Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood was born on Aug. 25, 1964, in Tacoma, WA, but as the son of a U.S. Army colonel, he grew up on a number of military bases in the United States and Germany. He graduated from high school in Petersburg, VA and studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA, before heading to New York City to become an actor. Underwood got his start with a pair of guest appearances in the No. 1 rated sitcom, "The Cosby Show" (NBC, 1984-1992), including one as the boyfriend of moody teen Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet). Next, despite his unknown status, Underwood landed the lead in "Krush Groove" (1985), a comic drama based on the early days of Def Jam records with Underwood playing fictionalized rap mogul Russell Simmons. He appeared on the ABC daytime soap "One Life to Live" (ABC, 1968-) for a spell before snaring his first primetime series role as a paroled pickpocket on the short-lived CBS venture "Downtown" (1986-87). In the wake of the show's cancellation, Underwood landed a career-making gig in the Emmy-winning Stephen Bochco legal drama "L.A. Law." The actor built up a steady fan base during his six seasons as brash law associate Jonathan Rollins, earning a Golden Globe nomination and an Image Award win for his performance. The positive reception Underwood received for "L.A. Law" helped pave the way for more film work - first with TV-movies like the 1960s-set "Heat Wave" (TNT, 1990), where he played a Los Angeles newcomer caught in the midst of the Watts riots. That same year, he earned an Image Award for playing Civil Rights martyr James Chaney on NBC's "Murder in Mississippi," the true story of the civil rights workers murdered while fighting for integration in Mississippi. Along with his brother Frank, Underwood formed a production company and directed the short film "The Second Coming" (1992), in which his portrayal of a Christ-like character earned some controversy over the character's skin color. After another powerful TV film performance as a convicted criminal who meets his father (Louis Gossett, Jr.) for the first time behind bars in "Father & Son: Dangerous Relations" (NBC, 1993), Underwood was back behind bars playing the unjustly imprisoned Claudio opposite Kevin Kline in a production of "Measure for Measure" at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He returned to the big screen to play the sheriff in Mario Van Peebles' Black anchored Western, "Posse" (1993). When "L.A. Law" came to an end in 1994, Underwood continued to focus on film, taking on a role as a convicted child rapist whom Sean Connery believes innocent in "Just Cause" (1995). In another Image Award-winning performance, Underwood inhabited the role of groundbreaking baseball player Jackie Robinson in the 1996 HBO original film "Soul of the Game," the story of the bridge between the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues. Underwood's big screen career picked up with supporting roles in "Set It Off" (1996) and the sci-fi conundrum "Gattaca" (1997). A return to television in the cast of ABC's police drama "High Incident" (1996-97) was short-lived, but Underwood maintained a high profile in the big-budget disaster film "Deep Impact" (1998) and a starring role in the miniseries adaptation of Alex Haley's familial novel, "Mama Flora's Family" (CBS, 1998), which brought the actor another Image Award. In 2000, Underwood was the perfect actor to anchor "City of Angels" (CBS, 2000), an unfortunately short-lived Bochco medical drama featuring a predominantly Black cast. Underwood followed up by playing a mute and mysterious Georgia forest-dwelling hermit in Showtime's well-received original movie "The Wishing Tree" (2000). His next pair of feature film releases were not such a hit with the critics, "Rules of Engagement" (2000) and "Full Frontal" (2002). In a departure into a straight-ahead broad comedy, Underwood had a supporting role in "Malibu's Most Wanted" (2003), as the campaign manager to a senator whose privileged, wannabe rapper son (Jamie Kennedy) acts and talks like he is straight out of the 'hood. In 2003 and 2004, Underwood essayed a recurring character on the HBO smash comedy "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004), playing a physician, neighbor and eventual paramour of Miranda. Two Image Award nominations were forthcoming for his charming, sexy performance. After being tapped by series creator Bill Cosby to provide the voice of Dr. Arthur Bindlebeep in the animated Nick-At-Night series "Fatherhood" (2004-05), Underwood returned to live action primetime opposite Heather Locklear in the disappointing airport-set drama, "LAX" (2004-05), where he portrayed an ambitious airport executive overseeing the busy Los Angeles hub. In 2005, Underwood appeared on the New York stage in a musical revival of Ossie Davis' "Purlie" and returned to the big screen in "G" (2005), a Great Gatsby-inspired story set in New York's The Hamptons. He essayed a physically abusive bank executive in Tyler Perry's "Madea's Family Reunion" (2006), and after a starring role in the miniseries adaptation of Robert Ludlum's doomsday thriller "Covert One: The Hades Factor" (CBS, 2006), Underwood enjoyed two seasons as Julia Louis-Dreyfus' love interest on the sitcom "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS, 2006-2010). He spent a season on "Dirty Sexy Money" (ABC, 2007-09), a soap-like drama about a wealthy family of ne'er-do-wells, and enjoyed success on HBO's "In Treatment" (2008-2010. After leading roles in two short-lived series, the fantasy drama "The Event" (NBC 2010-11) and a reboot of '70s cop staple "Ironside" ( NBC 2013) in which he played the title role of wheelchair-bound detective Robert Ironside, Underwood joined the cast of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC 2013- ) in the recurring role of Andrew Garner. The following year, Underwood starred in an acclaimed TV movie version of "The Trip to Bountiful" (2014). Underwood went on to have a recurring role as Moses Brown in "Dear White People" (Netflix, 2016-22) and a role in the horror satire film "Bad Hair" (2020).
