Name at birth: Zachary Levi Pugh

Zachary Levi became the star and title character of the television series Chuck in 2007. On stage since childhood, Zachary Levi spent his teen years in southern California and broke into show business by way of guest roles on TV. As a regular on the ABC sitcom Less Than Perfect (2002-06), Levi won over audiences despite playing the stiff-necked nitwit Kipp Steadman. That led to his status as leading man on the TV show Chuck in 2007. He played Chuck Bartowski, a computer nerd who inadvertently got a brain full of U.S. government secrets. The NBC show showcased Levi's talents in comedy, action and romance, and earned a fan base loyal enough that a fan campaign saved the series from being canceled in 2010. Zachary Levi's feature films include Big Momma's House 2 (2006), Shades of Ray (2008) and the animated feature Tangled (2010, as hero Flynn Rider, opposite Mandy Moore as Rapunzel).

Zachary Levi and co-star Mandy Moore sang Tangled's "I See the Light" for the 2011 Oscar ceremony (the song was nominated for best original song)... In the series Chuck, Levi's father is played by Scott Bakula.