Mo McRae facts for kids

Mo McRae is an American actor, director, and producer. He is famous for playing Tyler in the TV series Sons of Anarchy and Leon Hayes in the 2006 movie Gridiron Gang. He also starred in the Fox TV show Pitch. In 2022, Mo McRae directed his first movie, A Lot of Nothing.

Mo McRae grew up in South Los Angeles. He found a love for acting in a drama class at Washington Preparatory High School. He was so passionate about it that he gave up his spot on the school's basketball team to star in the school play.

Career Journey

Getting Started in Acting

After finishing high school, Mo McRae decided to become an actor. He signed with an agent and soon started appearing in TV commercials for big companies like Visa, Nike, and Reebok.

These commercials helped him get small roles in popular TV shows. He appeared in shows like NYPD Blue, Becker, and Boston Public. Soon after, he landed parts in other major shows, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, and The Shield.

Big Screen Success

In 2006, McRae became well-known for his role in the movie Gridiron Gang. He acted alongside Dwayne Johnson and played Leon Hayes, a troubled quarterback. The movie was a big success and earned over $40 million around the world.

Over his career, McRae has been in more than 30 movies and TV shows. Some of his other notable roles include:

• A recurring role as Tyler in the drama series Sons of Anarchy.
• Playing the second-grade teacher Michael Perkins in season two of HBO's Big Little Lies.
• Starring as Blip Sanders in the TV series Pitch.
• Appearing in the movie The Butler as Eldridge Huggins.
• Playing Jimmy Carter in the 2014 film Wild.

Working Behind the Camera

As McRae gained more experience as an actor, he also became interested in what happens behind the scenes. He produced and starred in a short film called The Fall, which was shown at the famous Cannes Film Festival in 2008.

He also co-wrote a screenplay called No Return. More recently, he worked as the supervising producer for the CBS police show East New York, which started in 2022.

Personal Life

Mo McRae is married to actress Lex Scott Davis. The couple met on the set of the movie The First Purge. They got married on July 21, 2019. They have two children, who were born in 2020 and 2022.

McRae currently lives in Los Angeles.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Film

• Thirteen (2003)
• Gridiron Gang (2006)
• Everyday Black Man (2010)
• The Butler (2013)
• Wild (2014)
• Den of Thieves (2018)
• The First Purge (2018)
• American Skin (2019)

Television

• NYPD Blue (2002)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2004)
• ER (2005)
• Southland (2010)
• Sons of Anarchy (2012–2014)
• Ray Donovan (2013–2014)
• Empire (2015–2018)
• Pitch (2016)
• Big Little Lies (2019)
• The Flight Attendant (2022)