Eric Balfour (who played Jesse) played Gabe in Six Feet Under. He was born in Los Angeles in 1977. He began a career in TV and on film aged 15, when a talent scout cast him as a series regular on the musical show Kids Incorporated. Eric has since been in 24, NYPD Blue, The OC, The West Wing, Dawson’s Creek and Chicago Hope. His movie credits include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, America’s Sweethearts, What Women Want and Can’t Hardly Wait (with Seth Green and Amber Benson). He starred alongside Bianca Lawson (Kendra) in the WB’s Fearless, and is currently in Conviction with J. August Richards, who played Charles Gunn in Angel from the end of season one.
Eric and his girlfriend Francoise own a shop on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood called ‘Lou Lou’, which sells the kind of furniture, art and clothing that Eric likes. Eric is a great animal lover, and he’s especially fond of Pitbull terriers, believing them to be misunderstood by many people. He is involved in a programme called “Pets In The Hood”, which takes rescued Pitbulls (who have been abandoned or abused) and brings them into a juvenile detention centre where the kids there are taught to train them so that the dogs can then be adopted. It’s good for the kids too as they learn to respect animals, as well as receiving training on how to work with animals.