Joseph "Joey" Lawrence (born April 20, 1976) is an American actor, singer, and TV host. He is known for his roles in the TV series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey. In his most recent film, Hit List, Joey plays a hit man out to prove his love to a woman with a lot of enemies.

Early life

Lawrence was born Joseph Lawrence Mignogna, Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Donna Mignogna, a personnel manager and former elementary school teacher, and Joseph Lawrence Mignogna, Sr., an insurance broker. He is of Italian descent. His family's surname was changed to "Lawrence" during his childhood. He has two younger brothers, Matthew and Andrew, who are also actors.

He graduated from Abington Friends School in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, in 1994, and later attended the University of Southern California.

Career

Acting

Lawrence's first acting role was in a Cracker Jack commercial. At the age of five, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he performed the song "Give My Regards to Broadway". After appearing in guest spots on Diff'rent Strokes and Silver Spoons, Lawrence won the role of Joey Donovan on the hit NBC sitcom Gimme a Break! in 1983. He continued in that role until the series ended in 1987. Lawrence provided the voice of Oliver, the protagonist in the 1988 Disney film Oliver & Company.

From 1991 to 1995, Lawrence co-starred in the hit TV series Blossom, in which he played Joey Russo, a teenager who frequently said "Whoa!" which, due to the success of the show, became something of a self-conscious catchphrase in the United States.

Lawrence has also starred in the series Brotherly Love (which featured his real life brothers Matthew and Andrew Lawrence) and Run of the House, and has guest starred on such programs as American Dreams and CSI: NY. One of Lawrence's film credits is Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) in which he costarred with Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, and Hart Bochner.

In 2006, Lawrence appeared on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Paired with professional dancer Edyta ?liwi?ska, he placed third in the competition. In May 2007, he starred in the Broadway hit Chicago as Billy Flynn. He next hosted a dance competition show on The Learning Channel, Master of Dance, which premiered June 9, 2008.

In 2009, Lawrence starred in the television movie My Fake Fiancé with Melissa Joan Hart, which premiered on ABC Family to 3.6 million viewers, becoming the most-watched television movie of the ratings season, sweeping top rank in its time-period in key demos. In August 2010, Lawrence returned to television in the ABC Family sitcom Melissa & Joey, opposite Melissa Joan Hart. Hart plays a woman who hires Lawrence as a nanny to help care for her incarcerated sister's kids. Lawrence's character is a former figure in the financial industry whose company came under investigation for wrongdoing and caused his professional life to be put on hold.

In 2012, he was contracted to be a Chippendales dancer for a special engagement in June at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Music

Lawrence has said that music was always his passion, and at the height of his success began a recording career. Lawrence was 16 when his debut album Joey Lawrence was released in February 1993. Produced by Steve Barri, Tony Peluso, Terry Lupton, Ian Prince and Teddy Riley, Lawrence co-wrote some material, including the international hit single "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix" (#6 Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, #10 Billboard Top 40 Mainstream, #19 Billboard Hot 100, #13 United Kingdom, #68 Australia). The song was used as the end-title theme from the movie Cop and a Half; its music video received heavy airplay on MTV and MuchMusic, and Lawrence was invited to perform live on MTV's Spring Break, The Arsenio Hall Show, and the UK's Top of the Pops in 1993.

In July 2008, Lawrence told TV Guide that he was working on a new album composed mostly of ballads. In June 2011 he released his new single entitled Rolled, which was available as a free download for one week on ABCFamily's website. In July, Joey released a second single, "Give It To Ya (Acoustic)" via Pledge Music.

Personal life

Lawrence married Michelle Vella in 2002; the couple divorced in 2005. He met his second wife, Chandie Yawn-Nelson, while on vacation in Disney World when the two were teenagers; they married there 13 years later, in July 2005. The couple have two daughters, Charleston (born 2006) and Liberty Grace (born March 2010).

