The Untold Truth Of The Bold And Beautiful Star Aaron D. Spears
Aaron D. Spears began his acting career in 1997 when he appeared on the soap opera "Sunset Beach" for 10 episodes as a character named Officer Washington. He would go on to star in several popular TV shows over the next several decades, including guest-starring roles on procedurals "Criminal Minds," "Bones," "Boston Legal," "Castle," "NCIS," and "The Rookie," among others. Spears was also cast on the show "Being Mary Jane" alongside Gabrielle Union from 2013 to 2015 and "The Black Hamptons" in 2022.
Spears has also spent much of his career on daytime TV. He first returned to soaps in 2004 for a one-episode appearance on "General Hospital." In 2016, he joined the cast of "Days of Our Lives" as Commissioner Raines, where he remained until 2017. During that time he was pulling double-duty on daytime as he also held the role of Justin Barber on "The Bold and the Beautiful" from 2009 to 2021. For his work, Spears has been nominated for four Image Awards given out by the NAACP on "B&B" and was nominated for his first Daytime Emmy in 2022.
In addition to his acting career, Spears is a devoted family man and a successful business-owner, who also has a passion for music and sports.
Aaron D. Spears is a music composer and producer
Alongside his many television credits, Aaron D. Spears is well-known for his role as Money in the Boston-based 2001 crime film "Blue Hill Avenue." However, he didn't just star in the movie — he also composed the soundtrack, according to Soap Opera Digest. Spears also composed several songs for a movie called "Makin' Baby" that he starred in alongside the rapper Mystikal in 2002. He was also the music composer for the 2007 movie "The Mannsfield 12," which he also executive produced and starred in.
Spears' appreciation for film scores is evident. In a separate interview with Soap Opera Digest, he stated that his favorite movie soundtracks are from the 1998 movie "Out of Sight," starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, as well as the 2010 animated film "Despicable Me," whose score was done by musician Pharrell Williams.
Spears traces his love of music back to his childhood in Washington D.C. He told Copa Style Magazine, "It was great growing up in D.C. with the whole Go Go scene, we created our own music and I was actually in a Go Go band. It had an interesting dynamic because we competed with our dress, language, etc."
Aaron D. Spears has a production company called Henna
In 1997, Aaron D. Spears created his own production company called Henna, according to Soap Opera Digest. It was Spears' own life-long passion for writing and performing poetry that pushed him in the direction to start Henna. When speaking with The Philadelphia Tribune, the actor explained how he used this passion to help him push his entertainment career forward when he moved to Los Angeles. He said, "There was a poetry scene and that was my outlet of continuing to be in the spotlight. It kept me driven. It kept me open. I kept writing and I kept performing at various clubs around the city. It kind of lent itself to me and I never was closed to it. Different energy [than acting], but still a creative vice to express."
In 2015, Spears released an album of spoken word set to music called "Thoughts of an Untamed Mind," which features himself, his wife Estela, and other artists. The album can be listened to for free on YouTube and found on other music streaming platforms.
Aaron D. Spears is a father of five
Aaron D. Spears has been married to Estela Lopez-Spears for over 20 years and the couple has five children together, including four daughters and one son. According to Soap Opera Digest, Spears and his wife gave each of their kids names that had significant meaning. For instance, their eldest daughter's name Nayali means gentle love and Aiyana means forever blossoming. Even their daughter Henna, who shares her name with Spears' production company, means spiritual good tidings, prosperity, and harmony.
Being a father is the most important thing to Spears and he can often be seen on social media supporting his kids in their endeavors, particularly in education and sports. When speaking with Soap Central earlier this year regarding his Daytime Emmy nomination, Spears mentioned that he has little time to stop and bask in the moment. He said, "I still have to be in daddy mode, because the kids have soccer practice and dance and cheer and volleyball. it's a little crazy!"
The Spears family loves sports
In addition to his other creative passions, Aaron D. Spears appreciates sports. He was always interested in athletics and was a talented football player, according to SoapHub. While in college, Spears entertained the idea of playing professionally before he was forced into the theater program and caught the acting bug. He ultimately turned down an NFL contract to move to Los Angeles and pursue his dreams in the entertainment industry (via Black Men's Dossier).
Spears has passed on his love of sports to his children, particularly his son, Raiz, who has proven himself to be an excellent soccer player even at a young age. The boy's Instagram page is an homage to his skill in the sport and his love of the game. His sisters and parents can often be seen cheering him on from the sidelines and even making promotional videos for him that are produced by Spears' company, Henna. Spears boasted to Soap Opera Digest back in 2017 about his son's accomplishments, mentioning that Raiz's team had made it to the World Cup and won the bronze medal. It seems that his success has only grown since then.
Aaron D. Spears values education
Though creativity and athleticism are obviously important to Aaron D. Spears, so is education. He credits his own parents for instilling that value in him. He told Black Men's Dossier, "My childhood was geared very much towards me succeeding. Getting a C was like getting an F. Nobody wanted to get a C because a C was like you're just average. Nobody wants to be average." Spears attended Delaware State University where he majored in computer science and mathematics, though he didn't parlay that knowledge into a career.
While in Los Angeles and before he found full-fledged success in acting, Spears worked as a substitute teacher for the Unified Los Angeles School District. Though he didn't start out with a passion for teaching, the aspiring actor decided to put more energy into the position after encouragement from his wife. He said, "I did what the higher power wanted me to do, I put my heart and soul into these kids." Spears was eventually laid off and then two weeks later he booked his role on "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Spears also believes that educating oneself is an important part of personal growth. This philosophy extends to acting as well. When asked by Digital Journal what advice he had for aspiring actors, Spears said, "Don't substitute social media for the actual medium of getting into an acting class, or doing a play or independent films or television shows. There is nothing that can really replace that experience."