From Orphan To Wolf: 'Teen Wolf' Star Tyler Posey Turns 25

As Teen Wolf prepares to air its final season, actor Tyler Posey will turn 25 on October 18th. I've watched him grow up on television, and it's difficult to believe the little boy who first captivated my heart on Doc isn't so little anymore.

Tyler's first acting role was uncredited and only listed as "boy" in Men of Honor, the movie starring Robert de Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. in 2000. After that, Tyler kept busy with recurring roles like Gabriel Whedon on Brothers and Sisters and Andrew Ortega on Lincoln Heights.

Playing an orphan who lost his mother in the very first episode of Doc in 2001, Tyler captured the screen, and his tears brought me to tears. He won a Young Artist Award and a Movie Guide Award for this role. Fast forward seven years later, and that same boy, now 19, began playing a teenage werewolf, a role that would send him whirling into the spotlight and hone his acting chops.

Since 2011, he has been portraying Scott McCall on Teen Wolf. He's been collecting awards for this role almost since he began, winning an ALMA Award as well as a Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer TV Star and an Imagen Award for Best Actor.

Though Tyler is filming the final season of his hit drama and saying goodbye to the werewolf that made him a star, he's not slowing down. He's already listed on the credits for a new vampire series, Let The Right One In, developed by Teen Wolf creator Jeff Davis. And he's even nabbed a role as a Disney prince, proving he has more than just acting to fall back on with the debut of his singing voice onscreen in Elena of Avalor.

Even as a young actor, Tyler Posey has established a place for himself in the industry and has cemented a place in the hearts of his fans. Having gone through a dark place after the loss of his mother in December 2014, in the midst of his grief, Tyler took to his YouTube channel to reach out to his fans because he wanted to let them know they weren't alone:

“I want you guys to see this really bad. Just to show you guys that, you know, you’re not alone. ... Hopefully this helps you out in some way.

It's a powerfully emotional speech to his fans where he talks about the stages of grief and how much of an influence his mom was on his life. But it's also a call to others to reach for more, to push yourself, and it resonated with his over 42,000 followers.

A talented actor, a gifted musician, and a man with a mission to inspire others, Tyler Posey has made the most of his 25 years, living by a quote from his Teen Wolf character:

Life isn't always good; life isn't always bad. It's just that simple.