Things You Might Not Know About Shemar Moore

Shemar Moore is known for being one of the steamiest stars on TV. The actor and former fashion model started his career in 1994 and has been working his way up in Hollywood ever since. From his early days as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless to his more recent role as Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds, Shemar has become a fan favorite and it’s not hard to see why. We’ve rounded up a list of some lesser-known facts about Shemar’s life because let’s face it, it’s easy to get distracted with those abs of his.

10. Mama’s Boy

As an only child, Moore has a tight bond with his mother, Marilyn Wilson. But when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, Moore refused to believe it. The actor told People, “I went through the whole denial thing for a couple of years. I was like, ‘Take a couple aspirin and go to sleep…You’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. Go get a massage and slow down.'” Only later did the actor realize how much his mother was affected by the disease. “I just had to check myself and say, ‘Listen, she’s scared and asking for help, so let’s help her turn in the right direction.'” As a result, Moore moved his mother from San Francisco to Los Angeles so she could be closer to him. Such a caring son!

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9. Fashion Line

Moore runs his own fun fashion line based on his famous catchphrase from Criminal Minds. Called “Baby Girl,” the line sells clothes with the phrase printed on them. Want to know the best part? Proceeds from every sale go to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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8. First Language

The first language Shemar Moore learned to speak was Danish. Although Moore was born in California, he moved to Denmark as an infant when his mother took a job there to teach mathematics. When he was four, he and his mother then moved from Denmark to Bahrain, which is where he learned to speak English while attending a British private school.

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7. Early Acting Role

One of Shemar’s first acting roles was a small stint on the comedy series Living Single in 1995. He played Jon Marc, who tries to seduce Kim Cole’s character Synclaire. He was better known for his 11-year stint as Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005.

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6. Part Canadian

His mother Marilyn is of Irish descent, as well as French-Canadian, meaning Shemar’s part Canadian. How aboot that!

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5. Well Traveled

While his home base is in Los Angeles, Shemar has lived in several countries. He moved around a lot when he was younger because his mother wanted to protect him from the racial tensions in the United States during the 1970s. As a child, he lived in Denmark, Bahrain, and Ghana before returning to California when he was 6 years old.

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4. Music Video

Longtime fans of Shemar Moore will remember his younger days when he hung out with singer Toni Braxton. The two of them briefly dated for 6 months after Moore appeared in her music video, “How Many Ways.” You can relive all the ’90s R&B glory here:

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3. First Love

Shemar has a history of dating gorgeous women but there was one actress who stole his heart. Moore told BET that Halle Berry was the first woman he ever fell in love with. “She was the first woman to really knock my socks off. I fell hard for Halle…I was smitten not just because of who she was, but because we were so similar in so many ways.” Comparing his relationships with Braxton and Berry, Moore said, “Toni was a fun ride, but Halle was a necessary experience. It made me much stronger as a man, and knowing the caliber of woman I want in the future.”

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2. Bullied

Throughout his childhood, Shemar Moore was bullied for being biracial. In a 2013 interview with BET, Moore talked about the difficult transition of moving back to the United States after living abroad. “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, how come your mom is white, how can you be cousins with so-and-so. That’s how I learned I was good at baseball, because kids would chase me after school, so I started picking up rocks and throwing them to fight back.”

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1. Future In Film

Now that his time on Criminal Minds has come to an end, Moore wants to pursue the next phase of his acting. Reflecting on his career, Moore said, “After eight years on Young and the Restless and eight years on Criminal Minds, I’m ready for that next phase of my career. I wanna chase down Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith.” We can’t wait to see what you do next, Shemar!