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Laurence Arthur "Larry" Laverty is an American actor renowned for his comedic appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and his supporting roles in Gus Van Sant's Cannes Film Festival-winning film "Elephant" and John Frankenheimer's Cold War drama "The Fourth War." Throughout his career, Laverty has starred or supported in over one hundred films and guest-starred on numerous TV shows, including "Judging Amy" and "The Practice."
Born in Berkeley, California, Laverty's father, Gordon Laverty, was a senior engineer and manager at a leading global utility company, while his mother, Marjorie Laverty, worked as a bookkeeper, historian, and homemaker. His paternal ancestry includes great-great-grandparents from Ireland and great-grandparents from Scotland.
In his youth, Laverty was active in the Boy Scouts of America, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and excelled in track and field from elementary school through his time on the Skyline High School track team in Oakland, California. He developed a love for the outdoors, attending the Yosemite Mountaineering School and frequently engaging in rock climbing, skiing, cycling, and backpacking in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Laverty pursued higher education at Boise State University in Idaho, where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Political Science. During his final year studying Political Science, he took an acting class that sparked his passion for theatre and film.
While dedicating eleven years to pursuing the U.S. Olympic Team in speed skating, Laverty also returned part-time to California to perform at Oakland's Woodminster Summer Musicals, participating in over a dozen musicals and several Shakespearean plays.
In 1988, Laverty signed with his first agent at Steele Agency in San Francisco. The following year, he made his film debut in the action-adventure drama "Deadlock" (1989). Over the next few years, he featured as a principal performer in four national commercials, appeared in various music videos, and narrated corporate films.
After retiring from athletics, Laverty relocated to Los Angeles and signed with his first agent there, William Kerwin. He established himself in Hollywood with numerous TV and soap opera appearances, while maintaining a busy schedule in independent films produced nationwide.
A committed conservationist from a young age, Laverty joined the Sierra Club at 11 and has long supported The Nature Conservancy. His greatest passion lies in animal rights advocacy. He has been a dedicated supporter of PETA, the ASPCA, the Buffalo Field Campaign, and in recent years, has focused on global efforts to protect elephants from extinction in Africa and from suffering in captivity in Asia and other regions.
