Simon From 7th Heaven Is Unrecognizable Today
If you were alive during the 1990s, chances are you've seen at least a few episodes of the hit show "7th Heaven" about the trials and tribulations of the Camden family. The family-centric show, which starred Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks, Jessica Biel, Beverley Mitchell, Barry Watson, Mackenzie Rosman, and David Gallagher, among others, aired from 1996 to 2007 on The CW (then known as The WB). If you've ever wondered whatever happened to the cast of "7th Heaven," we have news on one cast member: David Gallagher, who played the youngest son, Simon Camden.
Today, Gallagher is committed to his career and regularly appears in roles on film and television in addition to nabbing voiceover work in video games and animated series. So, even if you haven't seen Gallagher on your screen in the past few years, you may have heard his voice!
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gallagher said he enjoys playing characters different from ones he's played before. "I look to challenge myself with a character that's not like myself or anything I've done before," he said. "I'd like to be that chameleon ... I want to be that actor that surprises you when you see him in a project, and you go, 'Yes! I love that guy. He's in this? Awesome.'" And some of these roles are certainly different from that of Simon Camden. In fact, Gallagher also looks completely different than he did in his "7th Heaven" days.
Growing facial hair helped David Gallagher land different types of roles
David Gallagher's younger, round, and hair-free baby face was ideal for the character of Simon, the innocent do-gooder on "7th Heaven." But as the actor grew older, he grew facial hair, which changed his look from the sweet, young Camden boy to a grown man. With facial hair, Gallagher was able to disguise his boyish looks and transform himself to score more mature and edgier roles after "7th Heaven."
Gallagher discussed with Entertainment Weekly how embracing his look helped him land a role in the sci-fi thriller, "Super 8," saying, "I went in there scruffy and grungy ... and once I realized what I was doing there, I was like, 'Oh, this works to my advantage.'" He continued, "At one point after the audition, they called and asked for pictures ... I found a picture of myself fishing ... my hair was shaggy, and I look incredibly stoned. So that's the picture I sent in to them, which reinforced the look that I had."
Gallagher was ultimately cast as Donny, the local marijuana dealer who is stoned 24/7. Although his character is a bit of a ne'er-do-well, the story reveals that behind his rough exterior, he has a heart of gold. The character also provides great comic relief for the plot which consists of a train derailment, mysterious disappearances, and otherworldly forces.
He's portrayed a suspected killer a handful of times over the years
Shortly after David Gallagher's time on "7th Heaven" came to an end, he found himself playing murder suspects and serial killers, a far cry from the role that made him famous. However, Gallagher embraced it, booking several TV appearances in the first few years after "7th Heaven." In fact, his very first role after "7th Heaven" was a recurring guest appearance on the TV show "Numb3rs" playing a serial killer named Buck Winters. He then played a similar role as a suspected killer in "CSI: Miami."
In 2008, Gallagher played another suspect in a murder investigation, a man named Paul Shapiro, on TNT's hit drama "Saving Grace." A few months later, he appeared on CBS' "Without A Trace" as a character thought to have caused the disappearance of a local nurse. And, in 2010, Gallagher played an innocent man who was charged with second-degree murder in the TV series "The Deep End."
Commenting on his newfound talent for portraying edgy and complex characters, Gallagher told Entertainment Weekly, "I'd spent a decade on '7th Heaven' playing Simon, which was a great opportunity for me ... But ultimately, at the end of the day, I wanted to be challenged by something new." He added, "And as I got older, I became far more interested in the darker characters."
He starred in a campy, straight-to-DVD horror movie
After "7th Heaven," along with playing edgier characters, David Gallagher also explored the world of campy horror films. His first horror role was in "Boogeyman 2" directed by Jeff Betancourt, who's primarily known as a top-notch film editor, having worked on films such as "The Grudge," "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," and "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle." "Boogeyman 2" went straight to DVD in 2008 after being shown at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood in late 2007. However, the film was later released in theaters in Russia, Italy, Mexico, and Venezuela, among other countries.
The film follows Laura Porter, played by Danielle Savre, a girl who checks herself into a mental health clinic to help overcome her fear of the mythical Boogeyman due to a traumatic childhood event. Gallagher plays a patient at the clinic named Mark who has nyctophobia, or a fear of the dark. Throughout the film, the characters are killed off one by one in a way that emphasizes their fears in an approach similar to the "Final Destination" films.
The actor has appeared in a superhero drama
After "7th Heaven," David Gallagher appeared in multiple TV series, including a superhero drama, "Smallville," which was quite popular in the early 2000s. "Smallville" is based on the origin of Superman and features the fictional characters of Clark Kent and Lois Lane derived from the classic comic books written and illustrated by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Also derived from previous media are the Wonder Twins, whom Gallagher and Alison Scagliotti played in the episode "Idol" in Season 9 of "Smallville." The Wonder Twins first appeared on an animated show called "The All-New Superhero Friends Hour" as supporting characters and were later added to the official DC Comics Universe. Gallagher played the twin named Zan, who, with his twin sister, Jayna, is able to morph into animals and water-based forms. In the episode, mistakes made with their powers cause issues for Clark and Lois. But, by the end of the episode, everything is resolved.
