What You Need To Know About The Umbrella Academy's Aidan Gallagher

Netflix's hit series "The Umbrella Academy" follows the seven Hargreeves siblings, all of whom are synonymous with chaos. When they're not trying to stop the apocalypse, they're arguing, using mind control to their advantage, or just hopping in and out of different decades. Because time travel is such an important plot point of the sci-fi show, one of "TUA's" biggest conductors of chaos is Number Five, who can teleport and time travel. According to IMDb, Number Five is played by Aidan Gallagher.

Still in his teen years himself, Gallagher plays a grumpy 50-something man trapped in a teen body — a fact for which no one can blame him. Number Five's no-nonsense attitude and often detached nature has made him popular among "TUA's" fanbase. In fact, ScreenRant rated the series' most likeable characters, reasoning that most fans either tended to gravitate towards Number Five, or his older brother Klaus Hargreeves, aka Number Four. Number Five clocked in at the #10 spot, with the outlet praising his "hysterical cynicism." But fans of Number Five may wonder if Gallagher is anything like his onscreen counterpart. And though he's no time-traveling assassin, Gallagher seems just as cool! In fact, he's trying to save the world ... just like Number Five.

In 2020, Aidan Gallagher told Alternative Press that he began acting at nine years old. Per IMDb, he appeared in a TV movie called "Jacked Up,"  as well as an episode of "Modern Family" before landing a role on the Nickelodeon show "Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn." In an interview with Afterbuzz, Gallagher shared the exact moment that he learned he'd snagged the role, adding that his agents tried to trick him by first suggesting he didn't get the part. The show — which followed quadruplets as they dealt with the complicated nature of sibling dynamics — starred Gallagher as Nicky, per Nick.com. UPI reported that the actor landed the role of Number Five only months after "Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn" ended.

Nine was clearly a big year for Aidan Gallagher, as it was also when he started writing music for the first time. Per Coup de Main Magazine, the star plays the piano and guitar in addition to producing his own music. Clearly, he takes his music career just as seriously as he does his acting, telling Bandsintown that "acting is fun, but music is my passion." In fact, Gallagher seems to want to do it all as a musician! As of 2022, he has six tracks available for purchase, including "Blue Neon," "I Love You," and "For You."

In 2019, "TUA" showrunner Steve Blackman told Vulture that finding the right actor to play Number Five was difficult, but he knew right away that Aidan Gallagher was a natural talent. "I'd seen over 320 kids. And this tape pops on and the kid looks at the camera and goes, 'I will kill for this role.' That was Aidan. ...He embodied the character," Blackman said.

Gallagher might be able to credit the success of his audition tape to his love for "TUA" graphic novels, which he'd read long before auditioning for the show, according to Collider. Because he's such a fan, Gallagher took the role of Number Five very seriously, even studying the illustrations in the graphic novels to capture his character's posture.

According to a UN press release, Gallagher received the title of UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for North America in 2018. Then 14 years old, he was the youngest UN ambassador "to be designated in the UN system." The budding humanitarian frequently speaks on his passion for protecting and preserving the environment. In an interview with Coup de Main Magazine, he encouraged others to use their social media platforms to take a stand against things he deemed harmful to the planet. In the same interview, Gallagher shared that he was proud to be the youngest UN ambassador, and aimed to do his best to make a difference in the world.

In keeping with his humanitarian values, Aidan Gallagher became a vegan after trying the Meatless Monday trend, per World War Zero. He often encourages others to find Meatless Monday recipes they might like, and even took to Twitter to suggest that his followers help reduce air pollution by consuming vegetarian and/or vegan foods. In honor of Earth Day, Gallagher also posted a video advocating that everyone take one day a week in which they don't eat meat. Unlike those who try a vegan or plant-based diet for health reasons, the actor does so in order to help the environment.