John McCann Jr. was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was exposed to many negative things as a child. However, from a young age he turned to one of the positive things of the city which was entertainment. He began acting in any and everything that he could find. John later began to take piano lessons and play the clarinet. Through many obstacles he stumbled into a local community theater where he began acting classes. Everyone at the theater, including the owner/coach of the organization, Anthony Bean, was blown away by his talent and charming personality. John was discovered there by agent, Claudia Speicher (with New Orleans Modeling and Talent Agency). As a new actor to the industry he quickly booked a national Nike commercial, and was cast in the HBO series "Treme" as the role of Bray. He writes music and is co-owner of New Orleans based clothing line for teenagers and young adults called "Eros."