Aaron Richard Ashmore (born October 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Jimmy Olsen on Smallville (2006–2011), Steve Jinks on Warehouse 13 (2011–2014), and Johnny Jaqobis on Killjoys (2015–2019), the latter of which earned him a Canadian Screen Award nomination. He also portrayed Duncan Locke in Locke & Key (2020–2022) and has appeared in Veronica Mars, In Plain Sight, Ginny & Georgia (2023–present), and SkyMed (2022–present). In film, he starred in the thriller The Thaw (2009), earning a Leo Award nomination for Best Lead Performance.
Early life Aaron Richard Ashmore was born in Richmond, British Columbia, to Linda (née Davis), a homemaker, and Rick Ashmore, a manufacturing engineer. He was raised in Brampton, Ontario, where he attended Earnscliffe Senior Public School and Turner Fenton Secondary School.
Aaron and his identical twin brother, Shawn Ashmore, began appearing in television commercials while still in elementary school. Ashmore has said he is often cast as "the tough guy, the bully", a dynamic he enjoys because he finds those roles more complex than playing "the happy hero".
Career
Early work Aaron Ashmore made his first notable screen appearance in 2004, starring as Canadian teenager Marc Hall in the TV movie Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story. Around the same time, he appeared in Canadian TV films such as Safe and A Bear Named Winnie, and had guest spots on series like The Eleventh Hour, The West Wing, and 1-800-Missing. From 2004 to 2005, he had a recurring role on Veronica Mars, portraying Troy Vandegraff. These early roles established Ashmore in Canadian TV and genre dramas.
Breakthrough and television roles (2007–2014) Ashmore broke through in the U.S. with a major role on Smallville. He was cast as photographer Jimmy Olsen beginning in the sixth season and continued to play him into its eighth season. He returned, portraying the younger brother of Jimmy Olsen, in the 2011 series finale, following his first character's earlier departure. In 2009, Ashmore headlined the eco-horror thriller The Thaw. His performance earned him a Leo Award nomination for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama the following year.
From 2010 to 2012, Ashmore had a six-episode recurring arc on series In Plain Sight as Scott Griffin, Mary Shannon's newly discovered half-brother. In 2011, Ashmore joined Syfy's Warehouse 13 as ATF agent Steve Jinks, a recurring character with the ability to detect lies introduced in the third season who appeared through the show's fifth and final season in 2014. He also made guest appearances on series like Lost Girl and Private Practice during this period.
Recent work (2014–present) From 2015 to 2019, Ashmore co-starred as John Jaqobis on Syfy's space drama Killjoys. He was one of the three leads in the series, portraying a bounty hunter. Killjoys ran for five seasons, ending in 2019. That same year, Ashmore received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the show.
In film, Ashmore had a supporting role in Regression (2015) and appeared in TV movies such as Lifetime's Swept Under (2015) and Wish Upon a Christmas (2015). He later starred as Sean, a morally ambiguous tow-truck driver, in the Toronto-set crime thriller 22 Chaser (2018).
In 2020, Ashmore appeared as Duncan Locke in the fantasy television series Locke & Key, first in a recurring role during the first season and later as part of the main cast in the second season. He went on to appear in the second season of Ginny & Georgia (2023) as Gil Timmins, Georgia's ex-boyfriend and the father of her son, Austin. Since 2022, Ashmore has co-starred as Captain William "Wheezer" Heaseman in the Canadian medical drama series SkyMed, which follows the lives of air ambulance crews in remote Northern Canada. The series was renewed for a third season in 2024, when he was promoted to series regular.
Ashmore also co-stars in the Great American Media's mystery franchise The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries. He plays Jake Trenton, the love interest of Ainsley McGregor, in A Case for the Winemaker (2024) and A Case for the Yarn Maker (2025). Ashmore appears in the second season of Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders as Aaron.
Personal life Ashmore and his twin brother Shawn have matching tattoos on their wrists reading "GMA," which stands for "Good Man Ashmore." Aaron has said the tattoo is a tribute to their step-grandfather Gangu Jagtiani, who married their grandmother before the twins were born and was always regarded as their grandfather.
On June 20, 2014, Ashmore married Zoë Kate. The couple's first daughter was born in 2016. Their second daughter was born in 2019.
In March 2025, Ashmore revealed on the Inside of You podcast that he and Kate had quietly separated and finalized their divorce during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
A longtime science fiction fan, Ashmore has cited Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and The X-Files among his favorite shows.
