Colton Haynes

Colton Lee Haynes is an American actor and model born on July 13, 1988. He is best known for his starring television roles as Jackson Whittemore in the MTV supernatural drama series Teen Wolf and as Roy Harper, also known as Arsenal, in The CW superhero series Arrow.

Haynes was born in either Wichita or Andale, Kansas, and grew up on a farm with five siblings. During his childhood, his family lived in several states, including Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. He attended Navarre High School in Florida and Andale High School in Kansas before graduating from Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas. Haynes came out as gay at the age of fourteen and faced bullying during his school years, briefly running away from home during his youth.

At age fifteen, Haynes began modeling in New York City. His early career included a photo shoot photographed by Bruce Weber for Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as campaigns for Ralph Lauren, J. C. Penney, Kira Plastinina, and Verizon. He also appeared in magazine editorials for publications such as Teen Vogue and Arena. He made his screen debut with an uncredited role in the 2007 film Transformers, guest appearances on CSI: Miami and The Hills, and a role in My Chemical Romance's music video for "I Don't Love You."

Haynes expanded his acting career with appearances on Privileged, Pushing Daisies, and the Hallmark Channel television movie Always and Forever. In 2010, he starred as Shane in the Showtime series Look and portrayed Brett Crezski in the ABC drama series The Gates. His major breakthrough came in 2011 when he was cast as Jackson Whittemore in Teen Wolf. After two seasons, he joined the cast of Arrow in 2012 as Roy Harper, serving as a series regular for seasons two, three, and seven, along with recurring and guest appearances in other seasons.

Beyond his core television roles, Haynes appeared in music videos for Leona Lewis, Victoria Justice, and Andy Grammer, and released music tracks including a cover of "19 You+Me" and a holiday single titled "Baby It's Christmas." In 2014, he participated in Abercrombie & Fitch's "Making of a Star" campaign. His film credits include roles in San Andreas, Rough Night, and Bigger. He was also cast in American Horror Story: Cult in 2017 and reprised his Teen Wolf role in a Paramount+ revival film released in January 2023.

In his personal life, Haynes publicly came out as gay in a May 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly. He was married to celebrity florist Jeff Leatham from October 2017 until their divorce settlement in August 2019. Haynes has spoken publicly about his ongoing struggles with anxiety, addiction, and his journey through sobriety treatment programs. In 2022, he published a memoir titled Miss Memory Lane, which reached the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List.