“Fifty Shades of Grey” fans are just hours away from seeing E.L. James’ best-selling romance series come to life on the big screen. While fans of the erotica story have already been introduced to leads Jamie Dornan (Christian Grey) and Dakota Johnson (Anastasia “Ana” Steele), little is being said about some of the movie’s other actors. Ahead of the film’s Valentine’s Day debut, get to know Luke Grimes, who plays Elliot Grey in “Fifty Shades.” Here are six fast facts about the 31-year-old film star:
1. He’s a TV veteran — Grimes is about to make his on-screen debut as Christian Grey’s equally-striking brother Elliot, but “True Blood” viewers known him as James, Jessica’s (Deborah Ann Woll) hippie vampire boyfriend. Grimes exited the series in 2013 over allegations he was disinterested in his character pursuing a romantic storyline with Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Grimes also played Ryan Lafferty for two years on “Brothers & Sisters.”
2. He’s also a film star – While his role in “Fifty Shades” may earn him a considerable number of new fans, this isn’t Grimes first feature film rodeo. The actor starred alongside Bradley Cooper in the Oscar-nominated film “American Sniper.” In the movie, he portrayed the role of Marc Lee, a Navy SEAL who is killed during an ambush. While he did not receive an Academy Award nomination like Cooper for his role, he did earn critical acclaim.
3. He’s extremely private — While fans can keep up with Grimes’ day-to-day activities on the unofficial fan Twitter page @_lukegrimes, the actor does not operate his own social media accounts. He’s also super private when it comes to divulging spoilers about the “Fifty Shades” film on the red carpet. During an interview with E! last month he refused to discuss whether or not the movie is similar to James’ book. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to give any hints. You’re just going to have to wait a month and see it,” he said.
Despite not giving away any major plot spoilers, he did reveal that he is excited about being involved in the franchise, saying, “I’m really happy to be apart of it, for sure.”
4. He’s a Midwestern boy — The “Fifty Shades” star calls Dayton, Ohio, home. According to TV Guide’s bio on thespian, Grimes hails from a “devoutly religious family.” His dad reportedly worked as a Pentecostal minister.
5. He’s a rock star – Not only is Grimes bringing his swoon-worthy looks to the “Fifty Shades” franchise, he’s also, wait for it ladies … an accomplished musician. After learning to play the drums in church, Grimes went on to play in the band Mitchells Folly in 2007. The following year, they released their debut album Whirlwind. You can listen to Grimes sing here.
6. He might have a girlfriend – Grimes has been linked to “90210” actress Gillian Zinser since 2012. While the actors are rarely photographed together, several publications report that the duo is still an item.
