Zach Gilford

Gilford is the son of Anne and Steve Gilford.^[3] His mother is Lutheran, and his father is Jewish.^[4] He graduated from Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University.^[5][6] He worked as a trip leader for Adventures Cross-Country^[7] and has led wilderness and adventure trips for teenagers to Alaska, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, and the South Pacific. Gilford also worked as a staff member for YMCA Camp Echo in Fremont, Michigan.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, he appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.^[8] In 2006, Gilford landed a regular role in Friday Night Lights: the part of Matt Saracen in the main cast, from Season 1 through Season 3.^[9] In 2009, Gilford was switched to the recurring cast in Seasons 4 and 5. That year, he also made his feature film debut, co-starring in The Last Winter (2006).^[10] He had a cameo in the film Rise: Blood Hunter and guest starred in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.^[11]

In 2009, he co-starred as Adam Davies in the romantic comedy Post Grad opposite Alexis Bledel.^[12] He also starred as Johnny Drake in the romantic drama Dare opposite Emmy Rossum.^[13] In 2010, he starred as Gus in the indie drama film The River Why alongside Amber Heard.^[14] He had a cameo in the movie Super.

In 2010, he joined the cast of ABC's medical drama Off The Map^[15] which premiered in January 2011 but was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2011, he appeared as Taylor Swift's love interest in her music video Ours".^[16] He played the role of Evan in the drama film Answers to Nothing.^[17] In 2012, he starred as Seth in the indie drama film In Our Nature alongside Jena Malone.^[18]

In 2012, he was cast in another medical drama, The Mob Doctor, on Fox, opposite Jordana Spiro; this was also cancelled after 13 episodes.^[19] In January 2013, he appeared with Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand.^[20] He played the role of Matthew Iris in the film Crazy Kind of Love.^[21]

He co-starred alongside Allison Miller in the horror film Devil's Due (2014), set in New Orleans and the Dominican Republic, released on January 17, 2014.^[22] He also co-starred in the film sequel The Purge: Anarchy, released on July 18, 2014.^[23] He guest starred in shows such as Drunk History, Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories and Kingdom.^[24] In 2016, he starred as Danny Warren in the ABC drama series The Family.^[25] In 2017, Gilford starred as Conner Hooks in the YouTube Red futuristic web series Lifeline.^[26]

In 2018, Gilford was cast in the recurring role of Gregg in the NBC series Good Girls.^[27] In 2019, he was cast as Ben Walker in the Bad Boys spinoff drama L.A.'s Finest.^[28] Zach also held a leading role in Midnight Mass released in 2021. In 2022, Gilford was cast in the recurring role of Elias Voit, a series unsub in Criminal Minds: Evolution.^[29] His then real life spouse Kiele Sanchez joined the series as his wife Sydney Voit.^[30]

By January 2026, he was cast in the horror film Evil Dead Wrath from director Francis Galluppi.^[31]

In the spring of 2010, Gilford began dating actress Kiele Sanchez, whom he met on the set of the television pilot for the TV movie Matadors.^[32] The couple became engaged in November 2011,^[33] and married on December 29, 2012.^[34][35] The couple also co-starred in The Purge: Anarchy. In August 2015, Sanchez announced that she and Gilford were expecting a son in November.^[36] In October 2015, they announced that Sanchez had suffered a late-term miscarriage.^[37] The couple have one daughter, born in November 2017 through surrogacy, and a son born in June 2021.^[38][39] Gilford filed for divorce from his wife on April 19, 2025.^[40]