With nearly 25 years of on-screen experience to his name, Anson Mount’s career has withstood the test of time. His versatility as an actor has opened dozens of doors for him over the years, and he brings something special to every character he plays. Many people will be familiar with Anson for his role as Cullen Bohannon in Hell on Wheels. Now there’s another role that Anson is becoming well known for. In 2019, he got another great opportunity when he was cast as Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Discovery. Next year (2022), he will be reprising his role as Captain Christopher in the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Anson Mount.
1. He Is Originally From Illinois
Anson was born in a small town in Illinois called Mount Prospect. However, life in the midwest didn’t last long for him. He was actually raised in Tennessee and that is the place he’s always considered home. During college, he decided to stray too far from home and he attended Sewanee: The University of the South.
2. His Mom Was A Professional Golfer
Anson’s mother, Nancy Smith, was a professional golfer. Nancy still competes in amateur tournaments and Anson often joins to caddy for her. His father, Anson, was a writer who wrote the sports column for Playboy Magazine. Anson’s father passed away in 1986.
3. He Has A Brother Named Anson
It’s very common for boys to be named after their fathers, but what’s a little less common is for a man to have two sons named after him. That’s how things happened in the Mount family, however. Anson, whose full name is Anson Adams Mount IV, has an older half-brother named Anson Adams Mount III.
4. He Has Behind The Scenes Experience
Anson has spent the majority of his career in front of the camera, so that is what most people know him best for. What some don’t know is that Anson has also taken his talents behind the camera. In 2013, he wrote, directed, and produced a short film titled Last Time We Checked. He has also produced a handful of other projects.
5. He Hosts A Podcast
Anson is the host of a podcast called The Well. According to its description, The Well focuses on “how our guests force themselves to think outside-the-box; or on that moment that served as inspiration for what they do now. Come and join us as we dive deep into the source that fuels everything.”
6. He Is A Columbia Alum
After graduating from Sewanee: The University of the South, Anson went on to attend graduate school at Columbia University where he earned a master of fine arts degree in acting in 1998. Anson made his first TV appearance a year after graduating. His debut role was in an episode of Ally McBeal.
7. He Is A Teacher
Anson’s time at Columbia didn’t end after he graduated. Not long after earning his degree, Anson became an adjunct acting professor at the school. Anson told Cowboys Indians, “I teach what I call practical application. I teach them how to take what they’ve learned in class for the first two and a half years and apply that in situations they’ve never been in before. I believe that’s filling a huge gap in what has become traditional graduate school experience, where you’re taught for three years but, predominantly, by a lot of people who don’t do it professionally.”
8. He Isn’t Shy About His Political Views
As someone who was raised in Tennessee and has an ancestor who fought for the confederacy in the Civil War, most people would probably assume that Anson has very conservative political views. In reality, however, he is very liberal and openly showed his support for President Joe Biden. Many of his followers on social media were shocked to learn that Anson did not support the re-election of Donald Trump.
9. He Has Theater Experience
TV and film roles are what has gotten Anson the most attention over the years, but he’s also no stranger to the stage. He began doing theater work in the late 1980s and made his debut in a production of Cymbeline. Most recently, he was in a 2018 production of Mankind.
10. He Is Happily Married
Not only has Anson found lots of success in his professional endeavors, but things have gone well for him in his personal life, too. In 2018, he married his longtime girlfriend Darah Trang. Darah is a professional photographer. The couple currently lives in Canada and they don’t have any children together.
