Born in Okinawa, Japan, Glenn Howerton's childhood was as busy as his rise to fame. Born to American parents, with a father who was a fighter pilot, his family moved to Arizona soon after his birth. They went on to relocate to New Mexico soon after, but left when he was three they moved to the English town Felixstowe, in Suffolk. From there they moved to Virginia, Seoul, South Korea, and finally settled in Montgomery, Alabama.
Despite all of the moving, Glenn was able to graduate from Jefferson Davis High School and went on to spend two years at New World School of the Arts of Miami Dade College. He decided to leave school in 1996 and join the Juilliard School's Drama Division, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2000.
Glenn landed his first leading role in 2002 as Corey Howard in 13 episodes of That '80s Show. A year later he landed a recurring role as Dr. Nick Cooper on ER, appearing in six episodes. His takeoff year was 2005, landing the leading role of Dennis Reynolds on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Glenn has been credited as a developer, executive producer, writer and director for the show as well — and as of 2023, continues to star on the show.
Glenn made his film debut as Michael in the feature Must Love Dogs (2005), the played Lilac Young Tough in Serenity (2005). He has appeared in many films since then, including The Strangers (2008), Everything Must Go (2010), and Officer Downe (2016).
Along with his film appearances, Glenn continued to appear on television, playing Ernie Krinklesac on The Cleveland Show from 2009 to 2013. He also applayed Cliff Gilbert on The Mindy Project from 2013 to 2017, and Jack Griffin on A.P. Bio from 2018-2021.
Glenn's career was driven by his imaginative childhood. Having never stayed in a place long enough to form lasting bonds, he relied on his imagination for company. Thinking of creative scenarios, ideas, and games, he would keep himself entertained for hours. This creativity eventually led to his acting career, giving him the ability to live out this imagination in real life.
In 2023, Glenn starred in the film Blackberry as Jim Balsillie. The film tells the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the two men that charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. Glenn also appears in Fool's Paradise (2023) as the business manager.
Filmography:
Fool’s Paradise (2023)
Blackberry (2023)
The Thief Collector (2022)
How It Ends (2021)
Archenemy (2020)
The Hunt (2020)
Officer Downe (2016)
Coffee Town (2013)
Everything Must Go (2010)
The Strangers (2008)
Two Weeks (2006)
Crank (2006)
Serenity (2005)
Must Love Dogs (2005)