Galen Gering
Galen Laius Gering (born February 13, 1971) is an American actor most known for his portrayal of characters on daytime soap operas. He plays the role of Rafe Hernandez on the long-running NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. Prior to his current role, he acted on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions.
Early life
Gering was born Galen Laius Gering in Los Angeles, California, to Alan Gering and Michele de Oñate, a renowned west coast artist. He is of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side and Basque on his mother's (his great-grandfather was a Basque immigrant). He has an older sister, Charissa. Gering was close to his grandmother, who was also an artist.
At the age of 18, Gering moved to New York City to start a modeling career and finished high school remotely. He traveled Europe as a model before attending New York University for a year. Gering finished college at the University of Miami where he studied creative writing and film.
Career
In 1999, Gering learned of a role in an upcoming NBC daytime soap called Passions through Irene Marie Models. By the time Gering graduated from UM, he was already taping Passions, where he had landed the role of Officer Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. Gering was named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2000, and remained with Passions until its cancellation in 2008.