Darius McCrary was born on May 1, 1976, in Los Angeles, California. Darius became involved in acting when his aunt, Chip Fields (mother of actress Kim Fields), was cast in a play whose musical director was Darius' dad. Chip, known for her ability to spot new talent, asked Darius' dad if she could take her nephew on an audition. Darius' first role was opposite Paul Winfield in "Big Shots," from which he went on to appear in many television series and commercials. His favorite was a spot as "Wendell," a petty thief on a show called "Hooperman." Darius says of the experience, "I love John Ritter; he was just awesome to work with." Darius also delivered a critically-acclaimed performance in the film "Mississippi Burning," as a young man who is racially hared.

On "Family Matters," Darius feels like he is home at last. In fact, he describes his dressing room on the set, where he frequently hangs out with his friends Balthazar, Zack and cousin Corey, as "the pad-during-the-week!" Says Darius of the close relationships the nine-member cast share, "They're all great ... we have a real sense of closeness. It's like a family; we all understand each other!"

When you speak to Darius, you get the feeling that a strong sense of values and morals is important to him. He lists those two qualities as the main reasons the audience finds the show so attractive. Darius spends a large portion of his free time working with charity organizations to give something back to his community, by helping to feed the homeless and "kickin' it" with a group called "Sons of Thunder," reformed street youths from his uncle's church. They go on graffiti hunts where they locate and paint over graffiti. "It reminds me that just because I'm successful now, it doesn't mean things will be the same tomorrow,
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