Columbus Keith Short, Jr. was born on September 19, 1982, in Kansas City, Missouri, where he began entertaining at the tender age of three, putting on shows for his family's enjoyment.
From a young age, Columbus displayed a natural talent for impersonation, dancing, and making people laugh, leaving everyone who witnessed his performances with a sense that something special was brewing.
As his family relocated to Los Angeles, his mother, Janette, who runs a talent agency there, played a crucial role in nurturing his career, securing him work in various television commercial campaigns, including "Mountain Dew", "Denny's Restaurant", "Nike", and "Pizza Hut".
During his senior year of high school, Columbus was offered an opportunity to graduate two months early to join the traveling production of the Broadway show, "Stomp!", which he did, and after spending a couple of years touring with the dance troupe, he went on to become the choreographer for Britney Spears' "In the Zone" tour.
After his stint with Britney Spears, Columbus decided to focus on his primary passion, acting, and has since appeared in a range of films, including "You Got Served" (2004),"War of the Worlds" (2005),and "Save the Last Dance 2" (2006).
He has also made guest appearances on TV shows such as "ER" (1994),"Judging Amy" (1999),and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (2006).
However, it was his lead role in "Stomp the Yard" (2007) that catapulted him to stardom, with the film grossing over $73.4 million at the box office and holding the number one spot for two weeks.
With his rising star power, Columbus has since appeared in a lead role alongside Lauren London and Mekhi Phifer in the holiday film "This Christmas" (2007) and recently wrapped a starring role in the Warner Brothers thriller "Whiteout" (2009),opposite Kate Beckinsale.
When not working, Columbus enjoys playing football, basketball, and snowboarding.
