Titus Odell Makin Jr. (born June 10, 1989), also known by his musical stage name Butterfly Ali, is an American television actor, singer, dancer, and songwriter. He is best known for his role of Jackson West in ABC police procedural television series "The Rookie" (2018–2021). He also portrayed characters television series such as David in series "Glee" (2010–2012), Lukas Parnell in "Star-Crossed" (2014), Clark Wilkins in "Pretty Little Liars" (2015), and Caleb Matthews in "The Path" (2018). Makin also played Trey in 2021 feature film "On the Come Up". He is also a singer and songwriter, creating in style blending elements of soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop.
Early life and education.
Titus Makin Jr. was born on June 10, 1989 in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, where he lived for the first three years of his life. His father was a soldier and, his family moved around the United States, including Colorado, and Arizona, as well as Germany. He also has a sister. Growing up, Makin took up sports, singing and performing, and practised gymnastics and dance. He began acting in high school, performing in school musicals, and after graduating, he attended the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. While there, he also became an acrobat and dancer for cheerleading teams of New York Knicks and New York Liberty.
Acting career.
In 2009, Makin moved to Los Angeles in California, where he begun acting in films and television series. From 2010 to 2012, Makin portrayed recurring character of David in the Fox musical comedy drama "Glee", and in 2011, he played Mickey O'Malley in the direct-to-video teen comedy musical film '. Later, he also portrayed Lukas Parnell in The CW science fiction romantic teen drama series "Star-Crossed" (2014), Clark Wilkins in Freeform mystery teen drama series "Pretty Little Liars" (2015), and Caleb Matthews in Hulu drama series "The Path" (2018). From 2018 to 2021, Makin also had a leading role of Jackson West in the first three seasons of the ABC police procedural television series "The Rookie". Makin also appeared in television series such as "The Closer" (2011), "Grimm" (2012), "Castle" (2013), "Grey's Anatomy" (2014), "NCIS" (2014), "FBI" (2019), and ' (2021). In 2022, he portrayed Trey in Paramount+ musical drama feature film "On the Come Up".
Musical career.
Titus is also a singer and songwriter, creating in style blending elements of soul, R&B, funk, and Hip hop, among others. Since 2020, he performs under the stage name Butterfly Ali, in homage to Muhammad Ali. His singles include "Pray for 'Em", "5 Minutes", "Listen to Me", "Rose", and "Righteous".
Private life.
Makin identifies as Christian.