Simone Missick

Actress Simone Missick worked steadily, if anonymously, in features and television until gaining her breakout role as a New York police detective on the trail of a superhero on "Luke Cage" (Netflix, 2016- ). Born Simone Cook on February 19, 1980 in Detroit, Michigan, she developed an interest in performing at an early age, but chose violin and singing as her primary showcase. She entered Howard University in 1998 as an English major, but after taking a theater for non-majors course, discovered that her focus on the arts had expanded to acting. Missick graduated from Howard in 2003 and continued her studies at the British American Drama Academy. Upon her return to the United States, Missick performed in regional theater in Michigan before relocating to Los Angeles; there, she worked her way from independent features to episodic television like "Ray Donovan" (Showtime, 2013- ) and "Wayward Pines" (Fox, 2016- ). Her big break came in 2016 when she was cast as detective Mercedes "Misty" Knight in "Luke Cage," the highly anticipated adaptation of the popular Marvel Comics series about an ex-convict who develops superhuman strength.