Titus Makin Jr. has built his career across several sides of the entertainment world. Best known for his television roles as David on Glee and Jackson West on The Rookie, he’s also a Singer, Dancer, and Songwriter. Long before television audiences became familiar with him, Makin was already performing, training in Gymnastics, studying Dramatic Arts, and working in live entertainment.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1989, Makin grew up in a Military family. His father’s service meant the family moved frequently, giving Titus an unusual childhood filled with new places and experiences. Along the way, he developed an interest in Singing and Dancing, later adding Gymnastics and Acting to his growing list of talents.
His route into professional Acting wasn’t immediate. He started performing as a child but didn’t begin Acting until he was 17. After High School, he trained at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and gained valuable stage experience before eventually moving to Los Angeles. From there, Television and Film roles helped turn his early passion for performance into a lasting Entertainment Career.
Quick Bio Information
Full Name: Titus Odell Makin Jr.
Date Of Birth: June 10, 1989
Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Age In 2026: 37 Years Old
Profession: Actor, Singer, Dancer, And Songwriter
Height: 5 Feet 11½ Inches, Or 1.82 Meters
Education: New York Conservatory For Dramatic Arts
High School: Buena High School In Sierra Vista, Arizona
Early Performance Interest: Singing And Dancing
Started Performing: Around Age 9
Started Acting: Age 17
Gymnastics Experience: Eight Years
Gymnastics Training: Began In Heidelberg, Germany
Early Live Performance: New York Knicks
Dance Experience: New York Liberty
Breakthrough Television Role: David In Glee
Major Television Role: Jackson West In The Rookie
Music Name: Butterfly Ali
Recent Film Credit: Sins Of The Bride (2024)
Titus Makin Jr. At A Glance
Titus Odell Makin Jr. was born on June 10, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Arizona, before continuing his education at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.
His early career included live performances with the New York Knicks and New York Liberty, followed by Television appearances that eventually led to his recurring role on Glee. He later became widely recognized for portraying Jackson West on The Rookie, a role he played from 2018 to 2021.
Makin has also worked in Film and Music. In addition to Acting, he has released music under the name Butterfly Ali, showing that his creative interests extend well beyond the Screen.
Titus Makin Jr.’s Childhood And Military Family
Makin’s childhood was shaped in large part by his father’s Military career. Because of his father’s service, the family relocated frequently while Titus was growing up. He has been described in his biography as a “Military kid,” a phrase that captures how much movement was part of his early life.
Constantly moving meant that Makin experienced different environments rather than growing up in one place. His biography also notes that traveling exposed him to different forms of Entertainment. That exposure became particularly meaningful as his own interest in performing began to develop.
His childhood therefore provides useful context for understanding the person he eventually became. The path wasn’t simply about discovering Acting. Singing, Dancing, Gymnastics, and other forms of performance all became part of his development before Acting emerged as his main professional direction.
How Titus Makin Jr. Discovered Performing
Makin’s connection with performance began when he was still a child. At around nine years old, he started Singing and Dancing and took part in an Elementary School Talent Show. That early experience gave him a chance to perform publicly and helped nurture an interest that would remain with him.
During Middle School, he continued developing his musical abilities by taking Voice Lessons. Acting, however, came later. He didn’t step into Acting until he was 17, during his Senior Year of High School.
That distinction makes his early story particularly interesting. Makin spent years building skills in Music and Dance before discovering Acting. When he eventually did try Acting, he already had a foundation in performance that could support his new pursuit.
Titus Makin Jr. And Gymnastics
Gymnastics was another major part of Makin’s early life. According to his biography, he trained as a Gymnast for eight years, beginning in Heidelberg, Germany.
Years of Gymnastics training gave him experience with physical control, coordination, discipline, and repetition. Those qualities can also be valuable in Dance and live performance, areas that later became part of his professional background.
Although Gymnastics didn’t become his primary career, it remained an important piece of the journey that eventually led him toward Entertainment. By the time he was seriously pursuing Acting, he already had experience performing physically as well as vocally.
His First Acting Role At Age 17
Makin discovered Acting during his final year of High School. At 17, he secured a lead role in the Musical 1940’s Radio Hour, marking an important turning point in his life.
Until then, Singing and Dancing had been the strongest parts of his performance background. The Musical gave him an opportunity to combine those abilities with Acting and experience the demands of theatrical performance.
After graduating from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Arizona, Makin decided to continue developing his skills professionally. He was accepted into the professional training program at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, taking the next major step toward an Entertainment Career.
