Bryan Ronald Dattilo
Salem Presence
Lucas Roberts (1993 to March 27, 2001; February 2002 to July 2002; September 2002 to Present)
At a Glance
Dattilo was born in Kankakee, Ill. He later moved with his family to Beverly Hills, where he attended Beverly Hills High School. Dattilo enjoys traveling, surfing and playing baseball and basketball. He has an older brother and sister and three younger half-sisters.
When Bryan Dattilo walked out on the playground of his Beverly Hills grade school for the very first time, all the kids wanted to know who his agent was. To Bryan's chagrin, his mom pointed out that only kids who were actors had agents. Within a few weeks, Bryan and his sister, Kristin, decided that if they were to fit in at school, they too, needed an agent.
Being the smallest kid in his class, with a face like an angel, framed by a blond bowl haircut, Bryan began acting classes and within a year had his very own Hollywood agent.
Shortly after signing with The Savage Agency, Bryan landed a recurring role on HBO's Not Necessarily The News. Commercials and other TV spots soon followed, and Bryan was well on his way to becoming an actor.
Bryan, who uses his middle initial, R., to honor his late grandfather, Ronald Harbour, who himself always dreamed of a career on stage, was born in Kankakee, Illinois. He moved with his mother, Peggy, sister, Kristin, and brother, Brent, to Florida when he was only two years old. His mother worked as a newspaper reporter, and when Bryan was eight, the family moved to Los Angeles. They remained there until Bryan's 11th birthday, when the same company transferred his mother back to Florida.
Bryan says that moving back was a good experience for him. Living in Beverly Hills and riding around town in the back of a limo provided a unique lifestyle. But he soon found out on his return to Florida that riding around in the back of his friend's pick-up truck with his buddies could be just as much fun.
The Dattilos remained in Florida for nearly three years, but returned once again to California when his mother decided to break loose from her career in journalism and start her own television and film company, Harbour Lights Entertainment. This provided an opportunity for Bryan to return to the acting world, and within a couple of weeks, he and his sister landed lead roles in the feature film The Adventures of Grizzly Adams.
It was during this time that Bryan first began watching Days of our Lives, and dreaming of one day appearing as an actor on the show. Bryan spent 11 weeks in Utah filming a feature, and during his time off, he'd wander into his grandmother's hotel room while she was watching DAYS. Before he knew it, he too had become a fan. So when Bryan landed the part of Lucas Roberts on DAYS, he couldn't wait to phone his Gran and tell her the good news. It was a dream come true for Mary Harbour, who's only worry now is trying to figure out where to store all the tapes on which she records her grandson's daily performances.
Some of Bryan's other TV appearances include guest spots on such popular shows as Doogie Howser, M.D., In the Heat of the Night, Charles in Charge, Class of '96, and California Dreams. He also has a starring role in the 1993 feature film, Arcade .
Bryan graduated from Beverly Hills High School and attended Santa Monica College right up until the day he began taping his first DAYS episode. He majored in Psychology, hoping to become a psychologist, if a career in acting didn't pan out. Bryan feels that studying Psychology gives him an insight into people and what makes them tick. This, he says, helps him to understand what his character Lucas is all about.
Bryan says, "Lucas is a kid who thinks that the way to a person's heart is to tell them what they want to hear. He learned to look out for number one during his years away at military school, and now that he's in Salem, that's the only way he knows how to act. He's had to fend for himself most of his life, and he's angry at his mother for not being there for him while he was growing up. He's a kid with a good heart, but he has to learn to relate to people in the outside world."
Besides acting, Bryan's other passion is baseball. He played throughout high school and college, and would love to have been a pro. Landing the role on Days of our Lives has been a double blessing for Bryan. The first week of taping, the show's executive producer Ken Corday, approached Bryan wanting to know if he played baseball. It turns out that Corday has a passion for the game, too, and Bryan signed up in a jiffy to play on the DAYS softball team. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I'm doing the two things I love most in my life, acting on my favorite soap, and playing baseball!"
Bryan is single and lives in Los Angeles. His "roommates" live in a six-foot salt water fish tank he keeps in the living room of his apartment. In addition to Brent and Kristin, Bryan has three half-sisters, Tiffany, Anna and Tess. His mom lives in Los Angeles, and his dad makes his home in Chicago.
Acting Portfolio
TELEVISION
Days of our Lives
Lucas Roberts
1993 to March 27, 2001; February 2002 to July 2002; September 2002 to Present
California Dreams
Ted; "Friends First" (Episode # 1.6)
October 17th, 1992
In the Heat of the Night
Boyd Gardner; "First Deadly Sin" (episode # 4.19)
February 26th, 1991
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Charlie Morris
Charles in Charge
Jeff; "Room at the Bottom" (episode # 4.4)
1988
Awards & Acclaim
Daytime Emmys Pre-Nomination, Outstanding Lead Actor (2006)
Daytime Emmys Pre-Nomination, Outstanding Supporting Actor (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008)
Vital Statistics
PLACE OF BIRTH: Kankakee, Illinois
DATE OF BIRTH: July 29, 1971
MARITAL STATUS: Divorced; Jessica Lahm (August 21st, 1999 - 2001)
CHILDREN: One child
News Archive
News Archive: DAYS fires Dattilo without warning. [Feb 19, 2001]
News Archive: The ends of DAYS for Dattilo. [Mar 26, 2001]
News Archive: Dattilo to reprise role of Lucas. [Nov 26, 2001]
News Archive: New writers want to see more of Lucas. [Jan 7, 2002]
News Archive: DAYS star arrested in strip club melee. [May 13, 2002]
News Archive: Charges against Dattilo dropped. [Jun 17, 2002]
News Archive: Dattilo back after brief summer hiatus. [Aug 19, 2002]
News Archive: Bryan Dattilo to appear on Are Your Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? [Oct 23, 2009]
News Archive: DAYS won't pick up Dattilo's option, actor has taped final scenes. [Dec 21, 2009]
