Biography
Actor Jake McDorman successfully transitioned from leads in youth-oriented films and television projects like "Aquamarine" (2006) and "Greek" (ABC Family, 2007-2011) to adult roles on "Shameless" (Showtime, 2011- ) and "Manhattan Love Story" (ABC 2014). Born John Allen McDorman IV in Dallas, Texas on July 8, 1986, he developed an interest in acting in his early teens, and trained at the Dallas Young Actors Studio while completing high school. After making his screen debut in an industrial film about the Boy Scouts, McDorman worked steadily as a juvenile player on episodic television with guest turns on "Run of the House" (The WB, 2003-2004) and as a series regular on "Quintuplets" (Fox, 2004-2005). Within a few years, he had graduated to romantic leads in teen-oriented features like "Aquamarine" and "Bring It On: All or Nothing" (2006), as well as smaller roles in mainstream films like "Live Free or Die Hard" (2007). That same year, he returned to series regular work on "Greek" as the popular president of a fraternity. When the program concluded its network run, McDorman pursued more mature and dramatic projects, and landed the title role in "The Craigslist Killer" (Lifetime, 2011), a TV-movie based on the real-life crimes of Philip Markoff. The following year, he was initially cast as a recurring love interest for Laura Prepon's lead in the pilot for "Are You There, Chelsea?" (NBC, 2012), but then replaced comic Jo Koy as a series regular, playing the bartender at the sports bar where the main characters worked. When the show ran its course after a single season, McDorman moved to Showtime's "Shameless" to play Emmy Rossum's love interest for two seasons. In 2014, he was cast as the male lead in the romantic comedy series "Manhattan Love Story," about two young New Yorkers navigating the ups and downs of a relationship. Unfortunately, his first leading role was a short-lived one; the series was the first cancellation victim of the 2014 season.
