Honestly, if you were hanging out on the internet circa 2014, you couldn't escape the name Dylan Sprayberry. He was everywhere. Specifically, he was the hot-headed Beta werewolf Liam Dunbar, the kid who basically breathed new life into the later seasons of Teen Wolf. But here’s the thing: most people pigeonhole him right there. They see the honey-blond hair and the lacrosse stick and think, "Oh, that's the MTV guy."
But if you actually look at the full list of Dylan Sprayberry movies and TV shows, the dude has been a working actor since he was practically a toddler. We’re talking about a career that spans from big-budget superhero blockbusters to indie pandemic slashers.
He isn't just a "teen" actor anymore. He’s 27 now. The roles have gotten darker, the projects have gotten weirder, and he’s quietly becoming one of those reliable genre actors who pops up exactly where you least expect him.
The Superman Connection Nobody Remembers
Before he was howling at the moon in Beacon Hills, Sprayberry actually wore the most famous "S" in cinematic history. Sort of.
In 2013, Zack Snyder cast him as the 13-year-old Clark Kent in Man of Steel. It wasn't just a "blink and you'll miss it" cameo, either. He had to carry the emotional weight of a kid realizing he’s an alien while being bullied by a bunch of jerks in a small town. He did a lot of that heavy lifting with just his eyes—that "I could kill you but I won't" stare.
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Interestingly, there’s been a ton of chatter lately about him coming back to DC. While James Gunn is busy rebooting everything with Superman: Legacy, Sprayberry has gone on record saying he’d love to play an older Clark or even a version of Wolverine. Is it going to happen? Who knows. But the fact that he’s still being brought up in those conversations shows that his stint as young Kal-El left a mark.
Why Liam Dunbar Still Dominates the Conversation
You can't talk about his career without the MTV era. Let's be real: Liam Dunbar was a polarizing character at first. He was the "new kid" when the show was already well-established.
But Sprayberry brought this frantic, IED-fueled energy that the show needed. He wasn't just another pretty face; he was a kid struggling with a literal mental health diagnosis (Intermittent Explosive Disorder) that made his werewolf side ten times more dangerous.
He stayed with the show from Season 4 all the way to the finale in 2017. And when the Teen Wolf: The Movie finally hit Paramount+ in 2023, seeing a 30-year-old version of Liam (well, the character was 30, Dylan was younger) felt like a weirdly satisfying full-circle moment for fans.
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A Quick Reality Check on the "Teen Wolf" Roles:
- The Audition: He actually auditioned for young Derek Hale in Season 3 but was told he looked too young.
- The Promotion: He started as a recurring guest and got bumped to series regular for Season 5 because the chemistry with the pack was just that good.
- The Best Friend: His onscreen bromance with Khylin Rhambo (Mason) is legendary because they are actually tight in real life.
Diving Into the Dark Side: Horror and Thrillers
If you’ve moved past the werewolf phase, you've probably seen him in some pretty gritty stuff. One of his most underrated turns was in the Hulu series Light as a Feather. He played Henry Richmond, a guy caught up in a supernatural game of—you guessed it—"light as a feather, stiff as a board." It was a bit more "prestige horror" than Teen Wolf, and he played a character who was much more grounded and, frankly, traumatized.
Then there’s Sick (2022/2023). If you haven't seen this, it’s a slasher movie written by Kevin Williamson (the guy who did Scream). It takes place right at the start of the 2020 lockdown. Sprayberry plays DJ, a guy who shows up uninvited to a lakeside quarantine house. It’s a tense, claustrophobic movie that proves he’s got the "final boy" energy required for modern horror.
The Deep Cuts: Movies You Probably Missed
Dylan’s filmography is surprisingly deep. Before the fame, he was doing guest spots on everything.
- Glee: He played a young version of Cooper Anderson (Matt Bomer's character).
- Criminal Minds: A very young Dylan appeared in the episode "Brothers in Arms."
- Soccer Mom: Yeah, he was in a 2008 family comedy with Emily Osment. We all have to start somewhere.
- Malibu Horror Story: This one is for the found-footage junkies. It’s a slow-burn horror film that he filmed years before it actually got a wide release.
What's the Move for 2026?
As of right now, Sprayberry is in that interesting transitional phase. He’s no longer the "youngest" person on set, and he's clearly leaning into his work as a musician too. He’s part of the band Dead End, and you can tell that the "rockstar" aesthetic is starting to bleed into his acting choices.
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If you're looking to binge his work, the best path is to start with Man of Steel for the origin story, hit the middle seasons of Teen Wolf for the nostalgia, and end with Sick to see where he's at now. He’s one of those actors who isn't chasing the massive Marvel paycheck (though he wouldn't say no to Wolverine); he seems more interested in projects that let him be a bit of a weirdo.
For anyone tracking his next steps, keep an eye on indie horror circuits. That seems to be his sweet spot lately. If you want to see his range, go back and watch his episode of Tracey Ullman's State of the Union from back in the day—it's a reminder that he’s been doing this longer than most of the influencers currently trying to break into Hollywood.
To get the full experience of his evolution, your next move should be watching the 2023 Teen Wolf movie and comparing his performance there to his Season 4 debut. The physical and emotional growth is wild, and it’s the best way to appreciate how he’s managed to stay relevant in a notoriously fickle industry.