Dropped out from University of Iowa, majoring in biochemical engineering, to follow his dreams of becoming a model. He prevailed the Fresh Faces of Iowa modeling competition in 1997, glimmering a modeling career in New York City. He then tried-out for a part at NBC and knew he didn’t land it. When he was about to leave, the management asked him to interpret for a new NBC show called “Wind on Water” (1998). He lost the main part in Elizabethtown (2005) to Orlando Bloom while Cameron Crowe determined in requiring a performer that had a rock-hard résumé consisting of Theatre and Drama school preparation.