Actor Alexander Chaplin was born Alexander Gaberman in New York City. After acting in school plays and doing some theater work, Chaplin went on to attend Juilliard, where he acted in such productions as "The Winter's Tale" and "Women and Wallace." Chaplin made his television debut in 1992 in a three-episode edition of "ABC Afterschool Specials" titled "Summer Stories: The Mall," and a year later made a memorable appearance in an episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street." In 1995, Chaplin appeared alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg in the dark heroin-centered flick "The Basketball Diaries," based on the tumultuous life of punk poet Jim Carroll. As a result of his fast-growing acting resume, Chaplin earned his renowned role as James Hobert on "Spin City," appearing in 88 episodes over a span of four seasons. Subsequently, Chaplin splits his time between work in television ("Numbers," "Scrubs," "Ugly Betty") and film ("The Wedding Weekend," "New York City Serenade," "Cop Dog").