Rise to Fame
The Prada campaign came first. Fashion photographers David LaChapelle and Steve Klein spotted him before Hollywood did, which tells you a lot about why he ended up in movies at all. He auditioned for a single throwaway line in Road Trip (2000) and wound up in a lead role after a cross-country meeting with producer Ivan Reitman. His bony, rabbit-in-headlights energy read as something fresh against the slick frat comedy formula. A SAG nomination for Hustle & Flow (2005) followed. He played Shelby, a church pianist-turned-rap-producer, which nobody expected from the Road Trip kid.
In the Spotlight
Television made more room for his look than film ever did. His character Garth on Supernatural became a fan favorite across multiple seasons, a recurring bit player who accumulated genuine emotional weight. He came out publicly in January 2020 at a Jim Jefferies Show taping, saying he was tired of worrying about what it would do to his career. In May 2024 he announced his engagement to Ty Olsson, a fellow Supernatural actor. The career didn't crater. The convention circuit has been more loyal than any studio.
Side Notes
At 14, chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma reshaped his body permanently. The treatment elongated his bones but never widened them, and knocked off 60 pounds he never put back on. His entire screen identity, the wiry startled frame that got him cast, is a direct side effect of cancer treatment. He also studied at King's College, University of London, a surprising detour for a kid from Manchester, Tennessee.