Evan Thomas Peters (born January 20, 1987) is an American actor. He is known for his multiple roles on the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story''; as Detective Colin Zabel in the HBO crime drama limited series '' Mare of Easttown'', which won him a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

in 2021; as Stan Bowes in the first season of the FX ballroom drama series '' Pose''; as Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver in the ''X-Men'' film series (2014–2019) and the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...

series '' WandaVision''; and as the

titular character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

series '' Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'' . He made his acting debut in the 2004 drama film '' Clipping Adam'' and starred in the ABC

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

series ''

Invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing ...

'' from 2005 to 2006. From 2004 to 2010, Peters appeared in numerous national commercials for established brands such as

Kelloggs The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toast ...

, Papa John's Pizza and

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...

. During this time, he also had recurring roles on

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Comp ...

's '' Phil of the Future'' and

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

's '' One Tree Hill''. In 2010, he had a supporting role in the superhero film '' Kick-Ass''.

Early life

Evan Thomas Peters was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to parents Julie and Phillip Peters, and raised in the suburb of Ballwin. His father is a

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

of administration for the

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a private foundation founded in 1926 by Charles Stewart Mott of Flint, Michigan. Mott was a leading industrialist in Flint through his association with General Motors. The foundation administers funds ...

. Peters was brought up

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and attended a

Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...

. He has an older brother, Andrew, and an older paternal half-sister, Michelle. In 2001, Peters moved with his family to

Grand Blanc, Michigan Grand Blanc is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 7,784 as of the 2020 US Census. History The unincorporated village of Grand Blanc, or Grumlaw, was a former Indian campground firs ...

, where he pursued modeling and took local acting classes. He attended

Grand Blanc Community High School Grand Blanc High School (GBHS) is a public high school in Grand Blanc, Michigan, in the United States. It is managed by Grand Blanc Community Schools. Demographics The demographic breakdown of the 2699 students enrolled for the 2012–2013 sc ...

, before moving to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

at age 15 with his mother to pursue his acting career. He attended Burbank High School as a sophomore, but later began homeschooling classes.

Career

2004–2010: Career beginnings and ''Kick Ass''

At his second audition, Peters was chosen by producer Michael Picchiottino for the role of Adam Sheppard in the film '' Clipping Adam''. The role earned him the award for Best Breakthrough Performance at the Phoenix Film Festival. He performed in numerous television commercials for Sony PlayStation,

Progressive Insurance The Progressive Corporation is an American insurance company, the third largest insurance carrier and the No. 1 commercial auto insurer in the United States. The company was co-founded in 1937 by Jack Green and Joseph M. Lewis, and is headquar ...

Moviefone Moviefone is an American-based moving pictures listing and information service. Moviegoers can obtain local showtimes, cinema information, film reviews, and advance tickets, as well as TV content and a comprehensive search tool that allows users ...

Sour Patch Kids Sour Patch Kids (known as Very Bad Kids in France, and known as Maynards Sour Patch Kids in Canada and previously in the UK) are a brand of soft candy with a coating of invert sugar and sour sugar (a combination of citric acid, tartaric acid, ...

, Papa John's Pizza, and

Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toa ...

. In 2004, he starred in the MGM film '' Sleepover'' as Russell "SpongeBob" Hayes, and appeared in the ABC series ''

The Days ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' as Cooper Day. From 2004 to 2005, he had a recurring role as Seth Wosmer in the first season of the

series '' Phil of the Future''. From 2005 to 2006, he portrayed Jesse Varon in the ABC sci-fi thriller series ''

''. Peters then had supporting roles in the films '' An American Crime'' (2007), ''

Gardens of the Night ''Gardens of the Night'' is a 2008 drama film, written and directed by Damian Harris and starring Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, and Tom Arnold. Plot In Pennsylvania, eight-year-old Leslie Whitehead (Ryan Simpkins) is kidnapped b ...

'' (2008), ''

Never Back Down ''Never Back Down'' is a 2008 American martial arts film directed by Jeff Wadlow and starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet, Amber Heard and Djimon Hounsou. It tells the story of a frustrated and conflicted teenager who arrives at a new high school ...

'' (2008), and its sequel '' Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown'' (2011). He has also starred in several theater plays, including playing Fagin in a production of ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' at the Met Theater. In 2008, he had a recurring role as Jack Daniels on

teen-drama series '' One Tree Hill''. In addition, he landed many one episode guest spots in television series such as '' The Mentalist'', ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

'', ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

'', ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...

'', ''

In Plain Sight ''In Plain Sight'' is an American drama television series that premiered on the USA Network on June 1, 2008. The series revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico, office ...

