Anson Mount

An intense actor, Anson Mount had several credits under his belt when he earned teen fame as Britney Spears' love interest in the coming-of-age dramedy "Crossroads" (2002). Doing his best to avoid being typecast as a lightweight hunk, Mount landed fulltime gigs on "Line of Fire" (ABC, 2003-04), "The Mountain" (The WB, 2004-05) and "Conviction" (NBC, 2006), as well as booking supporting roles in "In Her Shoes" (2005) and "Straw Dogs" (2011). He came into his own as an adult actor when he impressed critics and fans alike in the demanding dramatic lead role of vengeance-seeking Civil War veteran Cullen Bohannon in the railroad-themed Western "Hell on Wheels" (AMC, 2011-16). Unlike many of his contemporaries who found early success in teen projects, Anson Mount actively focused on building a career rooted in heavier roles and more challenging subject matter.

Born Feb. 25, 1973 in White Bluff, TN, Anson Adams Mount IV graduated from Columbia University with an MFA in theater in 1998 and made his screen debut the following year with guest spots on "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002) and "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004). After roles in "Boiler Room" (2000) and "Urban Legends: Final Cut" (2000), he recurred on "Third Watch" (NBC, 1999-2005) and landed his breakthrough role as the mysterious, sexy Ben who romances a road-tripping Britney Spears in her film debut "Crossroads" (2002). Although Mount had reservations about taking the role, it put him on the radar of a certain generation and earned him a Teen Choice Award nomination.

Mount worked hard, however, to distance himself from a teen heartthrob reputation by appearing in the "Project Greenlight" (HBO, 2001-04; Bravo, 2005)-winning film "The Battle of Shake Heights" (2003) before landing series regular roles on the crime drama "Line of Fire" (ABC, 2003-04) and the skiing resort family saga "The Mountain" (The WB, 2004-05). He played a sexual conquest of Cameron Diaz's flighty Maggie in "In Her Shoes" (2005), guested on "Lost" (ABC, 2004-2010), and starred as a hard-edged attorney on Dick Wolf's "Conviction" (NBC, 2006). When that show ended, he joined John Stamos to play a pair of brothers whose ruthless competitive natures destroy themselves and everyone else in "The Two Mr. Kissels" (Lifetime, 2008).

Mount lensed supporting roles in the road trip drama "Hick" (2011), the thriller remake "Straw Dogs" (2011) and as one of "Seal Team 6: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden " (National Geographic Channel, 2012), but finally achieved his adult breakthrough role on the hit Western series "Hell on Wheels" (AMC, 2011-16). On the gritty drama, Mount played Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier holding down the day job of helping to build the Pacific Railroad while seeking revenge on the northerners who murdered his family. By Jonathan Riggs