He lost out on the lead role in The Vampire Diaries
Although many loved David Gallagher as Simon Camden on "7th Heaven," the role, unfortunately, later prevented him from getting work once the show ended. One prime example is Gallagher's unsuccessful attempt to secure the role of Damon Salvatore on "The Vampire Diaries."
Along with Gallagher, a few actors were considered for the anti-hero role, including Michael Trevino and Zach Roerig. Trevino and Roerig were both cast as other characters in the series: Trevino as Tyler Lockwood and Roerig as Matt Donovan. Unfortunately, Gallagher was cut from the casting because the production team worried that viewers wouldn't be able to detach him from the "7th Heaven" role he was known for.
"Vampire Diaries" executive producer Julie Plec recalled Gallagher's audition for the pilot in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying, "He impressed us so much originally, and we said, 'Gosh, he's really a good actor, but that whole '7th Heaven' thing... I wonder if he'll ever be able to get past that.'" Ultimately, the role went to Ian Somerhalder.
But he later nabbed a small role on the show
Although David Gallagher didn't get a chance to play a regular character on "The Vampire Diaries," the production team later cast him in two episodes as Ray Sutton. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Gallagher discussed his intentions for the audition. "Ultimately, I just went in and tried to bring a little bit of personality, a little bit of a smile," he said. "The charismatic bad guy, that's the sensibility I brought into the audition, and it seemed to apply well to what Ray needed to be."
"The Vampire Diaries" executive producer Julie Plec, who initially let Gallagher's role in "7th Heaven" get in the way of his casting, explained to the outlet that Gallagher's performance in "Super 8" changed her view of him. "I had no idea it was him until after the movie was over and my friend said, 'What did you think of David Gallagher? Wasn't he great?'" she said. "I guess he found a way to get past the '7th Heaven' thing. I was just so impressed by the choices he's making as an actor and how committed he is, that when he came into read for the Ray part, there was no hesitation wanting to get him into this world and play with us."
David Gallagher showed another new side of him in the 2011 film Trophy Kids
In 2011, David Gallagher appeared in the film "Trophy Kids" directed by Josh Sugarman. The drama-romance explores the concept of millennials growing up in a society where they feel entitled and how this interferes with their ability to face the real world as adults.
Gallagher plays a lead in the film and shows audiences a side to him they've never seen. He plays an aspiring filmmaker and scriptwriter caught in a love triangle while trying to discover his life's truth. In an interview with Hollywire alongside Sugarman, Gallagher spoke about his character. "He obviously thinks he's much better at his craft than he appears to be," he said, tying his character's arc into the overlying theme of the film.
Gallagher also opened up in the interview about his personal connection to the character, saying, "I really related to his sense of self-doubt with his art and wanting to be really great, and wanting to live up to as special as he was told he was, and struggling with that... and fighting with the thought of 'maybe I'm gonna fail at being special.'" The movie went on to win two awards at the Breckenridge Festival of Film, including Best Visual Effects and Best Ensemble Cast.
He voices a character in the video game series Kingdom Hearts
As we touched on earlier, David Gallagher has done voiceover work for animated series and video games, including the video game series "Kingdom Hearts," which is designed around different worlds from Disney films and which features various Disney characters. Between 2002 and 2020, Gallagher is credited several times as voicing Riku, a lead character who becomes evil before finding his true self. This tally includes the original "Kingdom Hearts" as well as special remix editions of the games.
The Daily Motion shared a video interview of Gallagher discussing his character. After joking about his "bad boy" character, he delved into the meat of the video game series. "I think the 'Kingdom Hearts' franchise is really attractive because it ... literally brings together two proven franchises and it just makes it twice as powerful," he said. Of course, he's referring to the Disney franchise coming together with Square, which brings with it the "Final Fantasy" characters that older gamers may remember.
Along with his voiceover work in "Kingdom Hearts," Gallagher has also done voiceover work for "The Wild Thornberrys" and "Rocket Power."
The actor dedicates his time to important causes
David Gallagher's work also includes contributing his time to important causes that are meaningful to him. He has been an ambassador for the non-profit foundation Cure Autism Now (now known as Autism Speaks), an organization that focuses on improving the quality of everyday life for people living with autism and supporting biological research in the field, with the goal of one day finding a cure. The cause is one that's near and dear to the actor's heart, as Gallagher's younger brother, Killian, has autism.
Gallagher's ambassador duties with the organization included serving as a spokesperson. His giving nature, however, didn't stop with his work for autism; he has also supported and contributed to other organizations such as Camp Ronald McDonald; PETA; Sierra's Light Foundation, a child advocacy group; and Famous Fone Friends, a program that connects sick children with their favorite TV and film celebrities.