Columbus Short

While Columbus Short kicked off his professional performing career in the late '90s as a touring ensemble dancer in "Stomp," he became a familiar face in TV and film throughout the following decade. Background roles in popular flicks like "You Got Served" (2004) and "War of the Worlds" (2005) helped land Short his breakout turn as DJ Williams in the surprise hit film "Stomp the Yard" (2007). But as his Hollywood star shone brighter, he refused to abandon his career onstage: Short collaborated with Britney Spears as a choreographer on the pop star's elaborately staged Onyx Hotel Tour in the mid-2000s.

In addition to a recurring role on the short-lived, Aaron Sorkin-penned series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC, 2006-07), Short starred in such high-profile films as "Quarantine" (2008), "Armored" (2009) and "The Losers" (2010), paving the way for his crucial role as devoted lawyer Harrison Wright on the well-received political drama "Scandal" (ABC, 2012-).

Born into a musical family on Sept. 19, 1982 in Kansas City, MO, Columbus Short began dancing and singing as fast as he could learn to walk. He constantly performed impressions for his parents and two younger brothers as a toddler, practically guaranteeing him a life in the spotlight. After the family uprooted to California, Short acted in many youth theater productions and attended the Orange County High School of the Arts. Eager for the entertainment world to know his name, he landed several commercial acting jobs throughout high school, snagging his biggest taste of fame in a Mountain Dew commercial opposite Busta Rhymes.

Such a high-profile gig earned him the opportunity to bask in the excessive life of a celebrity, buying flashy cars and living large. "When I was 13, 14, 15, I just wanted things," Short said about this naïve period in his life. But this narrow mindset faded over time: "Money drove me early, and artistic quality drives me now." (Chicago Maroon, Dec. 2009).

The theater world took notice of Short's talent, and in 1999, he finished his senior year early to travel the world as a cast member of the percussive extravaganza "Stomp" (1991- ) during the show's Broadway tour. Next, he joined the ranks of background dancers for Britney Spears' Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004, only to be promoted to choreographer and creative director after a mere two weeks spent dancing with the megastar. A reported romance between Short and Spears (denied by Short, who blamed the rumors for ending his first marriage) led to a falling out with the singer, but the gig led directly into Short's Hollywood career; the following year saw him featured as a street dancer in "You Got Served" (2004) and as a soldier in Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" (2005).

Quick appearances on the TV dramas "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009) and "Judging Amy" (CBS, 1999-2005) preceded Short's stretch as Darius Hawthorne, assistant writer to Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) on the comedy-drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC, 2006-07). But he finally reached leading-man status in 2007, playing central character DJ Williams in the smash hit collegiate dance film "Stomp the Yard" (2007) alongside Chris Brown and Ne-Yo.

Always looking to keep his career varied and colorful -- "You want to graduate with each film you do." (Chicago Maroon, Dec. 2009) -- Short's cinematic career skyrocketed in the following years, with the actor appearing opposite Hollywood heavyweights including Adrien Brody in the period biopic "Cadillac Records" (2008), Laurence Fishburne in the heist thriller "Armored" (2009) and Chris Evans in the comic book actioner "The Losers" (2010).

Short returned to primetime on the Washington, D.C.-set drama "Scandal" (ABC, 2012- ) as Harrison Wright, an honest lawyer who works with White House Aide Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington). Short's time on the show was cut short by a scandal of his own in the spring of 2014: when the actor was arrested on domestic violence charges three times, as well as unrelated charges from a bar fight in West Hollywood, he was let go from the series by producers at the end of the show's second season.