in American History from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2013
Moved to California in the early 2000s to break into acting, but was initially unsuccessful so he chose to further his academic career instead
Appeared on stage in productions of Les Misérables and Jesus Christ Superstar
Wrote a dissertation on Pope Gregory I and his role "in developing permanent ecclesiastical institutions under the authority of the Bishop of Rome to feed and serve the poor
" Founded independent production company Historia Films in July, 2012
Directed a 30-second commercial featuring Brett Favre to enter in PetSafe's Bark for Your Park contest in 2014, and won $25,000 for the building of a dog park in his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Wrote and directed his first feature film The Historian, which starred Colin Cunningham and William Sadler, in 2014