Born Michael Jerome Putnam, Hamilton's bio reads like a bestseller: By the age of 17, he was a high school dropout and living out of his car with his dog. To survive, he found a job pumping gas and would often shower at friends' homes when their parents were at work.
By the age of 33, this father of four was married and divorced. A second marriage added two more children to the family makeup. Things were looking up. And then the ceiling collapsed. In 2005, Hamilton fought the fight of his life when it was discovered he had lymphoma, but after a year of treatments and surgery, he was found to be cancer free.
Once again life had returned to normal, until he received a random text message from his (now) ex-wife who said simply that she no longer wanted to be married. Devastated, Hamilton decided to start over and, in May 2010, he landed his first modeling gig for a Luis Vuitton charity event. The experience left a lasting impression on Hamilton, who has since landed roles on ABC's Body of Proof; CBS' Mike and Molly, and Two Broke Girls; and who even has screen time in the new Denzel Washington/Ryan Reynolds flick, Safe House.
Things are finally looking up for Jerome Hamilton, who has survived homelessness, a cancer scare, divorce and other disappointments along his path.
