Max Thieriot

Growing up in a small coastal farming community just north of San Francisco, CA, Thieriot, whose great-great grandfather founded the San Francisco Chronicle, was more interested in outdoor activities like riding horses, surfing and playing basketball. He became such a standout basketball player that, at the age of 11, Thieriot was asked to play with the 14-year-olds on his school's team. However, after injuring his shooting arm, he permanently quelled any hopes he had of becoming a professional basketball player. Thieriot turned his attention to acting instead, and in just his fourth professional audition, had landed the role of Gus in the adventure-themed family comedy, "Catch That Kid." More roles in similar PG movies followed, including "The Pacifier" (2005) and "Nancy Drew." By 2009, however, Max, now in his 20s, could no longer pull off the teenage boy roles that established his career early on. With that in mind, he began appearing in films geared more towards an adult audience.The first of these films was 2009's "Chloe," which also stars Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson. The film received mixed reviews, but allowed Thieriot to broaden his acting range for the first time. He followed "Chloe" with appearances in the horror films "My Soul to Take" (2010) and "House at the End of the Street" (2012), as well as the quirky dramedy, "Yellow" (2012). In 2013 Thieriot made the jump to television, playing the half-brother of a teenage Norman Bates in the A&E horror series, "Bates Motel." A prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece "Psycho," the series follows young Norman Bates in a contemporary setting. As a long devoted fan of Hitchcock's work, Thieriot jumped at the opportunity to play Norman's half brother Dylan. "Bates Motel" received incredibly positive reviews and was renewed for several seasons.