'', and '' Parenthood''. In 2010, he appeared in the supporting role of Todd Haynes, the main character's best friend, in the superhero film '' Kick-Ass''. Peters was unable to reprise his role in the 2013 sequel due to scheduling conflicts with his role in the second season of '' American Horror Story''.

2011–present: ''American Horror Story'', Quicksilver and ''Dahmer''

Peters'

breakthrough role A breakthrough role, also known as a breakout role, is a term in the film industry to describe the performance of an actor or actress which contributed significantly to the development of their career and beginning of critical recognition. The si ...

was playing the teenager

Tate Langdon The first season of ''American Horror Story'', retroactively subtitled ''Murder House'', centers on the Harmon family, who, after dealing with a miscarriage and infidelity, move to a restored mansion in Los Angeles, unaware that the ghosts of i ...

in the first season of the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story''. In the second season, subtitled '' Asylum'', he starred as Kit Walker, a man wrongly accused of killing his wife; this role earned him a nomination for the

Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film The Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film is one of the annual Satellite Awards given by the International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professi ...

. In the third season, subtitled ''

Coven A coven () is a group or gathering of witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English until 1921 when Margaret Murray promot ...

'', he portrayed Kyle Spencer, a frat boy who is killed and brought back to life as a

Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compar ...

type of creature. In the fourth season of the series, subtitled ''

Freak Show A freak show, also known as a creep show, is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to in popular culture as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with ...

'', he played

Jimmy Darling The fourth season of the American horror anthology television series ''American Horror Story'', subtitled ''Freak Show'', is set in 1952 Jupiter, Florida, telling the story of one of the last remaining freak shows in the United States and thei ...

, a circus performer with deformed hands. In 2014, Peters starred in the independent comedy film '' Adult World'', opposite John Cusack and Emma Roberts. Peters played the mutant Peter Maximoff, based on Quicksilver, in the 2014 film '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' and its 2016 sequel, '' X-Men: Apocalypse''. In 2015, Peters starred in the horror film '' The Lazarus Effect'', the drama film '' Safelight'', alongside Juno Temple, and played the role of a wealthy oil businessman and serial killer named James Patrick March in the fifth season of American Horror Story, subtitled ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

''. In 2016 he had a role in the comedy-drama '' Elvis & Nixon'' and dual characters Edward Philipe Mott and Rory Monahan in '' American Horror Story: Roanoke''. 2017 saw Peters play the lead in '' The Pirates of Somalia'' and earn a Critics' Choice nomination for his performance on '' American Horror Story: Cult''. The next year, Peters played the lead in the heist film ''

American Animals ''American Animals'' is a 2018 heist film written and directed by Bart Layton. Starring Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, and Ann Dowd, it follows four college friends who plan a heist of their library. It tells the stor ...

'', collaborated once again with Ryan Murphy by acting in the first season of the FX drama '' Pose'', ending the year with the portrayal of several characters in the '' American Horror Story'' crossover season, subtitled ''

Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

''. In 2019, he reprised the role of Quicksilver in the sequel film '' Dark Phoenix''. Following

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...

purchase Purchasing is the process a business or organization uses to acquire goods or services to accomplish its goals. Although there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between ...

21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, fo ...

, all

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

related characters were transferred back to

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Ma ...

. In 2021, Peters made a surprise appearance in the

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

series '' WandaVision'', portraying an alternate version of his character from the ''X-Men'' film series, later revealed to be an imposter named Ralph Bohner. Also that year, Peters starred in '' Mare of Easttown'', an HBO miniseries about a troubled police detective, for which he won the

for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. The end of the year saw Peters return to the '' American Horror Story'' universe, playing writer and entertainer Austin Sommers in the first part, ''Red Tide'', of the tenth season. In 2022, Peters portrayed serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the Ryan Murphy created

miniseries, '' Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story''.

Personal life

In 2012, Peters began dating actress Emma Roberts, whom he met on the set of the film '' Adult World''. In July 2013, while they were staying at a hotel in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, someone overheard a dispute coming from their room and called the police. After a "heated argument," they had begun hitting each other. When the police arrived, they arrested Roberts. Peters was not arrested because Roberts did not have any immediately visible injuries. Peters declined to press charges, and Roberts was released several hours later. In a joint statement, the couple called it "an unfortunate incident and misunderstanding," and stated that they were "working together to move past it." Peters confirmed in March 2014 that he and Roberts were engaged. In March 2019, it was announced that Peters and Roberts had ended the relationship. Later in September 2019, Peters was pictured with the singer Halsey, and they were confirmed to be dating the following month. The couple were in a relationship until March 2020.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Evan 1987 births 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Living people People from Grand Blanc, Michigan Male actors from Michigan People from Ballwin, Missouri Male actors from St. Louis Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners