Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film actor. He is perhaps best known as headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins from the NBC legal drama L.A. Law, a role he portrayed for seven years. He has gained critical acclaim throughout his career, receiving numerous Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and 1 Grammy Award. His feature film debut was the 1985 movie Krush Groove. His 1985 appearance on The Cosby Show landed him a short stint on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, which eventually led to his performance on the TV series L.A. Law, where he appeared from 1987 to 1994. Underwood broke into film with roles in Just Cause (1995), Set It Off (1996) and Deep Impact (1998). He also had a supporting role as a geneticist in the film Gattaca. In 2000, he played the lead role in the short-lived television series City of Angels. In 2003, he guest starred in four episodes on the HBO series Sex and the City playing Cynthia Nixon's love interest. In 2004, he played the role of Roger De Souza opposite Heather Locklear in NBC's LAX. He gained acclaim as the sexy grade school teacher in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus for two years. In 2007, he guest starred in an episode of the NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His also had a role as recurring character Alex in the HBO series In Treatment. Also in 2007, Underwood co-authored the novel Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel with husband-and-wife team Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. He's also had recurring roles on Dirty Sexy Money, NBC's The Event, Ironside, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Quantico. He has received three NAACP Image Awards, for his film work in Rules of Engagement, and his television work in L.A. Law, City of Angels, Murder in Mississippi and Mama Flora's Family. He was voted one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2000, and one of TV Guide's "Most Influential Faces of the 90s".
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency as Narrator
- 2024 · Three Women as Richard
- 2024 · Longlegs as Agent Carter
- 2024 · Tigers on the Rise as Narrator (voice)
- 2024 · Elsbeth as Cliff McGrath
- 2023 · Origin as Amari Selvan
- 2023 · Smothered as
- 2022 · Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers as Narrator (voice)
- 2022 · Bear Witness as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Bad Hair as Amos Bludso
- 2021 · A Soldier's Play as Captain Richard Davenport
- 2020 · Your Honor as Roland Carter
- 2020 · Really Love as Jerome Richmond
- 2020 · Love Life as Leon Hines
- 2020 · Penguins: Life on the Edge as Narrator (voice)
- 2020 · Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker as Charles James Walker
- 2020 · The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU as Self
- 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- 2019 · When They See Us as Bobby Burns
- 2019 · Juanita as Blair Underwood
- 2018 · The After Party as Sgt. Martin Ellison
- 2018 · Mr. SOUL! as Voice of Ellis Haizlip
- 2016 · Olympic Pride, American Prejudice as Narrator (voice)
- 2016 · American Crime Story as Vernon Jordan
- 2015 · The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar as Makuu (voice)
- 2015 · Quantico as Owen Hall
- 2014 · The Trip to Bountiful as Ludie Watts
- 2013 · Ironside as Robert Ironside
- 2013 · Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Andrew Garner
- 2013 · Thunder and Lightning as Black Lightning
- 2012 · Celebrity Crime Files as Narrator (voice)
- 2012 · Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day as David Ames
- 2011 · Vietnam in HD as Charles Brown
- 2011 · The Art of Getting By as Principal
- 2011 · First Generation as Narrator
- 2010 · The Event as Elias Martinez
- 2010 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- 2009 · The Good Wife as Harry Dargis
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · Weather Girl as Fitz
- 2008 · In Treatment as Alex Prince
- 2007 · Dirty Sexy Money as Simon Elder
- 2007 · The Hit as Henry Alabaster
- 2006 · Covert One: The Hades Factor as Palmer Addison
- 2006 · The New Adventures of Old Christine as Daniel Harris
- 2006 · Madea's Family Reunion as Carlos
- 2006 · Something New as Mark Harper
- 2006 · Covert One: The Hades Factor as Palmer Addison
- 2005 · The Tyra Banks Show as
- 2005 · The Golden Blaze as Gregory Fletcher (voice)
- 2004 · Do Geese See God as Man
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self
- 2004 · LAX as Roger De Souza
- 2004 · Fatherhood as
- 2004 · The Gristle as Self (uncredited)
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2003 · Malibu's Most Wanted as Tom Gibbsons
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as
- 2002 · Half & Half as Himself
- 2002 · Full Frontal as Calvin / Nicholas
- 2002 · G as Chip Hightower
- 2002 · Truth Be Told as Det. Harris
- 2000 · Rules of Engagement as Capt. Lee
- 2000 · City of Angels as Ben Turner
- 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Miles Sennet
- 1999 · The Wishing Tree as Thomas
- 1998 · Mama Flora's Family as Willie
- 1998 · Asunder as Chance Williams
- 1998 · Sex and the City as Dr. Robert Leeds
- 1998 · Deep Impact as Mark Simon
- 1997 · Gattaca as Geneticist
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1996 · Set It Off as Keith
- 1996 · Mistrial as Lieutenant C. Hodges
- 1996 · The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self
- 1996 · Soul of the Game as Jackie Robinson
- 1996 · High Incident as
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as King Midas (voice)
- 1995 · Just Cause as Bobby Earl Ferguson
- 1993 · Posse as Carver
- 1993 · Father & Son: Dangerous Relations as Jared Williams
- 1991 · Voices That Care as Self - Choir Member
- 1991 · The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry as Self
- 1991 · Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers as Reader
- 1990 · Heat Wave as Bob Richardson
- 1990 · Murder in Mississippi as James Chaney
- 1989 · The Cover Girl and the Cop as Horace Bouchet
- 1988 · Mickey's 60th Birthday as Jonathan Rollins
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
- 1987 · A Different World as Zelmer Collier
- 1987 · 21 Jump Street as Reginald Brooks
- 1986 · Downtown as Terry Corsaro
- 1986 · L.A. Law as Jonathan Rollins
- 1985 · Krush Groove as Russell Walker
- 1984 · The Cosby Show as Mark
- 1984 · Aspel & Company as
- 1983 · Scarecrow and Mrs. King as
- 1982 · Knight Rider as Potts
- 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
- Future · One Spoon of Chocolate as
- Future · Company Town as
- Future · Viral as