Bio
Sean Kanan is an American actor best known for his role as Deacon Sharpe on The Bold And The Beautiful, who he played from 2000 - 2005. He is also known for his role as Mike Barnes in the third Karate Kid movie.
Kanan was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
As a child, Kanan studied Karate and began to pursue acting at age 12. In high school, Kanan participated in theatre arts productions and performed in local comedy clubs.
After graduation, Kanan went on to attend Boston University where he majored in Political Science. While at BU, Kanan satisfied his extra-curricular requirements with acting courses, and pursued roles in local television productions.
Securing roles in TV shows like Spencer: For Hire convinced Kanan to transfer to UCLA and move to Los Angeles, in order to complete his Political Science degree and pursue a career in acting.
After arriving in Los Angeles, it wasn't long before Kanan was able to secure roles in film and television. One of his first Hollywood jobs was the role of Ralph Macchio's nemesis Mike Barnes in Karate Kid III. Director John G. Avildsen picked Kanan out of 2000 hopefuls at an open call audition.
Following Karate Kid III, Kanan signed on to the Fox television series The Outsiders, which was produced by Francis Ford Coppola.
Kanan's other notable TV roles include parts in Oliver Stone's Wild Palms, two Perry Mason mysteries, and daytime dramas General Hospital and Sunset Beach.
Kanan has made guest appearances on popular shows such as Who's the Boss?, VIP, The Nanny, Walker: Texas Ranger, and Lois & Clark.
Kanan's recent film credits include the indy comedy Chump Change, and two HBO movies Crash Point Zero and Chaos Factor.
Kanan has also appeared in several theatrical productions including Sam Shepard's True West and Irish Coffee.
Sean Kanan's body of work goes beyond acting, and his resume has grown to include writing and producing credits.
In 1995, Kanan co-wrote, produced, and starred in Oasis Cafe, a short film reminiscent of the Twilight Zone and which examines the death penalty.
In early 2001, he produced and starred as the lead character in March, a film about a man whose perfect life comes crashing down and must rebound on the road to redemption.
Kanan followed March with Chasing Holden, a movie he wrote and co-executive produced, and which is loosely based on his boarding school experiences.
Chasing Holden is about a military school student, who goes on a journey that parallels that of the character Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. The film stars DJ Qualls, Rachel Blanchard, and Kanan.
Away from the set, Kanan spends his personal time studying martial arts, writing scripts, and honing his stand-up material. Kanan has performed his stand-up act at The Comedy Store, The Improv, Dangerfield's, and Catch a Rising Star.
During Christmas '99 Kanan accompanied Christie Brinkley and Al Franken as guests of Secretary of Defence William Cohen, to Bosnia and Kosovo where they entertained U.S. troops.
As his career continues to evolve, Kanan endeavours to write and produce interesting projects, and to find diverse and challenging roles in film, television, and on stage.