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1985	Summer Rental	Bobby Chester
1988	Pulse	David Rockland
1988	Oliver & Company	Oliver (voice)
1994	Radioland Murders	Frankie Marshall
1995	'	Chad (voice)
2000	Urban Legends: Final Cut	Graham Manning
2000	Desperate But Not Serious	Darby
2001	Do You Wanna Know a Secret?	Hank Ford
2001	'	Wolfpack Leader (voice)	Video
2002	Trois 2: Pandora's Box	Det. Anderson
2006	Rest Stop	Officer Michael Deacon	Video
2008	Killer Pad	Joey Lawrence
2010	Sinatra Club	Louie 'Pipes' Pepitone
2011	Tumor & Gooch	Gooch	Short film
2011	Hit List	Lyle
2013	Havana Heat	Agent Sean Franklin	Pre-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Scamps	Sparky	TV short
1982	Diff'rent Strokes	Joey	Episode: "Big Brother"
1982	Silver Spoons	Joey Thompson	Episode: "The Best Christmas Ever"
1983	Little Shots	Pete	TV film
1983	Wait till Your Mother Gets Home!	Chris Peters	TV film
1983-1987	Gimme a Break!	Joey Donovan	Main role (77 episodes)
1984	Young People's Specials	Billy	Episode: "Umbrella Jack"
1985	ABC Afterschool Special	Mattie	Episode: "Don't Touch"
1989	Adventures in Babysitting	Brad Anderson	TV pilot
1990-1995	Blossom	Joey Russo	Main role (114 episodes)
1991	Chains of Gold	Tommy	TV film
1993	Olsen Twins Mother's Day Special	Singer	TV film
1993	Almost Home	Jeff Thornton	Episode: "Girls and Boy"
1993	Empty Nest	Wade	Episode: "Aunt Verne Knows Best"
1995	'	Carly's Brother	Episode: "Whipping Post"
1995	Something Wilder	J.J. Travis	Episode: "Bergman of Alcatraz"
1995	Prince for a Day	Ralph Bitondo / Ricky Prince	TV film
1995-1997	Brotherly Love	Joe Roman	Main role (40 episodes)
1996	Brothers of the Frontier	Ethan Frye	TV film
1999	Touched by an Angel	Jesse	Episode: "Fool for Love"
1999	Horse Sense	Michael Woods	TV film
1999	Recess	Franklin Dudikoff (voice)	Episode: "The Dude"
2001	Jumping Ship	Michael Woods	TV film
2002	Romantic Comedy 101	Mark Gibson	TV film
2002	'	Dex Finley (voice)	Episode: "Eye of the Storm"
2002-2003	American Dreams	Michael Brooks	11 episodes
2003-2004	Run of the House	Kurt Franklin	19 episodes
2004	Love Rules!	Michael Warner	TV film
2005	Bow	Matt	TV film
2005	Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber	Ferguson	TV film
2005-2006	Half & Half	Brett Mahoney	9 episodes
2006	Android Apocalypse	DeeCee	TV film
2007	CSI: NY	Clay Dobson	3 episodes
2007	'	Dirk Brock (voice)	Episode: "Emperor's New Musical"
2008	'	Dirk Brock (voice)	Episode: "Kuzcokazooza/Kuzco's Little Secret"
2009	My Fake Fiancé	Vince	TV film
2010"present	Melissa & Joey	Joe Longo	Main role (45 episodes)
2011	'	Zeus	TV film
2012	Hitched for the Holidays	Rob	TV film

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	Chicago	Billy Flynn	Replacement

Discography

Studio albums

• Joey Lawrence (1993) #74 US Album Charts
• Soulmates (1997)

Singles

• "Nothin' My Love Can't Fix" (1993) #19 US Hot 100, #13 UK Single Charts

US Promo CD

1. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (LP Version) 3:59
2. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (D. Abraham Slam Mix) 4:00
3. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (D. Abraham Alternate Slam Mix) 4:24
4. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (Slam Fade Mix) 3:40
5. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (D. Abraham Alternate Extended Mix) 5:13

Europe Maxi-CD

1. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix 4:06
2. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix [D Abraham Slam Mix] 4:02
3. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix [D Abraham Alternate Extended Mix] 5:13

• "Stay Forever" (1993) #52 US Hot 100

US Maxi-CD

1. Stay Forever (Album Version " Fade) 4:04
2. Stay Forever (Groove Mix) 4:05
3. Stay Forever (Street Corner Beat Box " Edit) 3:45
4. Stay Forever (Spanglish) 3:57

UK Maxi-CD

1. Stay Forever 4:22
2. I Can't Help Myself (Alternative Mix)4:05
3. I Can't Help Myself (12" Edit)4:01
4. Joey Interview (Part II) 5:08

• "I Can't Help Myself" (1993) #27 UK Single Charts

UK Maxi-CD

1. I Can't Help Myself 4:25
2. Joey Lawrence Interview 4:15
3. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (Instrumental Remix) 3:59
4. Nothin' My Love Can't Fix (D. Abraham Alternate Slam Mix) 4:00

• "Ven Ven Conmigo" (1997)

US Single

1. Ven Ven Conmigo
2. Never Gonna Change My Mind

• "Never Gonna Change My Mind" (1997)

UK CD

1. Never Gonna Change My Mind (Soul Version) 3:45

UK Maxi-CD

1. Never Gonna Change My Mind (Mr. Mig & Adam World Mix) 4:05
2. Never Gonna Change My Mind (Jason Nevins Radio Remix) 3:59
3. Never Gonna Change My Mind (Jason Nevins Import Club Mix) 8:57

• "Rolled" (2011)
• "Give It To Ya (Acoustic)" (2011)

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