During high school, Lanter was active in sports, participating in football, baseball, and golf. He also worked briefly as a batboy for the Atlanta Braves baseball team. He graduated from Collins Hill High School in 2001. While he was a senior, his parents divorced. He went on to study sports business at the University of Georgia but eventually decided to pursue a career in acting, prompting his move to Los Angeles. His grandfather, Kenley Lanter, was a survivor of the USS Indianapolis sinking during World War II.

Introduction to Entertainment and Modeling

In 2004, Matt Lanter participated in Bravo’s reality television show "Manhunt: The Search for America’s Most Gorgeous Male Model." Although he did not win the competition, his appearance helped launch his acting career. Shortly after, he secured a role as Nick on Fox’s supernatural drama series Point Pleasant. He also guest-starred on the popular medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.

Early Acting Roles and Career Growth

In 2005, Lanter landed a regular role as Horace Calloway on ABC’s political drama Commander in Chief. After the show was canceled, he went on to play the lead role of Zach Conroy in the 2008 TV movie The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream. That same year, Lanter starred in the parody comedy film Disaster Movie as Will, alongside Kim Kardashian, Vanessa Minnillo, and Carmen Electra. Despite its high-profile cast, the film received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office.