In 2006, at the age of 23, Parks killed a 25-year old graduate student while driving with a suspended license. On the evening of January 22, Parks was charged with leaving the scene of an accident. The Assistant District Attorney concluded that Parks “had the green light, was not speeding, committed no traffic infractions and did not appear intoxicated.” Four hours later, Parks showed up at the 94th Precinct in Brooklyn to turn himself in. Following a lengthy investigation, Parks later plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident after causing physical injury, and received one year of probation, 250 hours of community service and counseling.

Parks was born in New York City, Parks is a graduate of New York University with a B.F.A. in Fine Arts and a B.A. in Mathematics. He first joined the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns on November 14, 2007 taking over the role of Dallas Griffin.

Parks guest-starred in Law & Order, its spin-off Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Gossip Girl, as well as starring in the sixth season of MTV’s anthology series Undressed. In film, Parks was seen alongside Kevin Bacon in the HBO telefilm Taking Chance and with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the 2012 film Premium Rush. In 2013, he has series regular role in the Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids. In the final season of The Vampire Diaries, parks had a recurring role as Arcadius.