Early life

Merriman was born in Choctaw, Oklahoma, the son of Earl and Nonalyn Merriman. He has a sister named Monica. At a young age, he began acting in commercials, print work, vocal performances, and local theater (Stage Struck Studios) in Oklahoma.

Career

Merriman's first major role was on the television series The Mommies, which ran from 1993 to 1995. During the 1990s, he appeared in most episodes of The Pretender as a younger version of the title character. He has starred in several television films, including Smart House, The Luck of the Irish, and as a young Meyer Lansky in Lansky. He appeared in the 1999 feature film The Deep End of the Ocean, playing the lost son of Michelle Pfeiffer's character, and subsequently starred as the main character, a Jewish boy from the Bronx, in the film 2000 Just Looking. In 2002, he played Adam Eddington in another Disney Channel original movie, A Ring of Endless Light. He then returned to television roles, appearing in Dangerous Child, Taken, and Smallville.

Merriman's other roles include the horror films Halloween: Resurrection (2002), The Ring Two (2005), and Final Destination 3 (2006). He starred in Home of the Giants, a high school drama. He appeared in the CBS miniseries Comanche Moon in January 2008. He played Henry Dunn in the original pilot presentation for Harper's Island, but was replaced by Christopher Gorham when the series was picked up by CBS. From 2010 to 2012, Merriman portrayed Ian Thomas on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars. In 2012, he starred as Dennis Mack in the 16th episode of Season 2 in Hawaii Five-0.

Dwight H. Little wanted Merriman to play Jin Kazama in his film Tekken, but Merriman turned it down. He starred in the Hallmark Channel original movie Elevator Girl as Jonathan, a successful young lawyer who finds himself falling for a free-spirited young woman who is way below his pay grade. In 2011, he appeared as linebacker Jon Abbate in The 5th Quarter, a film about the 2006 football season of Wake Forest University.

Personal life

Merriman was married to Micol Duncan from 2004 to 2011. On January 1, 2012, he became engaged to Kristen McMullen. They were married in September 2014.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	What's Right With America	Todd Gordon
1998	Everything That Rises	Nathan Clay	Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie/Pilot/Mini-Series or Series - Leading Young Actor
1999	Night Ride Home	Justin
1999	Lansky	Meyer Lansky
1999	The Deep End of the Ocean	Sam Karras / Ben Cappadora	Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor
1999	Smart House	Ben Cooper
1999	Just Looking	Lenny Levine	Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor
2000	Rocket's Red Glare	Todd Baker
2001	The Luck of the Irish	Kyle Johnson
2001	Dangerous Child	Jack Cambridge	Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Special - Leading Young Actor
2002	Halloween: Resurrection	Myles Barton
2002	A Ring of Endless Light	Adam Eddington
2003	Spin	Eddie Haley
2005	The Colt	Jim Rabb
2005	Rings	Jake	Short film
2005	The Ring Two	Jake
2006	Final Destination 3	Kevin Fischer
2007	Home of the Giants	Matt Morrison
2008	Backwoods	Adam
2009	Wild Cherry	Stanford
2010	Elevator Girl	Johnathan	Television film
2011	The 5th Quarter	Jon Abbate
2012	Cheesecake Casserole	Andy
2012	Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader	Kyle
2012	My Hometown	Rick Dickson
2013	Dose of Reality	Matt
2013	42	Dixie Walker
2014	The Last Rescue	Paratrooper Griggs

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993-1995	The Mommies	Blake Kellogg	30 episodes Nominated — Young Artist Award for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series
1995	The Client	Jeff Dietrich	Episode: "The Way Things Were"
1996-2000	The Pretender	Young Jarod / Gemini	50 episodes Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Supporting Young Actor (1997) Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Supporting Young Actor (1998, 1999)
2001	Touched by an Angel	Jason Harris	Episode: "Visions of thy Father"
2002	Taken	Sam Crawford	Episode: "Acid Tests" Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Special - Supporting Young Actor
2003-2004	Veritas: The Quest	Nikko Zond	13 episodes
2004	Smallville	Jason Dante	Episode: "Velocity"
2008	Comanche Moon	Jake Spoon	3 episodes
2010-2014	Pretty Little Liars	Ian Thomas	16 episodes
2012	Hawaii Five-0	Dennis Mack	Episode: "I Helu Pu"
2014	Ballers	Frat Boy	Episode: "Pilot"

[ Source: Wikipedia ]