Clay was born in Tennessee to Patti Smedberg (science teacher) and Randy Jelinek (former boxer). His mother raised him and his four siblings in a small house in Memphis. During his formative years, he enjoyed making home videos with his brothers and sister. He graduated from Germantown High School joining alumni such as Chris Parnell (SNL) and Missi Pyle (The Artist). While in school, Clay put on a production of "The Zoo Story" for which he won a best actor award in a statewide theatre competition. Due to the lingering effects of the 2008 financial collapse, his family home was foreclosed the year of his graduation. Clay elected not to go to college, despite being accepted into CalArts BFA acting conservatory. He then went to work at Chipotle Mexican Grill because of their sustainable food practices. Within a short time, Clay became a manager on the path to running his own store.After surviving a near death experience in 2017, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting professionally. Since then he has starred in several plays, films, and TV shows. He studied acting at UNCSA, Ivana Chubbuck Studios, UCB improv, and BGB studios.In addition to acting, Clay enjoys researching, cooking, writing, sparring, and the outdoors. Show less «