Chad got his start in show business when his mother started entering him and his twin sister Charity in "twin contests" at fairs, and they won quite a few times. People kept telling his mother how cute the twins looked together, and that she should try to get the them into acting.

Charity didn't much like show business at all, but Chad was bitten by the acting bug. It was decided that Chad Lazzari sounded like a name for a dark-haired Italian, not a blond, blue-eyed boy, and he started out on his acting career as Chad Allen instead. His first job was in a McDonalds television commercial, at age four. His first dramatic work came at age six, in a pilot for a television series that never went into production, Cutter to Houston.

His first big break in a television series happened when he was eight and joined the cast of "St. Elsewhere" as Tommy Westphall, an autistic boy. He played that character literally until the very end, when he was the last actor on-screen in the final scene of the final episode of St. Elsewhere in 1988. During that period, he worked continuously (and sometimes simultaneously) on a succession of other successful TV shows: Webster (1985-1986), Our House (1986-1988) and My Two Dads (1989-1990).

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We are pleased to announce that Chad has just accepted a position on the Honorary Board of Directors for

THE MATTHEW SHEPARD FOUNDATION

VISION: To educate and enlighten others on the importance of diversity, understanding, compassion, acceptance and respect. Everyone must participate in developing solutions to problems that are rooted in ignorance and hatred.

MISSION STATEMENT: To support diversity programs in education and to help youth organizations establish environments where young people can feel safe and be themselves.

GOAL: To replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance.

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