He was dubbed the "Distinguished Dog" in grade school by his friends and family due his dignified and doglike appearance.
After graduating from Klein Oak High School in 1992, he moved to Santa Cruz, California, where he took acting classes at Cabrillo College.
He later studied with the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre and briefly at Howard University, eventually settling in New York City.
[citation needed] Among the Mo-Freek productions he has starred in are Lost in the Bush, Caravan Summer, and People Are Dead.
Steeples played the role of Darnell Turner on the NBC comedy series My Name Is Earl, which premiered on September 20, 2005 and ran for four seasons.