15 Things You Didn't Know About Colton Haynes

There's no doubt that actor Colton Haynes is becoming more and more popular. While he's had several roles over the years, he first caught the public's attention in the role of Jackson Whittemore in the teen drama Teen Wolf. Then, he moved onto primetime drama (and into the lucrative and booming world of superheroes) in Arrow, where he plays the character of Roy Harper. Snagging roles in not just one, but two popular television dramas would be a win for any actor, let alone one who is still early in his career. Colton Haynes' star is definitely rising.

Another reason he's caught a lot of the public's attention has nothing to do with his work, though - after a lot of speculation and some rumours and a scandalous photo spread floating around the internet, Haynes came out to the public and let the world know he was gay. Fans were thrilled to see an actor on a primetime show like that be so honest about his sexuality, and the young actor gained even more fans. He's now in a happy relationship with a celebrity florist, and his career shows no signs of slowing down.

Despite all that, Colton Haynes isn't quite an A-Lister yet, so the media hasn't spread every little detail of his personal life. There's still a lot about him that the public may not be aware of - so here are just 15 things you may not have known about the young star.

15 He was voted prom king

It seems that Haynes' high school classmates had an inkling the young man was destined for success - and he wasn't exactly a shrinking violet who kept to himself. While many actors were theatre-loving geeks in their high school days who really just stuck with their close group of friends, it seems Haynes was a bit of a social butterfly - the star was voted Prom King at his high school! He was also given the superlative of Most Likely to Succeed, and given that his career is booming, it seems that his classmates definitely called it right. He's now at an age where he's starting to age out and get too old for high school student roles (although there are some actors and actresses who play those characters into their 30s, even), but since he seems to have had a pretty amazing high school experience, it's probably not an issue for the star.

14 Before acting, he worked as a model

Many actors and actresses get their start by modeling because, well - they're genetically gorgeous. Sure, they have to work on their craft and acting skills, but having good looks certainly doesn't hurt in the entertainment industry. It turns out, Colton Haynes is one of the many actors who got his start posing for the camera before he was shooting scenes in front of one. His look is obviously more commercial, fit boy-next-door rather than high fashion, so he did work for brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren and J.C. Penny. Seriously, though - there's an inordinately large number of Abercrombie models who go on to be actors. We're not sure who's responsible for casting there, but they've obviously got some type of special sense for who will become a future star. Nowadays, Haynes is posing in front of the camera as himself, for photo spreads designed to accompany interviews he does now that he's a big star

13 His first movie role was in Transformers

Many actors get their first role as guests on smaller television shows or low budget movies - you generally have to work your way to the top. Colton Haynes, on the other hand, started with a pretty big movie (although not a big role). His first ever film credit was in the first flick in the Transformers franchise, and he simply played a 'café guy.' It's not exactly the same as seeing your name on the movie poster, but hey - for a young actor looking to get his start, it was probably exciting to even be involved with such a big production. He's done most of his work in television since then, but who knows - perhaps he'll snag a role in a huge franchise soon and add that to his repertoire. While television is great, and can be a fantastic steady paycheck for actors, we imagine it's probably pretty amazing to see your name on the silver screen.

12 He loves gardening

When it comes to actors' hobbies, many assume they're ones in some way related to the entertainment industry - things like playing guitar or reading or athletic pursuits. However, every now and then, you'll learn of an actor's strange hobby - and Colton Haynes is certainly a bit unusual in that regard. It turns out that the star absolutely loves spending some quality time in his backyard with a shovel and some seeds - he loves gardening! He even posted a shot on his Instagram account of himself posing with some greenery, with the caption “gardened all day wit @allymaki. We r now addicted. #FreeTherapy.” We would never have pictured him in the dirt, tending to his herb garden and flower plants, but it's kind of adorable. Perhaps one of his next roles will be a handsome young landscaper who falls in love with a client whose garden he's working on… .or have we just seen too many rom coms?