Filmography
Film + Year Title Role Notes1991Married to ItStudent in pageant2001The Safety of ObjectsBobby ChristiansonTreed MurrayDwayne2002The Skulls IIMatt "Hutch" Hutchinson2004My Brother's KeeperEric / Lou WoodsSafe (short)Bobby2007Palo AltoAlecThe Stone AngelMatt Currie2008Christmas CottagePat Kinkade2009The ThawAtom GalenFear IslandMark2010PrivilegedBlake WebberThe ShrineMarcus2011ConceptionEricServitudeChase Vanhaver2014I Put a Hit on YouRayBig News from Grand RockVideo store manager2015RegressionGeorge Nesbitt201822 ChaserSean2019Tammy's Always DyingReggie Seamus2020Sugar DaddyAngus2021The RetreatJames2023SuzeRick
Television + Year Title Role Notes1993Gross Misconduct: The Life of Brian SpencerYoung Byron SpencerTelevision filmAre You Afraid of the Dark?BillyEpisode: "The Tale of the Thirteenth Floor"1999Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex KellyLuke LawsonTelevision filmLove LettersBob BertramTelevision filmEmily of New MoonHarrison BowlesEpisode: "A Fall from Grace"2000Run the Wild FieldsCharlie UpshallTelevision filmThe Famous Jett JacksonRobertEpisode: "Something to Prove"Are You Afraid of the Dark?JakeEpisode: "The Tale of the Lunar Locusts"La Femme NikitaNeil HudsonEpisode: "Time to Be Heroes"Twice in a LifetimePaul HarperEpisode: "Grandma's Shoes"2001Le porte-bonheurJean PhilippeTelevision filmBlackoutSecond SonTelevision filmHavenMyles Billingsley Jr.Television filmThe Familiar StrangerChris WelshTelevision filmDying to DanceJasonTelevision filmBlue MurderEpisode: "Baby Point"2002Charms for the Easy LifeTedTelevision filmConvictionWhiffTelevision filmA Christmas VisitorJohn BoyajianTelevision filmThe Eleventh HourTrevor GordonEpisode: "Tree Hugger"2003The Pentagon PapersRandy KehlerTelevision film2004Brave New GirlTylerTelevision filmProm Queen: The Marc Hall StoryMarc HallTelevision filmA Separate PeaceChadTelevision filmA Bear Named WinnieRandy TaylorTelevision film2004–2006Veronica MarsTroy Vandegraff4 episodes, including "The Rapes of Graff"2005The Eleventh HourTaz ThomasEpisode: "Kettle Black"The West WingTrevorEpisodes: "365 Days", "King Corn"2005–2006MissingColin McNeilRecurring role (season 3)2006–2009, 2011SmallvilleJimmy OlsenRecurring role (season 6); main role (seasons 7–8); guest role (season 10)2010CSI: NYCam VandemannEpisode: "Pot of Gold"The BridgeBenEpisode: "God Bless the Child"Private PracticeCarlEpisode: "Second Choices"FringeMatthew RoseEpisode: "Amber 31422"2010–2012In Plain SightScott GriffinRecurring role (season 3); guest role (season 5)2011The ListenerPeter DuquetteEpisode: "Jericho"XIII: The SeriesDylan Masters4 episodesFanboy ConfessionalNarrator6 episodes2011–2012Lost GirlNateRecurring role (season 2)2011–2014Warehouse 13Steve JinksRecurring role (season 3); main role (seasons 4–5)2012Murdoch MysteriesJack LondonEpisode: "Murdoch of the Klondike"2015–2019KilljoysJohn JaqobisMain role2015Swept UnderNick HopewellTelevision filmWish Upon a ChristmasJesseTelevision film2017RansomSydney GravesEpisode: "The Artist"2019CardinalRandall Wishart4 episodesDesignated SurvivorPhil Brunton4 episodesHudson & RexGalen WheatcroftEpisode: "The French Connection"2020The Santa SquadGordon ChurchTelevision filmPretty Cheaters, Deadly LiesCounselor ParkerTelevision filmPrivate EyesLarry BatemanEpisode: "The Proof is Out There"2020–2022Locke & KeyDuncan LockeRecurring role (seasons 1 & 3); main role (season 2)2022Cider and SunsetsCurtisTelevision film2022–presentSkyMedWilliam "Wheezer" HeasemanMain cast2023AccusedMaxEpisode: "Ava's Story"2023–presentGinny & GeorgiaGil TimminsRecurring role (season 2–present)2024Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the WinemakerJake TrentonTelevision film2025Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Yarn MakerJake TrentonTelevision film2025Mistletoe MurdersAaronSeason 22026Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for The WatchmakerJake TrentonTelevision film2026 I Will Find YouRonald Dreason Miniseries
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2010 Leo Awards Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama The Thaw 2019 Canadian Screen Awards Best Lead Actor, Drama Series Killjoys
References
External links