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Blair Underwood
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
86% |
|
Longlegs | Agent Carter (Character) | $74.2M | 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tigers on the Rise | Narrator | - | 2024 |
81% |
|
Origin | Unknown (Character) | $4.7M | 2023 |
100% |
|
Really Love | Unknown (Character) | - | 2020 |
96% |
|
Mr. Soul! |
Narrator, Executive Producer |
- | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
The After Party | Sgt. Ellison (Character) | - | 2018 |
100% |
|
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice |
Narrator, Producer |
- | 2015 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Trip to Bountiful | Ludie Watts (Character) | - | 2014 |
22% |
|
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day | David Ames (Character) | $1.3M | 2012 |
20% |
|
The Art of Getting By | Principal Martinson (Character) | $1.4M | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | First Generation | Narrator | - | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
Bridge to Nowhere | Director | - | 2009 |
33% |
|
Weather Girl | Fitz (Character) | $20.9K | 2009 |
90% |
|
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience | Unknown (Voice) | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Hit | Henry Alabaster (Character) | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hit | Unknown (Character) | - | 2007 |
60% |
|
Something New | Mark Harper (Character) | $11.4M | 2006 |
26% |
|
Madea's Family Reunion | Carlos (Character) | $63.2M | 2006 |
No Score Yet |
|
Robert Ludlum's Covert One: The Hades Factor | Unknown (Character) | - | 2006 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Golden Blaze |
Gregory Fletcher / |
- | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | How Did It Feel? | Unknown (Character) | - | 2004 |
32% |
|
Malibu's Most Wanted | Tom Gibbons (Character) | $34.3M | 2003 |
29% |
|
G | Chip Hightower (Character) | $3.0M | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
Final Breakdown | Det. Harris (Character) | - | 2002 |
39% |
|
Full Frontal |
Calvin/ |
$2.5M | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Wishing Tree |
Magic Man/ |
- | 2000 |
37% |
|
Rules of Engagement | Captain Lee (Character) | $61.3M | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mama Flora's Family | Unknown (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Asunder | Chance Williams (Character) | - | 1998 |
45% |
|
Deep Impact | Mark Simon (Character) | $140.4M | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mistrial | Lieutenant C. Hodges (Character) | - | 1996 |
67% |
|
Soul of the Game | Jackie Robinson (Character) | - | 1996 |
70% |
|
Set It Off | Keith Weston (Character) | $36.1M | 1996 |
26% |
|
Just Cause | Bobby Earl (Character) | $35.7M | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Father & Son: Dangerous Relations | Jared Williams (Character) | - | 1993 |
33% |
|
Posse | Carver (Character) | $16.4M | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Murder in Mississippi | James Chaney (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Heat Wave | Bob Richardson (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Cover Girl and the Cop | Horace Bouchet (Character) | - | 1989 |
43% |
|
Krush Groove | Russell Walker (Character) | $11.1M | 1985 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Jennifer Hudson Show | Guest | 2024 |
91% | 70% | Elsbeth | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2011 2013 2018-2020 |
68% | 64% | Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker | C.J. Walker (Character) | 2020 |
No Score Yet | 12% | The View | Guest | 2014 2020 |
96% | 89% | When They See Us | Bobby Burns (Character) | 2019 |
70% | 46% | Quantico | Owen Hall (Character) | 2016-2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Give | Host | 2016-2017 |
No Score Yet | 66% | The Lion Guard | Makuu (Guest Voice) | 2016-2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Daily Show | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Harry | Guest | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Wendy Williams Show | Guest | 2010 2012-2013 2016 |
No Score Yet | 96% | Sofia the First | Sir Jackson (Guest Voice) | 2016 |
95% | 91% | Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2015-2016 |
93% | 90% | The Good Wife | Harry Dargis (Guest Star) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates | Captain Wraith (Guest Voice) | 2015 |
14% | 40% | Ironside | Robert Ironside (Character) | 2013-2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Secret Millionaire | Narrator | 2012-2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 106 & Park | Guest | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Who Do You Think You Are? | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Vietnam in HD | Unknown (Voice) | 2011 |
67% | 49% | The Event | Unknown (Character) | 2010-2011 |
89% | 77% | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2006-2008 2010 |
68% | No Score Yet | Dirty Sexy Money | Simon Elder (Character) | 2007-2009 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bonnie Hunt Show | Guest | 2008 |
90% | 58% | In Treatment | Alex (Character) | 2008 |
78% | 83% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Miles Sennet (Guest Star) | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fatherhood | Unknown (Voice) | 2004-2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Half & Half | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2005 |
38% | No Score Yet | LAX | Roger De Souza (Character) | 2004-2005 |
70% | 80% | Sex and the City | Dr. Robert Leeds (Guest Star) | 2003-2004 |
20% | No Score Yet | City of Angels | Dr. Ben Turner (Character) | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Unknown (Voice) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | High Incident | Unknown (Character) | 1996-1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sesame Street | Guest | 1993-1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | L.A. Law | Jonathan Rollins (Character) | 1986-1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Different World | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 21 Jump Street | Reggie Brooks (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | 68% | The Cosby Show | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | 80% | Knight Rider | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |