Prior to breaking into the entertainment industry, he held jobs as a Starbucks barista and a pedi-cab (bike taxi) driver. He was also a well known graffiti artist in his hometown of Chicago.
He was nominated for a 2004 Joseph Jefferson Award Citation for Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for "Lost in Yonkers" at the Eclipse Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
Graduated from Lincoln Park High School in Chicago, Illinois in 2001. He later attended Columbia College Chicago, where he graduated with a BA in Theater Arts.
Is one of three children. He has two younger brothers, Drew and Eric.