Ari Stidham

Born and raised in Southern California, Ari Stidham quickly took to performing. Beginning with piano at age 4, Stidham kept at it and soon was singing and acting in school productions. He also pursued performing outside of school, acting in plays with the Santa Susana Repertory and participating in the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) program based in San Francisco. After performing in the Off-Broadway production of "Fat Camp," he was discovered on an improv stage and cast in "Huge" (ABC Family, 2010). In the show, a drama set at a summer weight-loss camp for teens, Stidham played Ian, an awkward musician who connects with the show's lead character Will (short for Willamena) played by Nikki Blonsky, who was known for playing the lead role in the feature film "Hairspray" (2007). Even though "Huge" was cancelled after one season, Stidham continued to make guest appearances on series including "Glee" (Fox, 2009-2015), "Mike & Molly" (CBS, 2010- ), and the Robin Williams vehicle "The Crazy Ones" (CBS, 2013-2014). Stidham was an unlikely choice for the role of Sylvester, a series regular on the espionage procedural "Scorpion" (CBS, 2014-), since the role was originally written for an African-American. Stidham, however, managed to convince the creators that he was the one for the role after only one audition. The show had a successful rookie year and was renewed for a second season.