Stephen Bishop

Professional athlete turned actor Stephen C. Bishop was already embarking on a career as an athlete when he was given the smart advice to consider a career in acting. The Chicago-born ball player was attending the University of California, Riverside on a baseball scholarship and playing for the school's team, the Highlanders. He had always considered himself a natural performer, and after taking a college drama class, he received some encouragement from his professor, who thought Bishop had what it took to act professionally. Though Bishop would go on to play for Atlanta's affiliate in the Pioneer League, as well as the Sioux Falls and St. Paul affiliates in the Northern League, the advice stayed with him. After ten years of playing professional baseball, Bishop made the transition to acting with a role in the baseball-themed romantic comedy "The Road Home" (2003). More acting jobs soon followed, including the role of Loie Harris in the popular film "Friday Night Lights" (2004), as well as numerous appearances on shows like "Lost" (ABC, 2004-2010) and "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 2005-). Bishop even had the chance to put his cleats back on for a prominent role in the Oscar winning sports drama "Moneyball" (2011). In 2013, Bishop joined the cast of the hit series "Being Mary Jane" (BET, 2013-), playing opposite the show's star, Gabrielle Union.