Michael Evans Behling is an American actor celebrated for his portrayal of Jordan Baker on the television series “All American.”
Early life and Education
Behling was born on March 5, 1996 in Columbus, Ohio, and adopted by Mike and Carol Behling, but he was raised in Columbus, Indiana. He is biracial, having been adopted by a white family. In a March 2020 YouTube video, Behling revealed that his father is of Nigerian descent and his mother is of German descent, with his last name being German. He has three siblings: Matt, Adam, and Andrea. The Behling family owned ten acres of land, along with several dogs, cats, and a chicken coop. Sports played a significant role in his upbringing, with Behling participating in baseball, soccer, and volleyball.
Behling first considered an acting career as a high school freshman, inspired by Heath Ledger’s performance in “The Dark Knight.” He attended Columbus North High School, where he played football for two years and ran track. An honor roll student, he graduated in 2015. He continued running track in college, competing in the 400-meter hurdles, but had to stop after breaking his foot twice, which required two surgeries. Behling attended Indiana State University for two years as a pre-med student before dropping out to pursue modeling and acting. Before beginning his acting career, he worked as an assistant director at the Donner Aquatic Center in Columbus, Indiana.
Career
While in college, Behling began modeling and was eventually encouraged by his team to audition for acting roles. He worked on advertising campaigns for Adidas and White Castle. Behling’s television career started in 2017 with a role as “Handsome Dude” on “Empire.” In March 2018, he was cast as Jordan Baker on “All American,” and filming for the pilot began two weeks later. Behling moved to Los Angeles in January 2018 for filming, and after his finances ran low, he slept on a friend’s floor. He has stated that he identifies with his character Jordan Baker because they are both biracial and searching for where they fit in. This role became his breakout role, and he is currently represented by HRI Talent and Management 101.
Behling also founded a clothing line, DesignedAt5AM, with three high school friends: Nicholas Stevens, Drew Thompson, and Floyd Athaide. The clothing line was inspired by his habit of starting his day early to achieve his goals and by his friends’ early morning swim practices.
Personal life
Behling resides in Los Angeles. He is an active advocate for animal rights and mental health awareness.
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 1 million dollars