Don McGraw was born on May 2, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, to Donald P.McGraw, Jr., and Helen Ann Hughes. His father, a factory plant manager, made beer cans, while his mother, a homemaker, previously worked as a telephone operator for Illinois Bell.
Due to his father's job, Don's childhood was marked by frequent moves, with the family settling in Longview, Texas, Gretna, Louisiana, and finally, Warner Robins, Georgia, where he spent most of his youth.
At the age of 13, Don landed his first stage role, playing Noah Claypole in an adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. This initial foray into community theatre was sparked by the advice of a classmate, who suggested that teenage girls were abundant in such productions.
What began as a means to get dates quickly evolved into a 30-year avocation. Professionally, Don spent most of his adult life as a high school drama and English teacher, accumulating over 75 stage credits while also directing around 45 plays and writing a dozen more.
Despite his passion for acting, Don never considered making a living from it until his mid-40s. It wasn't until he was 44 and sidelined from teaching due to health issues that he and his wife decided he should try his hand at film acting.
Initially, Don planned to do only background work to earn some extra cash, but opportunities arose so quickly and easily that he soon transitioned into full-fledged acting roles after just a month.
Today, Don resides with his wife, Denise, in Central Georgia, placing him at the center of the state's two largest markets for film and television acting: Atlanta and Savannah. When not in front of the camera, Don devotes his time to raising his five sons, four dogs, and one very outnumbered cat.
He is also a dedicated supporter of the American Association of Adaptive Sports Programs (AAASP),an organization that provides teams for wheelchair-bound student athletes, as he has two sons with Muscular Dystrophy.
