Overview (4)

Born June 10, 1978 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA Birth Name Donald Joseph Qualls Nickname Deej Height 6' (1.83 m)

Mini Bio (1)

DJ Qualls grew up in the small city of Manchester in Tennessee, USA, one of five children. After studying in the UK at King's College, University of London, he returned to Tennessee where he began acting in a local theatre. During that time, he was discovered by photographers David La Chappelle and Steve Klein, which led to modeling work for Prada, as well as other advertising campaigns. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Qualls is proud to be a cancer survivor and an advocate for cancer research and awareness.



Qualls made his feature film debut in Heißer Trip nach Texas (2000). Qualls is also seen in the comedy thriller Sex oder stirb (2000), in which he co-stars with Jay Mohr, Brittany Murphy, and Gabriel Mann in a story of the killings of virgins in a small town high school. His earlier credits include the miniseries Mama Flora's Family (1998), based on the book by Alex Haley, and "Against The Wall".

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Dr. Frosty

Trade Mark (1)

Extremely thin frame



Trivia (10)



Booked his first lead, Kyle, in Heißer Trip nach Texas (2000), after auditioning for a one line part at an Atlanta casting office. The director invited him to meet Ivan Reitman in his Beverly Hills office, where he was cast.

Is a cancer survivor



Worked for a law office in Nashville.



Is a former model for such designers as Calvin Klein and Prada.



Attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.



A high school picture of Qualls can be found in the band room at Coffee County Central High, where he attended and was a member of the band.



Attended King's College, London, where he studied English language and English literature.



Enrolled in Belmont University in Nashville, where he also began acting in a local theater company.



One of five children of Debbie and Donnie Qualls.



Graduated from Coffee County Central High School.



Personal Quotes (12)

You know, so many people say TV makes you stupid. But it had the complete opposite effect on me. It kept me from having a really bad Southern accent.



The idea of sitting in a booth, and having someone pay me to sign autographs, seems so gross to me.



My face is distinct. It's hard to confuse me with anyone else.



I've lived so frugally for so long. I have to have that financial security or the world feels out of control for me.



Celebrity is a gift. I'm very lucky.



I have been to Graceland a hundred times. Every kid in middle Tennessee has this night where it hits midnight, and they are like, 'Let's go to Graceland!' It's a rite of passage. I did it.



I grew up in a town with no movie theater. TV was my only link to the outside world. Film wasn't such a big deal to me. It was TV. So much so, that when I meet TV stars now... Not my co-workers, but real TV stars, I get nervous. I freak out around them.



I grew up in a rural area. I grew up in deep southern middle Tennessee, probably about thirty miles from the Alabama border. There's nothing there, really. And the TV was my link to the outside world. It's what kept me from going into factory employment. It's what made me want to go to college. It was really inspiring.



I always wanted to be an actor. It's something I always secretly wanted. You know, I had the experience of being picked on as a child ,and I would tell people, 'You're gonna be sorry when I'm famous!' And then I learned after they kicked the stuffing out me that you don't say that out loud.



A film has a beginning, middle, and an end. There is a certain amount of time that you have to embody these people. You know the entire story arch. But on TV, you have to let your guard down. You don't know how long the show is going to last. There is this excitement that comes with developing a character long-term.



That's what so great about making movies. It's that you get to do stuff you never would be able to do in real life. You get to go to a recording studio, you get to go to Navy ships and fly all over the world for press. And it's just a great job.



If there is any sense of order to the universe, acting is what I am meant to do. I'm not manufactured. I know acting isn't real, that it's temporary. If there is any theme to the roles I play, it is emotional vulnerability and availability.

