# Jay Reeves
**Jay Reeves** (born 1994) is an American actor, producer, and musician known for playing Shawn Scott on the CW series *All American* and Ray McElrathbey in the Disney+ sports drama *[Safety](https://www.edgepedia.org/safety-2020-film)* (2020).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jay-reeves/) • [2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) His later credits include Private Hugh Bell in [Tyler Perry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-perry)'s World War II drama *The Six Triple Eight* (2024) and leading roles in the 2026 television series *[Nemesis](https://www.edgepedia.org/nemesis-2026-tv-series)* on Netflix and *Marshals* on Paramount+.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/) • [4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Newark, New Jersey[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jay-reeves/) |
| Upbringing | New Jersey and Charlotte, North Carolina; finished high school at Fairfax High in Los Angeles[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/) |
| Breakout role | Shawn Scott on the CW's *All American* (2018–2019), his first television appearance[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) |
| Leading film role | Ray McElrathbey in *Safety* (2020), based on the Clemson football player who raised his younger brother on campus[5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html) |
| 2024 work | Private Hugh Bell in Tyler Perry's *The Six Triple Eight*[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/) |
| 2026 roles | Jamel Brinkley in Netflix's *Nemesis*; Roner in Paramount+'s *Marshals*; lead in Tyler Perry's Netflix film *Doing Life*[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/news/) |
## Early life
Reeves was born in [Newark, New Jersey](https://www.edgepedia.org/newark-new-jersey) in 1994.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jay-reeves/) He grew up moving between New Jersey and [Charlotte, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-north-carolina), and has described New Jersey as a place close to New York that is itself full of the arts.[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/) He finished high school at Fairfax High in Los Angeles, which he credits with putting him in the industry.[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/)
His interest in performing began early. He has recalled writing scripts and putting on shows for family and friends with his uncle.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) At 16 he moved to California with his father, who worked in show business as a stuntman, and his father signed him up for background work on [Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon), where he appeared on shows including *iCarly* and *Victorious*.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) He has called the lessons on those sets like getting free masterclasses.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/)
Before acting, Reeves was an athlete. His mother put him in many sports, from tee-ball to hockey and rugby, and he has called football his true love; he describes himself as a one-time Los Angeles City champion.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) He says the discipline he built on the field became the foundation he carried into every audition room.[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/)
The path was not smooth. He has spoken about a difficult period in Los Angeles when he did not have anywhere to go, returning to Charlotte briefly to regroup before coming back to pursue acting.[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/) During this stretch he was still working at a grocery store, Lassens in Mid-City Los Angeles.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/)
## Early screen work
His screen career dates to the mid-2010s; one of his initial acting jobs was the 2014 TV series *Jewvangelist*, and he later served as an associate producer on the TV show *Monogamy or Me*.[7](https://afmag.net/people/67776/jay-reeves) He appeared in the films *Benny Got Shot* (2017), *Listen* (2017), and *Throwback Holiday* (2018), and in single episodes of *Crowded* (2016) and *[K.C. Undercover](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-c-undercover)* (2018).[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/)
## All American
**First television appearance.** In 2018 Reeves made his television debut on the CW drama *All American* as Shawn Scott.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) • [8](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/safetypresskit_2855a0b0.pdf) He has described the experience as amazing, saying he made lifelong friends and met mentors on the show, and that it taught him to be a better actor.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) • [9](https://allamerican.fandom.com/wiki/Jay_Reeves) The role was a multi-episode arc in the first season.[5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html)
## Safety
*Safety*, released on Disney+ in December 2020, is directed by [Reginald Hudlin](https://www.edgepedia.org/reginald-hudlin) and based on the true story of Ray McElrathbey, a [Clemson University](https://www.edgepedia.org/clemson-university) football player who took in his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr and raised him on campus after family life at home became too unstable.[5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html) Reeves played Ray in his first major leading film role.[5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html) • [10](https://matchket.com/jay-reeves/)
