It’s not all Kicking Down Doors for “Criminal Minds” Derek Morgan
To those who are hooked on the fascinating and sometimes freaky tales of serial killers and other psychological shenanigans on “Criminal Minds” Senior Special Agent Derek Morgan is all about his penchant for kicking down doors and his endearing relationship with tech goddess Penelope Garcia.
Off screen there is a lot more to the man behind the character, actor Shemar Moore. Sky Living screened the season 8 finale of the popular US crime show in July and it was renewed for a further two seasons in this year’s network renewal craziness, so Shemar is back seeing plenty of 15 hour days on set; this does not stop him promoting movie projects, partying, and raising funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United States.
Definitely not the Shy Type
Although he insists that as a child he was reserved it certainly does not seem as though the condition has followed Shemar into adulthood; the guy definitely knows how to party. He has recently been enjoying the delights of one of his favourite relaxation spots in Miami with friends including fellow actor Keith Tisdell who portrayed Rodney Harris in “Criminal Minds” episodes “Profiler, Profiled” and “Restoration”. Whilst there he was captured playing, as he calls it, “kissy face” with one lucky lady. Back home on the west coast the Shemar Moore homestead looks every inch the party pad with the obligatory swimming pool accompanied by plenty of surrounding furniture for guests.
Emblazoned on the fence is the familiar SFM (Shemar Franklin Moore) which you can see on everything from Mr Moore’s baseball caps to his personalised car licence plate. Thankfully the hair he keeps under the cap is no longer the peroxide blonde he favoured at one point in his younger days; a fashion statement that would have got him noticed for all the wrong reasons. On a more serious note it is easy to damage hair in the name of fashion and for men there can often be issues with hair loss. The potential loss of hair, and products for keeping hair healthy, are serious considerations for the male population. The National Health Service provides valuable advice on the condition of male hair loss, it’s causes and treatments. Given the fact that Shemar Moore is more often than not shaven headed it may seem that the loss of hair would not be such an issue but apparently in “Criminal Minds” season 9 his character Morgan may be sporting more hair, and for most men it is good to have the option.
The Big Screen Beckons
Shemar was smooth and shiny though, and that was the chest as well as the head, when his impressive home featured during the recent Indiegogo crowd funding campaign for his movie project “The Bounce Back”. As part of the campaign he arranged several video chats for supporters of both himself and the project including a very interesting session when his two British bulldogs, Shug and Moe, decided to participate too. The endeavours were worthwhile as the campaign raised a total of $638,483, the highest amount for a film project on Indiegogo. This is not Shemar’s only recent foray into the movie world; he has already filmed a cameo appearance as a piano player in the Kirsten Vangness (Penelope Garcia in Criminal Minds) film noir tribute “Kill Me Deadly” which is still in production.
The BabyGirl Nation
Kirsten, in her role as Garcia, was given the name BabyGirl by Derek Morgan when he did not know her actual name. Shemar has borrowed the name from his character and put it to good use with the production of a BabyGirl clothing range, including baseball caps, t-shirts, and shorts, that he sells from his website. A percentage of the profit from the sales goes to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The cause is close to Shemar’s heart as his mother Marilyn Wilson-Moore suffers from the illness.
So close to his heart in fact that he is currently training for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society bike ride in California where he will be joined by a team from “Criminal Minds” including Keith Tisdell. Shemar has participated in the ride, which this year takes place on 12 and 13 October, for several years and has been cheered on in the past by fellow cast members including original BabyGirl Kirsten, Paget Brewster, and Joe Mantegna. Shemar’s updates on the ride and the clothing range fly around Twitter each day courtesy of the self-styled BabyGirl Nation, those Twitter followers (of whom there are in excess of 342,000), who agree there is far more to Shemar Moore than just door kicking Derek Morgan.
