Mixed Race Celebrity Mondays: Shemar Moore

Shemar Franklin Moore is an American actor and former fashion model with a legion of fans worldwide due to his universal sex appeal and the countless photographs of him shirtless and in suggestive poses. He was born on April 20, 1970, in Oakland, California (Happy Early Birthday, brotha). His mother is of Dutch/French-Canadian heritage and his father is African-American. He spent his youth living in both Europe and North America before his family finally settled in Palo Alto, California. He attended and graduated from Gunn High School in that city. He received his baccalaureate degree in Communications from Santa Clara University. It was while attending university that he began his modelling career. Initially, he modelled in order to meet the costs of college tuition. He was represented by DNA Model Management Agency, New York City.

Shemar landed his first acting role in 1994, securing the role of Malcolm Winters in the daytime television soap opera, "The Young and the Restless." He starred as this character for eight years, finally leaving the show in September, 2005. It was during his appearance on this series that his modelling career soared and he attracted an admiring public throughout the world. While on "The Young and the Restless," Brotha Moore  also weekly hosted the syndicated version of the series, "Soul Train," for network TV. He served as host from 1999 until 2003. In the fall season of 2005, Moore made his debut into primetime television on the new series, "Criminal Minds." He stars as Detective Derek Morgan, the second-in-command of a forensic investigative unit for the FBI. He continues in this role currently. This year, he has made guest appearances, portraying himself, on both "The Ellen Degeneres" show and "The Mo'nique Show." In 1998, he played a waiter/love interest character in the television music video, "Splackavellie."

Shemar Moore is an avid cyclist, often pedalling between fifty to seventy-five miles on weekends. This passion comes at a high price. in August, 2009, he was hit by a car while riding his bike. Fortunately, all the injury he sustained was a broken leg. He fully recovered from this accident and his "Criminal Minds" filming schedule was not affected. Moore has also turned his bicycling enthusiasm into a philanthropic cause. In 1998, his mother was diagnosed with MS. As her condition deteriorated, he confided his situation with his fellow cast members on "Criminal Minds," many who shared his interest in cycling. They suggested that he explore MS events around the country, including bike rides. He decided the MS Bike Tour offered the best opportunity for meeting others living with MS, individuals affected by a loved one with MS and doctors/experts treating persons with the disease. As a direct result, he and fellow cast members from "Criminal Minds" annually compete in a one-hundred mile MS Bike Tour to help raise awareness about the illness and to raise money for additional research. As of this writing, his mother is successfully managing her MS and remain mobile.

In July, 2007, Shemar was photographed on a fan's cell-phone while relaxing at a nudist beach on the Pacific Coast. Many predicted that this incident would mean the death of his professional career as the actor was completely nude (Nekkidfurryboi note: Why was anyone surprised he was naked? It was at a naturist beach!). The exact opposite happened; his popularity increased. In several media interviews following the photo incident, Shemar directly responded to queries with the fact that he's always been comfortable with his nudity. He never cringed nor flinched when photos of him naked flaunting his manhood appeared in the background.  It isn't often that honesty emerges from anyone in the entertainment industry. Shemar Moore: handsome, talented and honest; precisely my type of man!