**Preparation.** The real McElrathbey was a consultant on the film and a regular presence on set; he and Reeves worked out together to get Reeves in shape for the role, and McElrathbey reviewed cuts of the film.[11](https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/safety/) Reeves said he built a genuine relationship with Ray and wanted to honor his legacy while remaining truthful to his experiences, drawing as well on his own upbringing by a single mother in the first half of his life.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) His athletic background helped: during filming he tried to get as much field time as he could, and he used a stunt double for part of the physical work.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/)
Following the film, the talent agency UTA signed Reeves in March 2021.[5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html)
## 2020s film and television
In 2020 Reeves also appeared in [David Ayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-ayer)'s crime thriller *The Tax Collector* as Peanut.[5](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html) In 2024 he played Private Hugh Bell in Tyler Perry's World War II drama *The Six Triple Eight*, and Cameron in the film *Twisted Hearts*.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/)
**2026.** Reeves starred simultaneously in two streaming series: as Jamel Brinkley in Netflix's *Nemesis*, a psychological crime drama co-created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole that premiered in May 2026, and as Roner in Paramount+'s *Marshals*, which follows Yellowstone's Kayce Dutton as he joins an elite U.S. Marshals unit in Montana.[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/) He filmed *Marshals* immediately after finishing *Nemesis*.[4](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/) He also leads Tyler Perry's Netflix film *Doing Life* (2026) opposite Naomi Baker, playing a reformed ex-con opposite a single mother fighting for survival.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/news/)
## Music and other work
Music grew from a chance encounter. Around 2018, shortly after his character was killed off *All American*, Reeves was working at a grocery store when Paul Stewart walked in; Reeves pitched his acting and music career, Stewart gave him his email address, and Stewart became the first person to put him in a recording booth.[2](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/) A 2020 profile reported that Reeves had been making hip-hop music, including a video in which he rapped over a [Paul Wall](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-wall) beat, and had written and appeared in the short video *South Central*.[10](https://matchket.com/jay-reeves/) The *Safety* press kit describes him as balancing acting and music.[8](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/safetypresskit_2855a0b0.pdf)
Reeves has also worked behind the camera; industry databases list producer, director, and writer credits for him alongside his acting work.[10](https://matchket.com/jay-reeves/)
## References
1. [Jay Reeves – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/jay-reeves/)
2. [Exclusive: Jay Reeves Talks 'Safety' and His Career, The Knockturnal (November 25, 2020)](https://theknockturnal.com/exclusive-jay-reeves-talks-safety-and-his-career/)
3. [Jay Reeves – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/)
4. [Jay Reeves on Starring in Two Hit Shows: Netflix's 'Nemesis' and Paramount+'s 'Marshals', The Quintessential Gentleman (July 24, 2026)](https://www.theqgentleman.com/post/2026-07-jay-reeves-on-starring-in-two-hit-shows-netflixs-nemesis-and-paramounts-marshals/)
5. [UTA Signs 'Safety' Actor Jay Reeves, Yahoo Entertainment/Deadline (March 12, 2021)](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/uta-signs-safety-actor-jay-000612491.html)
6. [Jay Reeves – News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6513996/news/)
7. [Jay Reeves: Unpacking the Rise of a Talented TV Actor, AFMAG.net](https://afmag.net/people/67776/jay-reeves)
8. [Safety press kit, Disney (2020)](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/documents/safetypresskit_2855a0b0.pdf)
9. [Jay Reeves, All American Wiki](https://allamerican.fandom.com/wiki/Jay_Reeves)
10. [Who Is Jay Reeves? Biography, Age, Real Name, Career, Movies, TV Shows and Latest News, Matchket](https://matchket.com/jay-reeves/)
11. [Disney's Safety vs. the True Story of Ray Ray McElrathbey, History vs. Hollywood](https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/safety/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames R to Ri*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license