Merrick McCartha is an American actor who appeared on television shows such as All American (2020–2021), Countdown (2025), Criminal Minds (2012–2015), Rebel (2017) and Unstable (2023). His film credits include Failure! (2023), Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023), If You Should Leave Before Me (2025), and The Playground (2017).
Personal life McCartha grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He discovered he had a knack for performance in elementary school but his parents, who were police officers, did not want him to take on acting as a career. In 1990, McCartha was a student and part-time waiter when he helped judge a meatloaf cook-off. He attended Cass Technical High School and pursued an engineering career after college. He later took acting classes and signed with an agency in Los Angeles, California.
Career In 2011, McCartha was runner-up in a Backstage actors pitch contest that received over 100 submissions. In 2017, he was cast in the San Diego International Fringe Festival and portrayed Deacon Avery Silver in Rebel by producer John Singleton for the BET Network. McCartha was cast in the film Anatomy of an Antihero: Redemption in 2018 and as Robert Hicks in All American in 2021.
In 2023, he became eligible for an Emmy for his role in House of Payne, co-starred with Ted Raimi in Alex Kahuam's crime comedy film Failure! which premiered at FrightFest, and appeared in Tony Olmos' microbudget horror satire film Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea.
In 2025, McCartha was cast as the recurring character District Attorney Grayson Valwell in the television show Countdown, and co-starred in the Andersons' debut film If You Should Leave Before Me, which premiered at Raindance Film Festival.
Filmography +Television Year Title Role Episodes2013 Scandal Defense Lobbyist "Icarus"2012-2015 Criminal Minds Mayor / Anesthesiologist 2 episodes2015 The Young and the Restless Doctor 2016 The Fosters Angry Dad "Trust" Goliath Red Emerson "Pride and Prejudice"2017 Rebel Deacon Avery Silver "Partners" Lethal Weapon IA Agent #2 "El Gringo Loco" Scorpion Jeremy Pratt "Nuke Kids on the Block" The Orville Scientist "Majority Rule"2018 The Bold and the Beautiful Cop #1 Dear White People Older Man "Volume 2: Chapter VII" Get Shorty Detective Torann "And What Have We Learned?"2019 One Day at a Time Dean "Ghosts" NCIS Dr. Eugene Pierce "Perennial" This Is Us Lester "The Club"2020 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Frank Murwin "Manhunter" General Hospital Cliff Simpson 2 episodes Broke Mario Jones "Jobs" Saved by the Bell Angry Reporter #2 "Pilot"2020-2021 All American Robert Hicks 4 episodes2021 B Positive Guy "Recessive Gina" 9-1-1 Aldous Pate "Survivors" Curb Your Enthusiasm Cop "The Five-Foot Fence"2022 The Villains of Valley ViewOfficer Collins "Trust No One"2023 Act Your AgeMarcus"Fire and Desire"As Luck Would Have ItKen"Murder 101"UnstableTed2 episodes2023–2025House of PayneFrederick4 episodes2024Grey's AnatomyKarl"Walk on the Ocean"High PotentialDetective Lavolie"One of Us"2025CountdownDistrict Attorney Grayson Valwell6 episodesLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitJudge GaganEpisode: "Showdown"
+Feature films Year Title RoleNotes2010KingBreakerClean Team2017 The Playground Grandison2018 Anatomy of an Antihero: RedemptionDaniel BrownFeaturing Eric Roberts, Catriona MacColl and Robert Wall2019 Borrowed TimeDr. Daniel Brown2020 Skin: The Movie Hitchcock Twisted TwinDetective Fisher2022 Senior Year Principal Young2023Failure!Mr. SergeHemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink TeaMartin2024The ResellersRoger Martin2025If You Should Leave Before MeLorneRaindance Film Festival premiereMaddie's SecretDoctor
+Short films Year Title RoleNotes2008 Just a ManJoe Beedle2010 The Heiress Lethal Johnny Loveselected for 2011 Cannes Film Festival2011 What's Your Fantasy? Unknown2014 The Case of EvilDeke Williams2015Things HappenJ.D.2021 Ira Aldridge Ira Aldridgealso co-writer and executive producer2023The Last ButterfliesReporter2024The Risk RuleRobert ChalkMy Superhero RoommateMike
Accolades EventYearFilmAwardResultRef.48 Hour Film Project2008Just a ManBest Ensemble, San Diego2010The Heiress LethalBest Ensemble, San Diego2011What's Your Fantasy?Best Ensemble, San DiegoSan Diego Film Awards2014The Heiress LethalBest Actor2016Assessing AlanBest Supporting ActorAn Anti-Hero Production Genre Fest2015The Case of EvilBest Actor in a Grindhouse FilmGenre Fest2015Best ActorZed Fest Film Festival2015Outstanding Acting PerformanceBlast Off Film Festival2019Skin: The MovieBest Acting EnsembleIdyllwild International Festival of Cinema2020Best Ensemble
References
External links Merrick McCartha at Getty Images
Merrick McCartha at Moviefone Celeb Magazine Interview The BLK Script Interview Voyage LA Interview Official website