11 He had a nomadic childhood

When you learn that Haynes was born in Kansas, you may assume that he was born and raised in the state and just left to pursue his dreams in Los Angeles, like many actors from the mid-west do. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. Haynes' family actually travelled quite a bit when he was a child, and through the years, he's lived in Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Florida, and Texas. There are some celebrities who were military brats and grew up always on the move, even hopping around to different continents, but still - that's a ton of cross-country trips and effort. However, being exposed to so many different locations will likely benefit Haynes in the long-term for roles - he's probably mastered his Texas drawl, and knows a ton about working in the blistering heat for hours on end.

10 He was on The Hills

Okay, let's be honest - every woman who grew up in a certain time period harbored a bit of an obsession for The Hills. I mean, it was LC all grown up on her own! Hitting Les Deux and fighting with Heidi and rolling her eyes time and time again! The trainwreck that was Spencer and Heidi! It was guilty pleasure reality television at its best - and while many of the stars, including Whitney Port and Lauren herself, have gone on to greater things, there's one current celebrity you may not have remembered from the show - Colton Haynes! Back when he was a model, Haynes was captured on the show at a casting with LC, and at a photoshoot for Teen Vogue. Yes - we're officially giving you permission to use this as a reason to re-watch every single season of The Hills, to see where you'll get a glimpse of a younger Haynes.

9 He's super into Halloween costumes

In the entertainment industry, the undisputed Queen of Halloween is probably Heidi Klum. The supermodel stuns audiences around the world every year with her complex, detailed costumes. And when it comes to the King of Halloween, Colton Haynes may just be deserving of that title. He's dressed up as everything from Princess Fiona from Shrek to Ursula from The Little Mermaid, and he's definitely one that believes you should either go big or go home when it comes to your costume choices. Though women are generally more willing to suffer through an uncomfortable outfit or spend a ton of time creating a certain make-up look, Colton Haynes proves that sometimes, if they love Halloween enough, even men are willing to wear something uncomfortable in the name of Halloween. To be honest, we can't wait to see what he comes up with for next year, and the year after that - they just keep getting better!

8 He battled anxiety for years

There's one Hollywood trend that we're really into lately - the fact that more and more celebrities are being honest and open about their struggles with mental health issues. For years, people viewed celebrities as figures on a pedestal who didn't have any of the problems that regular people had, so we love that it's becoming more of a thing for celebrities to open up and get real. Colton Haynes is definitely not one to hide his true self from his fans, and that goes for mental health issues as well. Haynes has apparently battled anxiety for years, since he was a child, and because of all the drama regarding his sexuality, it got even worse in the past few years. So, he recognized that he needed help and headed to a therapist's office. He says therapy is “the greatest thing that's ever happened to me” and appears to be fighting his battles head on - which is so admirable.

7 His childhood dream was to be a meteorologist

Many celebrities dish that they've always known they wanted to be performers - whether it was putting on little performances for their families or getting up on stage for a local theatre house, they just loved being in the spotlight. And then, some have entirely different dreams while they're young. When Haynes was a child, he knew what his dream job would be - a meteorologist. He claims he's always been a little obsessed with clouds, and when he was younger, would go chasing tornados. He's certainly handsome enough to be in front of the camera at a news station, but we're glad he decided to head to the entertainment industry instead. Although, who knows - maybe he'll play a character who is a meteorologist at some point in his career, and be able to finally live his childhood dream in a small way. Or, maybe he'll just stare at clouds from the balcony of the multi-million dollar Beverly Hills mansion he'll likely eventually buy.

6 He almost got the role of Edward Cullen

There's no doubt that the role of Edward Cullen changed Robert Pattinson's life. Sure, he already managed to snag a role in a huge film franchise as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies, but that character was killed off - and only heavily featured in one film. Getting the lead in the Twilight franchise was a whole different ball game. Suddenly, everyone knew who the British star was, and teen girls around the world were obsessed with him. He probably earned enough money making those films that he could star in indie hits that made no money for the rest of his career. The huge success of the franchise probably makes it sting even more for the actors and actresses who almost got a role on the main cast, but didn't quite make the cut. It turns out, Colton Haynes is amongst that group - the young actor almost snagged the role of Edward Cullen, but didn't quite convince the producers.

