Blessed with boyish good looks and an appealing screen presence, actor Scott Speedman rose to fame as a featured player opposite Keri Russell on the popular romantic-drama series "Felicity" (The WB, 1998-2002), on which he played the titular character's object of desire, Ben Covington. The overnight success of "Felicity" opened the door to feature film opportunities for Speedman, who made his feature debut opposite Maria Bello in the karaoke-themed comedy-drama "Duets" (2000), followed by a turn alongside Kurt Russell in the gritty cop-drama "Dark Blue" (2002). That same year, Speedman was featured prominently opposite Kate Beckinsale in the hit action-horror movie "Underworld" (2002), the first entry in a successful franchise. Other notable roles came in the action-adventure "xXx: State of the Union" (2005) and a reprisal of his character Michael, the werewolf-vampire hybrid, in the sequel "Underworld: Evolution" (2006). He scored another modest hit two years later with the grim thriller "The Strangers" (2008). Although he had established himself as a TV heartthrob, Speedman consistently sought out more nuanced roles, frequently in independent features, while he nurtured a career aimed more at longevity than marquee recognition.