Maximillion Drake Thieriot Bio
Maximillion Drake Thieriot (born October 14, 1988) is an American actor and producer best known for his diverse roles across film and television. He began his career in 2004 with the adventure comedy Catch That Kid and has since built an extensive filmography spanning genres from horror to action dramas. Thieriot gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Dylan Massett in A&E’s critically acclaimed series Bates Motel from 2013 to 2017 and later starred as Navy SEAL Clay Spenser in CBS’s SEAL Team from 2017 to 2022. He currently stars as Bode Leone in Fire Country, a CBS drama series he co-created and for which he also serves as a writer and producer. Beyond acting, Thieriot is a vintner who co-owns a wine label with childhood friends in his hometown of Occidental, California.
Early Life and Background
Maximillion Drake Thieriot was born on October 14, 1988, in Los Altos Hills, California. He is the son of Bridgit Ann Snyder and George Cameron Thieriot. Thieriot grew up in the small town of Occidental in Sonoma County, California, alongside one older sister and one younger brother. His upbringing in this rural Northern California community provided him with a grounded perspective that would later influence his approach to acting and storytelling.
For his education, Thieriot attended Sonoma Country Day School in Santa Rosa for middle school before moving on to El Molino High School in Forestville, where he graduated in 2006. His family background includes notable journalistic connections. His great-great-grandfather, M. H. de Young, co-founded the San Francisco Chronicle with his brother Charles de Young. M. H. de Young was of Dutch Jewish descent and later converted to Catholicism. His paternal grandparents, Frances Harrison and Ferdinand Melly Thieriot, tragically died in the collision and sinking of the Italian liner SS Andrea Doria off the coast of Nantucket in 1956.
Path to Acting
Thieriot’s journey into acting began when he enrolled in an improvisation class taught by talent manager Don Gibble, who subsequently signed him to representation. Before pursuing feature film work, he gained early experience through modeling campaigns for Gap and appearances in two short films. These initial opportunities helped him develop confidence in front of the camera and provided valuable industry exposure during his teenage years.
His first significant breakthrough came when he was cast in his first feature film role, starring in the 2004 adventure comedy Catch That Kid. This debut opened doors to larger projects and led to his subsequent casting in 2005’s action comedy The Pacifier, where he portrayed one of the family members protected by a Navy SEAL played by Vin Diesel. For his performance in The Pacifier, Thieriot received a nomination for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actor, marking an early recognition of his talent.
Maximillion Drake Thieriot Career
Early Career (2004–2012)
Following his debut in Catch That Kid, Thieriot quickly established himself as a reliable young actor in Hollywood. After The Pacifier, he appeared in the drama The Astronaut Farmer in 2007 and starred in the film adaptation of Nancy Drew that same year. His versatility allowed him to transition between genres seamlessly, demonstrating his ability to handle both comedy and drama roles with equal skill.
In 2008, he played a younger version of Hayden Christensen’s character in the science fiction film Jumper. That same year, he appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, a role for which he won the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Ensemble Cast alongside his co-stars. By 2009, Thieriot had co-starred in the erotic thriller Chloe, directed by Atom Egoyan. The film achieved commercial success and became Egoyan’s biggest box office earner at the time. In 2010, he took on the lead role in Wes Craven’s supernatural horror film My Soul to Take, further expanding his genre repertoire.
Breakthrough (2013–Present)
The role that brought Thieriot widespread recognition came in 2013 when he began portraying Dylan Massett in A&E’s drama-thriller series Bates Motel. Playing the half-brother of Norman Bates, Thieriot delivered compelling performances across all five seasons of the critically acclaimed series, which concluded in 2017. During his tenure on Bates Motel, he made his directorial debut by directing the fifth-season episode titled “Hidden,” showcasing his creative abilities behind the camera.
In 2015, Thieriot expanded his portfolio by starring as John Coffee “Jack” Hays in the History Channel miniseries Texas Rising and appeared in Roland Emmerich’s remake of the action-thriller Point Break. Beginning in 2017, he starred as Navy SEAL Clay Spenser in the CBS drama series SEAL Team, a role he portrayed until the show’s conclusion in 2022. His portrayal of the elite operative earned him additional acclaim and demonstrated his ability to anchor a primetime network drama.
Notable Works and Milestones
As of 2022, Thieriot has taken on his most ambitious project yet, starring as Bode Leone in the CBS drama series Fire Country. Beyond acting, he co-created the series and serves as a producer and occasional writer, marking his evolution from performer to creative force. The show represents his seamless integration of on-screen talent with behind-the-scenes creative control, demonstrating the multifaceted career he has built over nearly two decades in the entertainment industry.
Maximillion Drake Thieriot Awards
Throughout his career, Maximillion Drake Thieriot has received recognition for his performances, particularly during his early years in Hollywood. His most notable achievements include Young Artist Award wins for his roles in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl and nominations for his work in The Pacifier. While he has not accumulated major awards in subsequent years, his body of work continues to demonstrate consistent quality and range across diverse projects.
Maximillion Drake Thieriot Family
Maximillion Drake Thieriot comes from a family with deep roots in California journalism and business. His father is George Cameron Thieriot and his mother is Bridgit Ann Snyder. His great-great-grandfather M. H. de Young co-founded the San Francisco Chronicle, and relatives Charles and Richard Thieriot later served as editors and publishers of the paper. Through his sister’s marriage, Thieriot is the brother-in-law of former Philadelphia Phillies baseball pitcher Michael Stutes. His paternal grandparents tragically passed away in the SS Andrea Doria maritime disaster in 1956.
Personal Life
Thieriot married Lexy Murphy on June 1, 2013, in Lake Tahoe, California. The couple met as teenagers and dated for seven years before becoming engaged in 2012, when Thieriot proposed during a trip to the Caribbean. They have two sons together, with their first child born in 2015 and their second born in 2018. In addition to his acting career, Thieriot has established himself as a successful vintner. Alongside childhood friends Christopher Strieter and Myles Lawrence-Briggs, he owns vineyards in Occidental, California, and distributes wine through their label Senses. Notably, Senses wine appeared in a family-dinner scene during the third season of Bates Motel, where Thieriot’s character and family were shown drinking their product.