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Blair Underwood

Highest Rated: 100% Olympic Pride, American Prejudice (2015)

Lowest Rated: The After Party (2018)

Birthday: Aug 25, 1964

Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington, USA

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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Highest rated movies

100% 50% Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Watchlist
100% 79% Really Love
Watchlist
96% 71% Mr. Soul!
Watchlist
90% 52% Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Watchlist
86% 61% Longlegs Watchlist 81% 97% Origin Watchlist
70% 89% Set It Off
Watchlist
67% 64% Soul of the Game
Watchlist
60% 72% Something New
Watchlist
45% 43% Deep Impact Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
86% 61% Longlegs Agent Carter (Character) $74.2M 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tigers on the Rise Narrator - 2024
81% 97% Origin Unknown (Character) $4.7M 2023
100% 79% Really Love Unknown (Character) - 2020
96% 71% Mr. Soul! Narrator,
Executive Producer
- 2018
No Score Yet 85% The After Party Sgt. Ellison (Character) - 2018
100% 50% Olympic Pride, American Prejudice Narrator,
Producer
- 2015
No Score Yet 59% The Trip to Bountiful Ludie Watts (Character) - 2014
22% 69% Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day David Ames (Character) $1.3M 2012
20% 46% The Art of Getting By Principal Martinson (Character) $1.4M 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet First Generation Narrator - 2011
No Score Yet 35% Bridge to Nowhere Director - 2009
33% 36% Weather Girl Fitz (Character) $20.9K 2009
90% 52% Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience Unknown (Voice) - 2007
No Score Yet 13% The Hit Henry Alabaster (Character) - 2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hit Unknown (Character) - 2007
60% 72% Something New Mark Harper (Character) $11.4M 2006
26% 93% Madea's Family Reunion Carlos (Character) $63.2M 2006
No Score Yet 32% Robert Ludlum's Covert One: The Hades Factor Unknown (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet 57% The Golden Blaze Gregory Fletcher / The Golden Blaze (Voice) - 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet How Did It Feel? Unknown (Character) - 2004
32% 54% Malibu's Most Wanted Tom Gibbons (Character) $34.3M 2003
29% 60% G Chip Hightower (Character) $3.0M 2002
No Score Yet 53% Final Breakdown Det. Harris (Character) - 2002
39% 27% Full Frontal Calvin/Nicholas (Character) $2.5M 2002
No Score Yet 68% The Wishing Tree Magic Man/Thomas (Character) - 2000
37% 55% Rules of Engagement Captain Lee (Character) $61.3M 2000
No Score Yet 89% Mama Flora's Family Unknown (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 76% Asunder Chance Williams (Character) - 1998
45% 43% Deep Impact Mark Simon (Character) $140.4M 1998
No Score Yet 5% Mistrial Lieutenant C. Hodges (Character) - 1996
67% 64% Soul of the Game Jackie Robinson (Character) - 1996
70% 89% Set It Off Keith Weston (Character) $36.1M 1996
26% 46% Just Cause Bobby Earl (Character) $35.7M 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Father & Son: Dangerous Relations Jared Williams (Character) - 1993
33% 46% Posse Carver (Character) $16.4M 1993
No Score Yet 59% 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% 81% 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