5 He has five siblings

It's always a little strange to hear about celebrities' siblings. Sometimes, their brother or sister is involved in the entertainment industry as well, and they become a celebrity sibling set. However, most of the time, celebrities have siblings that are, well, just regular people - and Colton Haynes has several. In total, Haynes is one of six children, including a sister who he spent some time living with when he was younger. There aren't many celebrities who are from families that large, so it's kind of an interesting tidbit about him. Perhaps being one of such a large family is what nurtured his love of performing - we imagine you would need to be quite animated in order to wrestle attention from your siblings when you had something important to say! Plus, having five siblings to listen to your performances is kind of like having a built in audience - every performer's dream.

4 He's newly engaged

Everyone knows that Colton Haynes has had a few struggles with his sexuality over the years - namely, with what he should reveal to his fans and what he should just keep private. Ultimately, Haynes decided that honesty was the best policy, and that being himself set a good example to his fans, so he came out of the closet. Since then, he's not only met someone, but he's gotten engaged! Haynes has been with his current beau, Jeff Leatham, for a while now. Leatham is a celebrity florist, and the two got engaged in March of this year, so they're probably just getting started on brainstorming wedding ideas. Although, given that Leatham is a florist, we have a feeling that the flowers won't be an issue - and after being on set for years, Haynes certainly won't be getting stage fright in front of his audience. Still - we wonder if they're going to pull a full celebrity and keep it secret until it actually happens. Stay tuned!

3 He snagged his first acting role at just 18

There are many, many actors and actresses who struggle for years and years before making it. They may get the odd role here or there, but for some celebrities, they don't become A-List household names until they're into their 30s, or even 40s! Luckily for him, Colton Haynes hasn't had to wait that long. The young actor was contemplating making the switch from modeling to acting in his late teens, and he was just 18 years old when he snagged his first television role - a guest starring gig in an episode of CSI: Miami. It's not exactly the same as being selected to lead an entire television show, but it's still a pretty big deal for an aspiring actor. It was just a short few years from that point until he got a recurring role in a television show, and just look at him now. We wonder what that CSI casting agent saw in the young star and whether she knew he'd make it big.

2 He's been in many music videos

It's always funny to see which actors and actresses appear in certain music videos. Sometimes, they'll pop up in a video that was on the soundtrack to a film they did, or a television show they starred in. However, sometimes the band just wants to have a gorgeous actor or actress in their video, and the actor or actress in question agrees to the gig. That seems to have been the case for Colton Haynes. The handsome young actor is a music video veteran at this point, and doesn't discriminate based on genre - he can be spotted in videos by artists including My Chemical Romance, Victoria Justice and Leona Lewis. Now that his acting career is going so well, he may be beyond taking on music video roles, but who knows - sometimes a hugely successful celebrity will pop up in one and we won't quite understand why they decided to take the gig on. You never know.

1 His dinner guests of choice are Obama and Oprah

No, we're not saying that Colton Haynes is sharing wine and hors d'oeuvres with these two powerful figures on a daily basis - it's his dream situation. You know the question people often pose as a hypothetical, about who you would invite to your dinner party if you could invite absolutely anyone on earth? Well, that's his answer. There are likely many actors and actresses who would select someone from their field who blazed a trail earlier in the industry, to get their insight and advice. However, Haynes is going straight for the powerhouses - he confessed to Marie Claire that, of any figure, he would most want to pick the brains of Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. We can't blame him - those are two fascinating people who probably have incredible insight to share. And, we kind of like that he thinks big and wants to chat with figures who have had such a huge impact on the world, not just the entertainment industry - he's deeper than he might first seem!