Stephen started acting in small, local theaters when he was just 11 years old. In his senior year of high school, MTV asked him to appear in a television show that would document his life, as well as his friends lives, in Laguna Beach. After high school, he attended San Francisco State University, but eventually decided not to continue. Stephen is best known for portraying himself on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. He has appeared on MTV's TRL numerous times.