Education And Dramatic Arts Training
Studying at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts gave Makin formal training in Acting while placing him in the middle of New York’s busy Entertainment environment.
His education wasn’t limited to classroom work. During his first year in the program, he also began working professionally as a New York Knicks Acroback Tumbler. He performed during halftime at Knicks home games at Madison Square Garden, gaining experience in front of large live audiences.
He also became a New York Liberty Dancer, performing with a Co-Ed Hip-Hop Dance Team associated with the WNBA. These jobs gave him practical experience while he was still developing his Acting skills.
Moving To Los Angeles
After completing his training in New York, Makin moved to Los Angeles with the goal of pursuing Entertainment professionally.
The move marked a significant change. He arrived with experience in Musical Theater, Gymnastics, Dance, live performance, and formal Dramatic Arts training. Instead of starting from scratch, he was bringing several years of different performance experiences with him.
Los Angeles became the setting for the next stage of his career, where Television and Film opportunities gradually expanded his professional profile.
Titus Makin Jr. On Glee
Makin gained wider recognition through Fox’s Musical Comedy-Drama Glee. He played David, a friend of Blaine, portrayed by Darren Criss, and was associated with the Dalton Academy Warblers.
His role was a natural match for his background. Glee brought together Acting, Singing, Dancing, and ensemble performance, all areas in which Makin already had experience.
He appeared on the series from 2010 through 2012, with 10 episodes credited to him. He was also connected with Glee‘s concert-related work, including Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.
For Makin, Glee became an important early television credit and introduced him to a considerably larger audience.
Game Of Your Life And A Cinderella Story
Around the same period, Makin expanded his Screen Career with other projects. He had a leading role in the NBC family movie Game Of Your Life, appearing alongside Lea Thompson and Nathan Kress.
He also appeared in A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, a Musical Teen Film starring Lucy Hale. The project allowed Makin to continue working in an environment where Acting and Music came together naturally.
These early Film and Television projects helped establish him beyond his role on Glee. They also demonstrated his ability to move between different types of Entertainment while continuing to build his résumé.
Other Television Roles
Makin’s career didn’t remain tied to one particular genre. Following his early work, he appeared in a wide range of Television productions, including The Closer, Victorious, Grimm, Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, FBI, and NCIS: Hawaiʻi.
He also took on larger roles in series such as Star-Crossed, Pretty Little Liars, and The Path.
That variety is an important part of Titus Makin Jr.’s career. His work has reached Musical Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery, Medical Drama, Police Procedurals, and other genres. Rather than being defined by a single type of character, he has continued to work across different Television formats.
Titus Makin Jr. As Jackson West On The Rookie
One of Makin’s most substantial Television roles came with ABC’s The Rookie. He portrayed Jackson West, a young Police Officer navigating the demanding world of the Los Angeles Police Department alongside the show’s central characters.
Makin appeared in 54 episodes between 2018 and 2021, covering the first three seasons of the series.
The role gave audiences an opportunity to see him in a very different setting from Glee. Instead of a Musical ensemble, The Rookie placed him in a Police Procedural Drama that focused on training, professional pressure, teamwork, and life as a new Officer.
Jackson West became one of the most significant roles of Makin’s Television Career and remains one of the credits most closely associated with his name.
Titus Makin Jr. Beyond Acting
Acting isn’t Makin’s only creative pursuit. He has also developed a career in Music under the name Butterfly Ali.
As Butterfly Ali, he has explored musical styles including Soul, R&B, Funk, and Hip-Hop. His work as a Singer and Songwriter adds another dimension to a career that already includes Acting, Dance, Gymnastics, and live performance.
In many ways, his Music Career connects with interests he developed as a child. Singing was one of his earliest creative outlets, long before he became a professional Actor. His later work in Music shows that the interest never disappeared; it simply became another part of his professional identity.
Later Acting And Film Work
Makin continued working in Television and Film after The Rookie. His later Screen credits include On the Come Up, where he played Trey, and the 2024 Film Sins of the Bride, where he was credited as Jack Benson.
He also appeared in NCIS: Hawaiʻi and other projects during the early 2020s.
These later credits are an important part of understanding his career because his work didn’t end with Glee or The Rookie. He continued taking on new roles while developing his work across different areas of Entertainment.
Titus Makin Jr.’s Family And Personal Details
The available biographical information identifies Makin’s parents as Titus Makin and Juliette Makin. His father’s Military Career is particularly significant because it explains the frequent relocations that were part of Titus’s childhood.
Beyond these documented details, there isn’t extensive verified information about his private family life in the available material. That distinction is worth maintaining when discussing a public figure. A reliable Biography should focus on information that can be supported rather than filling gaps with rumors or assumptions.
Titus Makin Jr.’s Height And Age
Titus Makin Jr. was born on June 10, 1989, which makes him 37 years old in 2026. His reported height is 5 feet 11½ inches, or approximately 1.82 meters.
These are straightforward Biographical Details, but they don’t tell the full story of his background. His combination of Singing, Dance, Gymnastics, Musical Theater, and Dramatic Arts training offers a much better explanation of how he developed into a professional Performer.
Titus Makin Jr.’s Career In Perspective
Looking at Makin’s career as a whole reveals a steady progression rather than one sudden breakthrough. His first connection with Entertainment came through Singing and Dancing as a child. He then developed his physical skills through eight years of Gymnastics and began taking Voice Lessons during Middle School.
Acting entered the picture at 17, when he performed in 1940’s Radio Hour. Formal Dramatic Arts training followed at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, where he simultaneously gained practical experience performing for live audiences.
His move to Los Angeles eventually opened the door to Screen Acting. Glee gave him an early opportunity to reach a larger audience, while projects such as Star-Crossed, Pretty Little Liars, and The Path allowed him to work in different genres. His role as Jackson West on The Rookie became one of his longest-running Television parts.
Beyond Acting, his work as Butterfly Ali has allowed him to return to Music, one of the creative interests that first appeared in his childhood. Taken together, these experiences show a Performer whose career has developed across several connected forms of Entertainment.
Final Thoughts
Titus Makin Jr.’s Life Story is built around versatility. He didn’t enter the Entertainment Industry through Acting alone. Singing and Dancing came first, followed by years of Gymnastics, Musical Theater, formal Acting training, and live performance.
His childhood in a Military family meant frequent moves, but those experiences also exposed him to different places and forms of Entertainment. By the time he began pursuing Acting professionally, he had already developed a surprisingly broad performance background.
His appearances as David on Glee and Jackson West on The Rookie remain central to his Television Career, but they represent only part of his work. His Film appearances, Television roles, live performance history, and Music as Butterfly Ali all contribute to a fuller picture of his professional journey.
For anyone discovering Titus Makin Jr. through one of his best-known characters, looking at the complete story reveals an Actor and Performer whose career has grown from many different experiences rather than following a single path.
FAQs About Titus Makin Jr.
Who Is Titus Makin Jr.?
Titus Makin Jr. is an American Actor, Singer, Dancer, and Songwriter. He is widely known for playing David on Glee and Jackson West on The Rookie. His other credits include Star-Crossed, Pretty Little Liars, The Path, On the Come Up, and several other Television and Film projects.
When Was Titus Makin Jr. Born?
Titus Makin Jr. was born on June 10, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. His birth name is Titus Odell Makin Jr. He is 37 years old in 2026.
What Is Titus Makin Jr. Known For?
Makin is best known for his Television roles as David on Glee and Jackson West on The Rookie. His Glee appearances took place between 2010 and 2012, while he played Jackson West from 2018 through 2021.
Did Titus Makin Jr. Do Gymnastics?
Yes. Titus Makin Jr. trained in Gymnastics for eight years and began his training in Heidelberg, Germany. His early performance background also included Singing, Dancing, Musical Theater, and live entertainment.
When Did Titus Makin Jr. Start Acting?
Makin began Acting at age 17 during his Senior Year of High School. His first Musical Acting opportunity was a lead role in 1940’s Radio Hour. He later continued his training at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.
Who Did Titus Makin Jr. Play On The Rookie?
Titus Makin Jr. played Jackson West on The Rookie. He appeared in 54 episodes between 2018 and 2021, making the role one of the most substantial Television credits of his career.
Is Titus Makin Jr. Also A Singer?
Yes. Along with Acting, Makin is a Singer and Songwriter. He has worked under the name Butterfly Ali and has explored musical styles including Soul, R&B, Funk, and Hip-Hop.
What Has Titus Makin Jr. Done Since The Rookie?
After his run on The Rookie, Makin continued appearing in Television and Film. His later credits include NCIS: Hawaiʻi, On the Come Up, and the 2024 Film Sins of the Bride. His career has continued to include both Acting and Music.
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