March 19th is coming. Fans get ready to celebrate Garrett Clayton. Actor. Singer. Dancer. Born in 1991, he has worked hard. He started with Disney. Then he moved on. He took on bigger roles. Tougher roles. He proved he could do more. Now, he turns 34. A good time to look back. Films. TV. Stage. He has done it all. Here are ten of his best performances.
Early Life of Garrett Clayton
Gary Michael Clayton entered the world on March 19, 1991 in Dearborn Michigan where he has Lebanese heritage. He has Lebanese roots. He found acting young. He performed at Crestwood High School. Play after play. He wanted more. He went to Oakland University. Studied musical theater. Learned his craft. Casting directors had opinions. The casting directors told him his name had an outdated quality. He changed it. Garrett Clayton. A new name. The same drive. He was ready.
Top 7 Garrett Clayton Movies & TV Shows
1. Hairspray Live! (2016)
Hairspray Live! (2016) was NBC’s live television take on the Broadway show. Garrett Clayton played Link Larkin. He could sing. He could dance. He could act. He did all three. The cast was full of stars—Maddie Baillio, Harvey Fierstein, Ariana Grande.
It was Baltimore. The sixties. Tracy Turnblad wanted to dance on TV. She wanted everyone to dance. Black, white, all together. Clayton was Link, the good-looking boy with a smooth voice. He fell for Tracy. He sang to her. He danced with her. In It Takes Two and Without Love, he showed what he could do. The critics liked it. He had charm. He had style. The show worked.
2. Peel (2019)
Peel (2019) is a drama directed by Rafael Monserrate. Garrett Clayton plays Chad. He is not the lead. He is a piece of the story. Peel, played by Emile Hirsch, is the center. His mother leaves him. He has lived a small life. Now he must step into the world.
Chad is one of the men who move in. He is a roommate, but more than that. He makes things harder. He makes things clearer. Peel learns from him. Learns about people. About life. Clayton plays Chad well. The film is quiet. It is about growing up. About finding family in unexpected places.
3. Teen Beach Movie (2013)
Teen Beach Movie (2013) was a big role for Garrett Clayton. He played Tanner, a surfer. He and his friend Brady, played by Ross Lynch, were pulled into a 1960s beach film. It was bright. It was loud. It had music. Clayton could sing. He could dance. He did both in Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ and Meant to Be.
The film was a hit. People noticed him. He looked the part. He had the charm. He played the old-school heartthrob but made it new. It worked. The movie did well, so they made another. In 2015, Teen Beach 2 came out. Clayton was Tanner again.
4. Teen Beach 2 (2015)
Teen Beach 2 (2015) brought Garrett Clayton back as Tanner. The first film pulled him into the past. This time, the past came to him. The surfers and bikers landed in the modern world. It was different. It was strange. Tanner had to find his way.
Clayton had grown. His dancing was sharper. His singing was strong. He led numbers like Gotta Be Me and Falling for Ya. The film was about identity. About knowing who you are. Tanner and his friends tried to fit in. It wasn’t easy. Clayton played it well. He had charm. He had humor. His work with Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell stood out. The film did well. It proved he could do more.
5. Holiday Spin (2012)
Holiday Spin (2012) was one of Garrett Clayton’s early roles. He played Blake, a teenager with nowhere to go. His mother was dead. His father, Ruben, played by Ralph Macchio, took him in. They barely knew each other. Ruben ran a dance studio. It was struggling.
Blake didn’t care at first. He was angry. He wanted out. But then came the dancing. He learned. He got better. He found a partner. They had a chance. A holiday competition could save the studio. Clayton danced well. It would become his trademark. The film was about family. About loss. About second chances at Christmas.
6. Don’t Hang Up (2016)
Don’t Hang Up (2016) was different for Garrett Clayton. No songs. No dancing. Just fear. He played Brady, a prankster. He and his friends made calls. They laughed. It was a game. Then the calls turned on them. Someone was watching. Someone wanted revenge.
The night spiraled fast. Fear set in. The jokes were gone. Clayton showed it—panic, regret, terror. He wasn’t just a Disney star anymore. He could do more. He could go dark. The film was tense. British-American. Directed by Damien Macé and Alexis Wajsbrot. Gregg Sulkin and Bella Dayne were there too. It was brutal. It was real.
7. Virginia (2010)
Virginia (2010) was one of Garrett Clayton’s first films. A small role. A start. Dustin Lance Black directed. Jennifer Connelly played Virginia. She was troubled. She had an affair with the sheriff, played by Ed Harris. It made things worse. Her son, Emmett, was caught in the middle.
Clayton wasn’t the focus. But he was there. Learning. Watching. It was before Disney. Before the big roles. The film went to Toronto. It didn’t make much money. But it had something. It showed small-town life. Mental illness. Family struggles. It wasn’t a hit, but it was part of the journey. A step forward.
Conclusion
Garrett Clayton turns 34. He started young. He sang. He danced. He played the heartthrob. But he didn’t stay there. He wanted more. He took on harder roles. Darker stories. He proved he could act. What makes him stand out is honesty. In 2018, he came out. He was promoting Reach. The story hit close to home. He spoke about it. He didn’t hide. Since then, he has used his voice. For LGBTQ+ rights. For mental health. He stands for something. Fans celebrate him today. Not just for his work. For who he is. He takes risks. He keeps pushing. He makes it count. Happy 34th, Garrett Clayton.
FAQs
Q1: Who is Garrett Clayton and why should I care?
A: The actor Garrett Clayton achieved Disney success before moving on to mature dramatic roles. The March 19th birthday of Gary Michael Clayton marks his 34th year of life in 2025. Those who have not followed Clayton’s journey from Disney teen star to serious performer have denied themselves the chance to see a performer who excels in the areas of singing and acting.
Q2: What’s his most famous work?
A: Clayton first rose to fame as Tanner, the singing, surfing heartthrob of Disney’s “Teen Beach Movie” series. He then showcased his acting prowess in the NBC’s live production of Hairspray. as Link Larkin, which showed that he could stand his ground against such talents as Harvey Fierstein and Ariana Grande, not to mention, tap dance.
Q3: Did he only do lighthearted musical roles?
A: Absolutely not! Clayton has also been delving into thrillers such as “Don’t Hang Up” where he switched from dancing to cold sweats as a prankster who gets a taste of his own medicine. He has also done complex dramatic roles in movies such as “Peel” proving that there is more to him than just the pearly whites and well groomed hair.
Amit Gupta is a 2016 graduate of Delhi University, India. After working over a decade as an additional writer at TheScoopVilla, he decided to start his own news publication. He mainly focuses on Bollywood News, Hindi and South Indian Movies, Web series articles and editorials. He likes to cooking and play cricket in his free time. Follow On Facebook.