://www.idyllwildartsalumni.org/alumni/neal-bledsoe/|title=Neal Bledsoe – Alumni of Idyllwild Arts|language=en|access-date=2019-01-07}} to grow as an actor and a writer. It was at the last of these two schools where he began to first publish his writing.

He went on to study at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts where he was mentored by the renowned theater director, Gerald Freedman, earning a BFA in 2005.{{Cite web|url=https://www.journalnow.com/entertainment/gerald-freedman-to-step-down-as-drama-dean-at-uncsa/article_bc5ee835-51da-5204-981e-32f843eccb20.html|title=Gerald Freedman to step down as drama dean at UNCSA|last=Journal|first=Ken Keuffel, Winston-Salem|website=Winston-Salem Journal|date=2 December 2011 |language=en|access-date=2019-01-07}}

Bledsoe got a quick start out of school, booking a pilot opposite Kelly Lynch less than a month after leaving school. He worked steadily for the next few years, until he had his breakthrough in 2009 on Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty. He then went on to star on the shows Law and Order: SVU, Smash, Ironside, The Man in the High Castle, The Mysteries of Laura, Timeless, Code Black and most recently, Shameless.

He has won several awards for his work in independent films such as Junction, West End and After the Sun Fell. He also has appeared in both Revolutionary Road and Sex and the City 2 in blink-and-you'll-miss-him types of roles. Recently, he starred opposite Val Kilmer in the western A Soldier's Revenge.

On the stage, he worked on the Broadway production of Impressionism, the world premiere of Stephen Wadsworth's Figaro Plays at the McCarter Theatre and Michael Arden's award-winning production of The Pride at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-neal-bledsoe-q-a-20170618-story.html|title=Neal Bledsoe on the love triangle of 'The Pride' and finding home onstage — and in downtown L.A.|last=Vankin|first=Deborah|website=Los Angeles Times|date=14 June 2017|access-date=2019-01-07}}

He appeared in several campaigns for Tiffany and Co, opposite Dutch model, Doutzen Kroes.{{Cite web|url=https://prettyfashionfwd.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/magically-yours-tiffany-and-co/|title=Magically yours, Tiffany & Co.|last=Melody|date=2010-11-25|website=♡ Pretty Fashion Forward|language=en|access-date=2019-01-07}}

He also was an Old Spice Man.{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2011/04/22/old-spice-danger-zone/|title=Old Spice keeping Danger Zone pitchman Neal Bledsoe abroad (for now?)|website=EW.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-07}}

In December 2022, Bledsoe announced that he was leaving the Great American Family network because of their anti-LGBTQ stance.{{cite web |title=Neal Bledsoe Exits Great American Family in Support of LGBTQ Community After Candace Cameron Bure Drama |date=5 Dec 2022 |author=Stephanie Wenger |url=https://news.yahoo.com/neal-bledsoe-exits-great-american-223947355.html}} Bledsoe stated, "the thought that my work could be used to deliberately discriminate against anyone horrifies and infuriates me."{{cite news |last1=Nolfi |first1=Joey |title=Neal Bledsoe leaves Candace Cameron Bure's Great American Family over 'hurtful, wrong' LGBT exclusion |url=https://ew.com/tv/neal-bledsoe-leaves-candace-cameron-bures-great-american-family-over-lgbt-exclusion/ |access-date=9 December 2022 |publisher=Entertainment |date=6 December 2022}}

As a writer, he has written films, poems, short stories, cartoons, essays and articles. In 2014, he became a contributor to Sports Illustrated's MMQB. His long-form series, The Delicate Moron, chronicled his attempt to play for the Los Angeles Kiss of the Arena Football League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mmqb/author/neal-bledsoe|title = Articles by Neal Bledsoe| date=25 December 2018 }} Recently, he published a profile in Men's Health magazine on former NFL running back and Ballers writer, Rashard Mendenhall.{{Cite web|url=https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a22887884/rashard-mendenhall-profile/|title=What Happens to NFL Stars When They Retire at 26?|last=Bledsoe|first=Neal|date=2018-09-06|website=Men's Health|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-07}}

In 2015, he received a commission to write and direct and star in the short film Primary. The film examines the subject of open relationships and was heavily influenced by the work of John Cassavetes, Esther Perel and Helen Fisher, as well as months of extensive interviews with a diverse range of people from across the relationship spectrum.{{Cite web|url=https://monrowemagazine.com/2017/10/27/primary/|title=Primary|date=2017-10-27|website=MONROWE Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-07}}

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• {{Twitter|becauseibledsoe}}

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Category:1981 births

Category:21st-century Canadian male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male musical theatre actors

Category:American male soap opera actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States

Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male musical theatre actors

Category:Canadian male soap opera actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Seattle

Category:Male actors from Toronto

Category:University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumni

Category:Shawnigan Lake School alumni