TJ Hassan spent most of his younger years moving from city to city overseas, until finally settling in the US in 1993. In 2008, Tony Award winning director,
Jerry Zaks, cast TJ in the biopic
Who Do You Love (2008) as American blues musician, Lonnie Johnson, opposite Alessandro Nivola and Chi McBride. Shortly after, he later landed recurring role on the Lifetime original series Army Wives (2007) (TV Series) and several bit parts including
Lottery Ticket (2010) and
For Colored Girls (2010).