Born on Dec. 24, 1977 in Michigan, Michael Raymond-James studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, and began his career as a stage actor. He made his onscreen acting debut in the independent feature "Minor Blues" (2000), followed by an appearance on the first season of the CBS crime drama "Hack" (CBS, 2002-04), which starred David Morse and Andre Braugher. Raymond-James guest-starred on several hit television series early in his career, including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000-15) and "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009), while taking on edgy roles in feature films such as the sexually charged Southern drama "Black Snake Moan" (2006), opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci.