Netflix's newest fan favorite is the heartbreaking 13 Reasons Why. A teen drama based on the
2007 Jay Asher novel of the same name, the series features a ton of fresh-faced actors,
including one you'll swear you've seen before: Dylan Minnette, who stars as Clay Jensen.
Why is he so familiar? Here are thirteen reasons why ...
Saving Grace
Minnette first made his mark in 2007 as a series regular in this TNT crime drama, where
he played another character named Clay: the young and oh-so lovable Clay Norman, the nephew
of the strung-out, self-destructive detective played by Holly Hunter. Minnette's mature
performance earned him back-to-back Young Artist Awards in 2008 and 2009.
Lost
His next big TV role was short-lived, but what a role it was: in 2010, Minnette played
David Shephard, the sort-of son of Jack and Juliet, on the controversial sixth and final
season of the time-hopping ABC adventure drama Lost.
Fans likely remember Minnette from the episode "Lighthouse," in which Jack sits David down
for a heart-to-heart …
"I will always love you. No matter what you do. In my eyes, you can never fail."
Too bad Minnette's character only existed in a post-death metaphysical realm ... but
that's just how Lost rolled.
Let Me In
Here's where things get dark. Minnette entered the horror scene that same year as a bully
named Kenny in this adaptation of the 2008 Swedish vampire flick, Let the Right One In.
"Hey little girl."
His chilling portrayal of the pre-teen tormentor earned him two more Young Artist Award nominations.
The kid's on a roll.
Awake
Audiences definitely woke up when they first saw Minnette spinning through the air in this
short-lived 2010 NBC police procedural. Starring Jason Isaacs Awake followed an LAPD detective
who's torn between two different timelines after a car accident launches him into the
supernatural.
Minnette plays Britten's son, Rex, appearing only in what's known as the "green reality,"
the world in which Rex survives the tragedy and his mother doesn't. Apparently he has
a gift for playing teens who may or may not really exist...
Prisoners
In 2013, the then 17-year-old Minnette joined an impressive ensemble in this thriller centered
around one father's primal reaction to an unthinkable crime.
Minnette plays Ralph Dover, son of Hugh Jackman's Keller, who abducts and tortures a man he
suspects has kidnapped his daughter. With his fellow cast members, Minnette won the
National Board of Review Award for best ensemble.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Minnette's next project was a leading role in this 2014 family comedy. Minnette played
Alexander's older brother, Anthony, an accident-prone teen dealing with the drama of an on-again/off-again
relationship with his girlfriend, while also struggling to pass his driving test ...
"I'll be your driving examiner."
"I don't think he passed."
Oops. But check out that Clay Jensen-esque forehead bandage: How uncanny is that?
Goosebumps
Minnette jumped into the spooky world of R. L. Stine in this 2015 comedy as Zach Cooper,
the fictionalized Stine's unassuming neighbor. The film follows Zach as he settles into his
new, small-town Maryland home after moving from the Big Apple … and accidentally brings
Stine's scary stories to life ...
"Maybe they're friendly?"
"Not friendly! Definitely not friendly!"
Don't Breathe
Minnette's most recent appearance on the silver screen was in this claustrophobic 2016 horror
gem as Alex, one of three friends who gets trapped inside the house of a terrifying character
known as "The Blind Man." Alex struggles to make it out alive, facing multiple deadly
obstacles on his way.
But that's not all...
Still don't know where you've seen Minnette? How about his 2009 appearance as Danny Carter
in season four of Supernatural? Or as a teen accused of murder on the supernatural
drama Medium?
Or maybe his 2012 appearance on Law & Order: SVU as a troubled teen entangled in a sexual
assault case? What about his role as the icy supervillain Blizzard on Marvel's Agents
of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Or maybe you saw him get whacked on the heart-stopping political drama Scandal, where he played the
president's doomed son? That'd be lucky 13.
There you have it: thirteen reasons why Clay from 13 Reasons Why looks so darn familiar.
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