Wes Brown

Although widely known for his breakout performance as vampire slayer Luke McDonald on the second season of "True Blood" (HBO 2008-14), Wes Brown quickly established himself as a versatile actor in both television and made-for-TV movies after leaving that popular series in 2009. In addition to appearing in the soapy medical dramas "Hart of Dixie" (The CW 2011-15) and "Private Practice" (ABC 2007-2013), Brown also starred in several movies for the Hallmark Channel, including the 2013 western "Shadow on the Mesa." His versatility made him a visible television character actor specializing in playing southern gentlemen and scoundrels.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Brown moved with his family to Baton Rouge, Louisiana when he was 13. He attended Louisiana State University, studying business and finance for three years with the clear intention of becoming a corporate professional. During the summer leading up to his senior year, however, Brown decided to take a few elective courses in acting. Once summer was over, Brown realized he had found his calling.

He moved to Los Angeles after graduation, and before long was landing small roles on the Lifetime miniseries "Beach Girls" (2005), as well as in the sports dramas "We Are Marshall" (2006) and "Glory Road" (2006) before landing his breakthrough role in "True Blood." "True Blood" allowed Brown to live and work in his home state of Louisiana while also giving him the opportunity to fulfill a professional goal by working with the show's Academy Award-winning creator Alan Ball.

Although his character was was killed off at the end of the show's second season, Brown's performance as God-fearing vampire killer Luke McDonald gave him a widespread level of national exposure. He appeared in recurring roles in several network dramas, such as "Private Practice" and "90210" (The CW 2008-13), while starring in a string of made for TV movies on the Hallmark Channel, including "Love's Everlasting Courage" (2011), "Love Begins" (2011), and "Shadow on the Mesa" (2013); the last of these became the second most-watched original movie in the network's history.

In early 2013, Wes Brown further cemented his status as one of television's hottest young talents when he landed his first series regular role on the primetime soap opera "Deception" (NBC 2013), on which he played overindulgent New York billionaire Julian Bowers.