Mehcad Brooks

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Mehcad Brooks excelled academically and in sports, becoming an all-state basketball player. He chose to pursue his passion for the arts, foregoing 26 basketball scholarships and a full academic scholarship to Yale to attend the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. His early career included work as a Calvin Klein underwear model, which led to international recognition. Brooks landed his first significant television role in 2005 as Matthew Applewhite on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” for which he received a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and an NAACP Image Award nomination. This established his presence in Hollywood, paving the way for further opportunities.

Brooks continued to build his acting career with diverse roles across various platforms. From 2008 to 2010, he co-starred in the HBO series “True Blood” as Benedict ‘Eggs’ Talley. He then took on a lead role as football player Terrence ‘TK’ King in USA’s drama series “Necessary Roughness” (2011-2013), a character known for frequent fumbles and legal issues. More recently, Brooks was a fan favorite as James “The Guardian” Olsen for five seasons in The CW’s DC Comic series “Supergirl” (2015-2021). His film credits include “Glory Road” (2006), “In the Valley of Elah” (2007), “Nobody’s Fool” (2018), and Netflix’s “A Fall From Grace” (2020), one of their most-watched thrillers. In 2021, he starred as Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs in Warner Bros.’ “Mortal Kombat” film, based on the video game series, and has since joined the cast of NBC’s “Law & Order” as Detective Jalen Shaw (2022-2025). He also released his debut album, “May 20th,” in 2018, showcasing his passion for music.