Wilson Bethel

New Hampshire native Wilson Bethel was the third child born into a large family full of artists and entertainers. He began acting when he was sent to a special elementary school for the arts where the students performed Shakespeare plays.

After graduating from high school, he decided to pursue acting professionally and moved to Los Angeles. There, he landed guest spots on prime-time series, including THE O.C., JAG and NCIS. In 2008, his career got a boost when he was cast as Corporal Evan “Q-Tip” Stafford on the HBO mini-series GENERATION KILL. The gritty military drama, which the actor describes as being, “a little like BAND OF BROTHERS or THE PACIFIC,” followed the story of Recon Marines fighting in the Iraq War. During the filming, Bethel got to travel all over Africa and had to train at a boot camp. “It is the work that I’m probably the most proud of,” he states.

The next year, Bethel read for Y&R, where he knew Casting Director Camille St. Cyr from when she’d worked at NCIS. He soon landed the role of Ryder, Kevin’s mysterious half brother.