Craig Eric Sheffer (born April 23, 1960) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his starring roles as Hardy Jenns in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Aaron "Cabal" Boone in Nightbreed (1990), Norman Maclean in A River Runs Through It (1992), Joe Kane in The Program (1993), Joseph in Bliss (1997), and as Keith Scott on the television series One Tree Hill (2003–12).
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Early life
Sheffer was born in York, Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a prison guard. He began acting in school plays while attending York Suburban Senior High School, competing in regional and state drama competitions. He attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania for two years on a sports scholarship, playing baseball and football, until sustaining a knee injury. He dropped out in 1980 to pursue his acting career.
Sheffer moved to New York City at the behest of his then-girlfriend, but they broke up shortly thereafter, and Sheffer spent some time homeless. He "slept under the marble staircase" in Grand Central Terminal for weeks while living off Unification Church spaghetti dinners, and made a living selling newspapers.
Career
After appearing in commercials, Sheffer was first seen on a nationwide basis as Ian Hayden on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live in 1982, and on the short-lived primetime drama The Hamptons in 1983. In 1984, he was cast in his first film role, as the romantic lead opposite Pia Zadora in the genre-bending musical Voyage of the Rock Aliens. He also starred in the Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy, replacing Paul Joynt midway through its run.
