Shemar Moore
A daytime soap heartthrob who reinvented himself as a stoic FBI profiler, commanding primetime for over a decade and leading a tactical TV squad.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American actor·Birthday: April 20·Generation X
Biography
Shemar Moore's career is a masterclass in longevity and reinvention within the fickle world of television. He first captured attention as the brooding Malcolm Winters on 'The Young and the Restless,' a role that earned him a Daytime Emmy and made him a fixture in millions of living rooms. But Moore deliberately stepped out of that comfortable spotlight, taking a risk that would define his legacy. In 2005, he joined the ensemble of the CBS procedural 'Criminal Minds' as Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan. For twelve seasons, he turned Morgan into a fan favorite—a tough, empathetic profiler with a complicated past, proving he could carry dramatic weight far beyond the soap opera format. When that chapter closed, he seamlessly transitioned to leading his own show, 'S.W.A.T.,' as Sergeant 'Hondo' Harrelson, a leader bridging the gap between his elite unit and a distrustful community. Through these roles, Moore built a rare bridge across daytime drama, network procedurals, and action television, maintaining a consistent presence and evolving his persona from a romantic lead to a authoritative anchor of CBS's lineup.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Shemar was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Shemar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Shemar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on 'The Young and the Restless' in 2000.
- Portrayed FBI Agent Derek Morgan for 12 seasons (2005-2017) on the hit series 'Criminal Minds.'
- Starred as the lead, Sergeant Daniel 'Hondo' Harrelson, on the action drama series 'S.W.A.T.' for eight seasons.
- Served as the host of the legendary music show 'Soul Train' from 1999 to 2003.
Did You Know?
He was born in Oakland, California, but spent much of his childhood in Denmark and Bahrain due to his mother's work.
His mother, Marilyn Wilson, is of Irish, French, and Danish descent, and his father, Sherrod Moore, was African American.
He was a communications major at Santa Clara University and a standout track and field athlete.
Before acting, he worked as a model and was featured in campaigns for brands like Calvin Klein.
“I'm not trying to be the Black anything. I'm trying to be the first Shemar Moore.”
