Breckin Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Dorothy, a travel agent, and Christopher Meyer, a management consultant. His early life took him to Los Angeles, where he attended grade school with the renowned actress Drew Barrymore. He later went on to attend Beverly Hills High School alongside Joshua John Miller and Branden Williams.
It was Barrymore who introduced Breckin to her agent, paving the way for his early career in commercials and the game show Child's Play in 1982. After being accepted to California State University at Northridge, Breckin decided to put his academic pursuits on hold and instead chose to focus on his acting career.
Despite his passion for acting, Breckin has always harbored a secret desire to become a kindergarten teacher, a profession he may yet return to in the future. In addition to his acting endeavors, Breckin has also explored his musical talents, serving as the drummer for the Streetwalking Cheetahs, a band he formed with his brother Frank.
The band released a demo in 1995, featuring Breckin as the lead vocalist on two tracks, "Carnival" and "Dave". They went on to play around 10 gigs in the Los Angeles area during 1995-1996. The Streetwalking Cheetahs' subsequent albums, "Overdrive" and "Live on KXLU", showcased songs written during Breckin's time with the band.
Following the disbandment of the Streetwalking Cheetahs, Breckin co-founded the band Bellyroom with Seth Green and Alexander Martin, Dean Martin's grandson. They played a few shows in Los Angeles in 1996. Breckin's friendships include Ryan Phillippe, Josh Holland, and Seth Green, with whom he starred in the film 54 in 1998.
Breckin was married to Deborah Kaplan, who wrote and directed Can't Hardly Wait, in which Breckin made a cameo appearance. In his free time, Breckin enjoys playing drums, video games, and participating in sports. He is a great admirer of renowned actors Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Richard Dreyfuss.