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Jake McLaughlin

Jake McLaughlin

Actor · Born October 7, 1982 (44) · Paradise, California, USA

Jacob Adam McLaughlin (born October 7, 1982) is an American actor and former soldier and veteran. He's known for his roles as Michael Ormewood on the series Will Trent, Ryan Booth on Quantico, and William Tate on Believe. After leaving the military, McLaughlin worked on a crab boat in Oregon and as a security guard at Universal Studios. He was living in Chico, California, doing concrete work and had only $200 in his checking account when he heard about the casting session for Paul Haggis's In the Valley of Elah. Being a former dismount infantry S.A.W. gunner in Iraq in real life, he read for the role after hearing that Haggis was auditioning actual vets for several parts. He then starred as Specialist Gordon Bonner in the 2007 film In the Valley of Elah – based on actual events involving American soldiers who served in the Iraq War. After the success of his first movie, McLaughlin made cameo appearances in movies such as The Day the Earth Stood Still and Cloverfield. He appeared in episodes of The Unit and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He got his first major role on TV in 2009, when he was cast in the television remake of the Oscar-winning film, Crash. In the following years he made many appearances on television. In 2011, he was cast in Warrior which was followed by a supporting role in Safe House. In February 2013, McLaughlin was cast as the male lead in Believe, a television pilot by Alfonso Cuarón which was picked to series in May 2013. The show premiered on NBC in March 2014. In March 2015, he was cast in the television pilot, Quantico which was picked to series in May.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 7, 1982 (44)
From
Paradise, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

What are Jake McLaughlin's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
33%
Self
30%
Bonds
20%
Society
9%
Morality
6%
Ideas
2%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 1 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 6

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero
3 of 6
Trickster
2 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Contemplative
8
Melancholic
5
Dread
2
Hopeful
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jake McLaughlin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 25 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jake McLaughlin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

32 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page.

  • Site(2025)

    as Neil Bardo

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Black Diamond(2025)

    as Jesse

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Last Night on Earth(2024)

    as Ryan

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Will Trent(2023)

    Show 59 episodes · as Michael Ormewood

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Black Bird(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · as Gary Hall

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Home(2020)

    as Marvin

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Yellowstone(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · as Cade McPhereson

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Another Time(2018)

    as Adam

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Forever(2015)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Quantico(2015)

    Show 57 episodes · as Ryan Booth

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Black Dog, Red Dog(2015)

    as Paul

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Scorpion(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as LT James Corbin

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Believe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 13 episodes · as Willam Tate

  • Savages(2012)

    as Doc/Sniper

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Safe House(2012)

    as Miller

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Frontier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Cooper Hale

  • Warrior(2011)

    as Mark Bradford

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • NCIS: Los Angeles(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Keith Rush

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Chasing a Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as John Van Horn

  • The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008)

    as Soldier

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Leverage(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Cpl. Robert Perry

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Crash(2008)

    Show 2 episodes · as Bo

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Rowdy Merriman

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • In Plain Sight(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as John Shears / John Stills

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Cloverfield(2008)

    as Helicopter Pilot (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • In the Valley of Elah(2007)

    as Specialist Gordon Bonner

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Heroes(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Sligo

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Unit(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Prison Guard

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Criminal Minds(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Officer Tom Kayser

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Grey's Anatomy(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Aaron Karev

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam Laughlin

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Matt Bartley

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles from 2000 to 2025; peak year 2011.

Biggest box office

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

$30M worldwide

Highest rated

In the Valley of Elah (2007)

Midcredits 84th

Most popular right now

Will Trent (2023)

Film career

20002025

Peak 2011 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting32 of 32: 32 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

By decade

2000s15 · acting2010s11 · acting2020s6 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 13% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Jake McLaughlin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 27th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

25thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Black Dog, Red Dog (2015)

91st percentile spread · 73% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Warrior (2011)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jake McLaughlin's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles41–54 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 60 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Jake McLaughlin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jake McLaughlin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Arielle Kebbel shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers