He was a teenage crush for many in the ’90s – now look at him today

Born in New York City and raised largely in the East Village, this star’s childhood was defined by instability. By the time he turned 16, his family had moved 16 times.

Life was unpredictable, often unsafe, and never guaranteed.

“I wanted to stay out of jail, I wanted to stay alive,” he once said.

As the oldest of three kids in a single-parent household, responsibility landed early. His mother was only 24 with three children, and when she worked, he became the stand-in adult. Dreams weren’t the focus, survival was.

The discipline that saved him

He didn’t grow up knowing what he wanted to be. He only knew what he didn’t want — a short life.

That clarity led him to martial arts, guided by his maternal grandfather, a Chinese martial artist. Training became his anchor. Structure. Control. Purpose.

He earned a first-degree black belt in Hapkido under Grand Master Ho Jin Song and found something deeper than self-defense.

“It gives a wonderful outlet to attain self-confidence and self-awareness,” he said.

“I’ve learned my own body and rhythms from an emotional, physical, and mental standpoint.”

Fame came knocking — unexpectedly

As a young man, the actor attended Hunter College High School in New York before studying film. During his first year, he was assigned to create four short films — and when he felt his classmates’ performances didn’t quite work, he decided to step in front of the camera himself.

That move marked the beginning of his acting path, though he gave himself a clear deadline.Continue reading…