Lane Napper is an American actor who has made a significant impact in the entertainment industry. He is perhaps most notably recognized for his portrayal of Lane Alexander, the hip and zen guidance counselor at Hollywood Arts, on the popular Nickelodeon show "Victorious". Additionally, he is also known for his role as Ernie, the former dance teacher of Sam Pucketts, on the hit television show "iCarly".
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Lane's family later relocated to Woodbridge, Virginia, where he grew up with his mother, Eva, and his four brothers, Lander, Lennie, Carland, and Kartez, as well as his sister, Sonjia. After graduating from high school, Lane became fascinated with the arts and began taking dance classes at Ann Boyles School of the Arts and Terry's School of Dance. Due to financial constraints, Lane cleaned the studios and worked at the front desk in exchange for lessons. On weekends, he would travel to Washington D.C. to take acting classes, where his talent was soon recognized.
Lane's exceptional acting ability while dancing earned him encouragement to pursue his craft, and he subsequently moved to New York City to take more dance and acting lessons. His dedication and hard work led him to become one of the lead characters in the indie film "Lucky Stiffs", directed by Matthew Mallison. With the support of Brooke Shields, Lane made the move to Los Angeles, where he began to land guest starring roles on popular TV shows such as "Suddenly Susan", "Nikki", "Cosby", "The Drew Carey Show", and "All My Children".
To make ends meet, Lane took on the position of dialogue coach, working with companies like Warner Bros, Disney, Touchstone, and Nickelodeon. It was during his time at Nickelodeon that he was hired by mega TV creator Dan Schneider as a dialogue coach for his shows "All That", "Zoey 101", "Drake and Josh", and "iCarly", before being offered the acting position of Lane Alexander on "Victorious".
