J. Shawn Durham is an actor, playwright, and reality TV personality.

As an actor, Shawn has extensive credits for various brands, including Samsung, Freddie Mac, GEICO, CareFirst, Febreeze, Papa Johns, NFL and more. A proud member of the Screen Actors Guild, Shawn is featured in the HBO miniseries, "We Own The City," and has leading roles in the PBS historical drama "The King of Crimes"; the Amazon Prime horror “The House Invictus”; and even a cameo appearance in Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World.”

As a writer, Shawn is an Arena Stage 2017 Playwrights' Arena Fellow and has penned a number of projects. In 2020, he wrote and produced the prescient three-part, audio political satire "The Great Recession: How Democracy Broke Its A$$ Through A Comedy of Errors" (available for free on most podcast mediums). In 2017, Shawn's script for the African/American period play "The Missionaries" (loosely based on Black American missionary William Henry Sheppard and Congolese spiritual leader Simon Kimbangu) won the Vanguard award and a showcase reading by the Black Theatrical Ensemble at the University of Georgia. A former GEICO corporate communicator, Shawn penned online content for the company's "Caveman's Crib" campaign, which featured the GEICO Caveman mascot.

Finally, Shawn starred in the popular romantic reality series "Ready To Love: DC" on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He also emcees bar mitzvahs, weddings and corporate team-building events for NYX Entertainment, and has hosted nearly 700 speed dating events. As an entrepreneur, Shawn sells tasty gourmet dips at expos throughout the Mid-Atlantic region (www. ShawnsABlendAbove.com). You can follow Shawn and all his ventures on Instagram @jshawndurhamink.