Biography:

After becoming a celebrity to see in episodes of “Life Goes On” (1989-1993) and “Beverly Hills 90210” (1990-200), actor Dean Cain made his name by putting on the red cape for “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” (1993-97). Opposite co-star Terrie Hatcher, he made the familiar role his own. By choosing to play both Superman and Clark Kent as muscular heartthrobs in a present-day romance, he helped pave the way for the approval of comic book superheroes. 

It didn't hurt that he was an attractive, handsome looking former athlete whose leg injury was all that stood in the way of a professional football career. After “Lois & Clark” ended, he faded from the headlines, though he continued to work, hosting a updated “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” (1999-2004), exploring his evil side in the thriller “Out of Time” (2003), and playing the deadly, deceiving Scott Peterson in “The Perfect Husband” (2004).

Born Dean George Tanaka on July 31, 1966, in Mt. Clemens, MI, Dean was the son of actress Sharon Thomas and United States Army soldier Roger Tanaka, who left his mother before he was even born. He and sibling Roger were later adopted by his mother’s second husband, director Christopher. After relocating to California with his parents, he took up acting as a child, appearing in small roles in the films, “Elmer,” (1976) and “Charlie & The Talking Buzzard” (1979). He later attended Santa Monica High School, where he received scholarship opportunities as a star athlete, while also appearing in his first dialoged role in the movie “The Stone Boy” (1984).

After graduation, he enlisted at Princeton University, where he played football as a free safety and defensive back. He held the University record for interceptions in a single game while scoring off the field by dating fellow student Brooke Shields. After earning his bachelor’s in history, he signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills football team, but a damaging early season knee injury ended his football career.

Not surprisingly, he returned to making movies full time, first testing his skill at screenwriting, then performing. Thanks to his talent and good looks, he had no trouble getting parts in television commercials and small parts in television shows, one of his first was the television movie, “Things That Go Bump in the Night” (1989). He went on to appear in the continued series, then made guest appearances on “Life Goes On” and “A Different World,” (1987-93). The actor managed to draw attention to himself with a five episode role as Rick, the fashionable boyfriend of Brenda (Shannon Doherty), on “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000). 

After a series of small parts in between, he received the role of Superman in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” Developed as an update to the superhero franchise, the show focused on the romantic antics of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, played by Teri Hatcher. The show was an overnight smash hit with female viewers, who were swiftly pulled into the romantic, whimsical storylines. He was candid in his role of Superman. But the bigger role was Clark Kent, with the actor bettering the normal nerdy, gawky reporter for a more handsome, striking journalist.

The show was a ratings hit for five seasons, while Dean was able to warm up his writing skills, writing shows in the second and third seasons. During this time, he also wrote and hosted a prime time special, “Off Camera With Dean Cain,” profiling the lives of celebrities such as Andrew Shue and Daphne Zuniga. At the apex of popularity of “Lois & Clark,” producers took the daring step of marrying Lois and Clark, but when it was shown that Clark accidentally married a clone of Lois, most fans felt that they were cheated. Lois and Clark got married for real in the third episode of the fourth season, but by then audiences had already sank. A finale suggesting that they would be adoptive parents when a newborn baby arrives on their front porch, failed to get the show renewed for a fifth season.

Free of the red cape, he moved onto a series of smaller roles and guest appearances. He developed, produced and hosted “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” which ran for four seasons on TBS before it was cancelled. He also guest starred on the updated variation of “Fantasy Island,” (1998-99), and on several episodes of “Just Shoot Me,” (1997-2003) and “Frasier” (1993-2004). He also had a recurring role on “The Division,” (2001-04), playing the character of Inspector Jack Ellis. Back on the big screen, he had a small role in the 2001 Jerry Zucker comedy “Rat Race” with Cuba Gooding Jr., but made future appearances in mostly B-movie action adventure thrillers such as “Firetrap,” (2001) “New Alcatraz,” (2002) and “Dark Descent” (2002). He raised his status playing the tough guy in the 2003 Denzel Washington thriller, “Out of Time” in 2003 with Eva Mendes.

The role of the bad guy led to his portrayal of Scott Peterson in the 2004 television movie, “The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story,” for the USA Network. Originally cautious to take a role he feared would be manipulative, he changed his mind, thanks to support from his father to take on the role, but only if the script was fair and balanced and it gave him an opportunity to stretch his acting skills. After that high profile role, he appeared as a regular on “Hope & Faith,” (2003-06) and played the recurring character of Casey Manning on the smash hit series, “Las Vegas” (2003- ). He had a key role in the television disaster movie, “10.5: Apocalypse,” (2006), then starred in the television holiday romance, “A Christmas Wedding,” (2006), and the miniseries, “Final Approach” (2007). 

In “September Dawn” (2007), a film about the Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857, he had a tiny, but important role as Joseph Smith, founder of the controversial Mormon Church. In 2008, he appeared in the family friendly film "Ace Of Hearts" (2008), about Officer Daniel Harding who is a distinguished member of the K-9 police unit. His partner and best friend is Ace, a police dog. 

Next was the comedy film "Five Dollars A Day" (2008), with Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Amanda Peet, about the conservative son of a thrifty conman who joins his father on the road. after being released from jail for one of his dad's earlier crimes. He wrapped his year with the family drama called "Aussie And Ted" (2008), about Aussie, a lovable Australian dog, who embarks on a mission to return his young owner's missing Teddy Bear. 

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