The Transformation Of Shemar Moore From Childhood To Criminal Minds

Long before Shemar Moore graced television screens as the stalwart, easy-on-the-eyes "Criminal Minds" profiler Derek Morgan, he lived an adventurous life. According to a Shemar Moore Unplugged interview, the actor spent his early years moving with his mother, Marilyn, to various overseas destinations -– he lived in several countries before returning to the U.S. at the age of six. Later in life, Moore would prove his athletic prowess as a collegiate baseball player scouted by the pros, as he explained to the National MS Society's Momentum Magazine.

During an interview on "Larry King Now" about his childhood, Moore remembered his overseas move not as a glamorous time but as a way for his mother to protect them both from his father's violence. The actor shared with King, "My father is in my life, but on my terms ... We [my mother and I] lived overseas and we did that to protect ourselves ... [My father] ended up spending four years in San Quentin." 

In college, the actor began his dive into the entertainment industry as a model before turning to acting. Moore has managed to embrace both the difficult situations and successful moments that have gotten him to where he stands today. In the decades Moore has spent working steadily in television and film he has won an impressive eight NAACP Image Awards along with a Daytime Emmy for his work in soap operas (per IMDb). Let's take a closer look at Shemar Moore's path to "Criminal Minds" and beyond.

When Shemar Moore was three, he moved from Denmark to Bahrain. In an interview with Ability Magazine, the actor discussed his overseas life and his lack of bilingual ability. He didn't pick up many languages, speaking mostly English by the time he entered his school years. Moore joked, "Danish was my first language, but I only really knew enough to say, 'My diaper's dirty and I'm hungry.' And then I went to Bahrain and lived there for three years. So Denmark and Bahrain were our two mainstays as I was growing up ... My mother put me in a British private school so I could learn English because she knew she was going to bring me back to the States eventually."

Bahrain turned out to be a fairly short-lived residence for Moore, as he and his mother left the Asian nation when he was six. The Moores then lived in Ghana before moving back to the U.S., eventually settling in Palo Alto, California where Moore attended Henry M. Gunn High School. Moore talked about the difficult adjustment of living in America with BET, stating that he first encountered racism when he moved back to the U.S. he said, "It was after we moved back. I was six, and I remember how different everyone made me feel when I was in school. Why does your hair look like that, why is your skin that color?"

If not for the abrupt end to Shemar Moore's future in baseball, the world may never have had the pleasure of seeing him onscreen. The actor told The Baltimore Sun, "If you had told me I was going to be acting for a living, I would have said you need a stiff drink or you need to go see a shrink." Before college, his extracurricular activities were laser-focused on sports. However, after he lost his baseball scholarship, Moore began to model to help pay his college tuition (via Santa Clara Magazine). The actor still wasn't thinking of branching out into acting — although, according to his biography on CBS, he did minor in theater arts. His steady modeling work led him to continue his career as he discerned his post-collegiate path.

Moore's success in modeling led him to move to the East Coast and led to his first acting audition. On his segue into acting, Moore told the Mercury News, "I was never a supermodel on the runways of New York City. It was a job-to-job struggle, getting things like the back-to-school specials for Mervyns." However, his modeling career brought some larger gigs his way and eventually led to the open doors of television.

Shemar Moore first broke into television on "The Young and The Restless" with his role as Malcolm Winters, the younger half-brother of Neil Winters, a character played by legendary soap opera actor Kristoff St. John (who tragically passed away in 2020). Moore paid tribute to his former co-star and close friend in People Magazine, where he remembered, "Kristoff is truly the closest thing to a brother and a brother's love and a brother's mentorship that I've ever known." The actor also opened up about St. John's support and encouragement throughout his seasons on the show and said, "He didn't have to embrace me the way he did. When I came in and was trying to find my way, he saw how scared I was, he saw how nervous I was."

"The Young and The Restless" cemented Moore as a television leading man, and he beat out dozens of actors for his role. Even after he moved on from working as a cast regular, the actor returned to reprise his role with guest appearances in 2014 and 2019. Moore joined the soap's cast in 1994 and played Genoa City's most celebrated photographer until 2002, and again from 2004 to 2005. He was a Daytime Emmy nominee in 1996 and 1997 before winning an award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 2000.

In 2005, Shemar Moore appeared in his seventh silver screen role as Orlando in Tyler Perry's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." The film, which served as Perry's directorial film debut, stars Moore as a handsome moving truck driver who begins a relationship with Helen Simmons-McCarter (Kimberly Elise) –- a soon-to-be divorcee and the granddaughter of Perry's most famous character, Madea (who's played by Tyler Perry). Moore's vulnerable yet masculine Orlando paved the way for future protagonists played by the actor, including Derek Morgan.

The actor sat down with MovieWeb to talk about playing Orlando. "Orlando, for me, is going to hopefully show men that it's okay to be vulnerable. It's okay to put your heart on your sleeve ... And through that vulnerability comes strength," he said. Since the film's release, Moore's subsequent roles have embodied his vision for Orlando, as in many ways both Derek Morgan of "Criminal Minds" and Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson from "S.W.A.T." are richer, more developed versions of Orlando. "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" began as a Tyler Perry play and served as the film foundation of his Madea-centered production empire (via AMC Theaters). The film fared well with audiences but received harsh reviews from critics like the Austin Chronicle.

Although Shemar Moore has worked steadily on television for almost thirty years, he's probably most well-known for portraying FBI agent Derek Morgan on "Criminal Minds." Morgan's authentic, fearless heart made him a pivotal member of his high-risk FBI team, and Moore layered the character with real-life struggles, too. The primetime hit show raised the actor's public profile, and Derek Morgan has proven to be character fans love.

Moore joined the "Criminal Minds" cast for the pilot episode and left the show in 2016 after playing Derek Morgan for 11 seasons. Moore spoke to E! Online about his last episode on the show, stating, "It's one of, if not the, proudest episodes of my career ... for 11 years to culminate the way it did and for me to go out the way I did last night." Unfortunately, when the series wrapped in 2020, any hopes of Moore appearing for one last appearance were dashed. The actor was busy filming "S.W.A.T." and Moore didn't have time to show up for the finale. 

According to Variety, a revived "Criminal Minds" is in the works at Paramount+ — but there's no word on whether or not Moore will show up in any episodes.

Funding for multiple sclerosis research and treatment is a cause that fuels Shemar Moore's passion as the disease has touched him personally. Moore told People that his mother Marilyn was diagnosed with MS in 1999, and she passed away in 2020. Although she struggled with MS, Moore's mother managed to live for over 20 years with the disease. Moore was extremely close to his mom, and he opened up about his grief over her death on Instagram.

Moore has worked closely with the National MS Society, specifically as a part of the Southern California chapter. Moore has used his celebrity and love for cycling as a way to fundraise for the non-profit group –- he's participated in the Bike MS cycling tour for over a decade. Brain & Life reported that Moore had assembled members of the "Criminal Minds" cast and crew for the "MS Start to Finish Bike Tour" in 2006 to raise MS awareness, and he's been cycling for the cause ever since.