Jared's father walked out on the family when he was very young. So, his hippie Air Force mother was left to raise him and his brother on her own, and money was tight. Though there were bumps in the road, Jared eventually graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City with a desire to take up acting as a career. He picked up a couple of small roles after school while working on music as well, until eventually he got his big break in the form of a role on ABC’s My So Called Life.