Blair Underwood

Blair Underwood

Birthdate
August 25, 1964 (60 years old)
Place of Birth
Tacoma, Washington, USA
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
August 25, 1964 (60 years old)
Place of Birth
Tacoma, Washington, USA
Known For
Acting

Biography

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".

Blair Underwood's LGBTQ+ Titles

Set It Off
Set It Off
Keith
Mr. SOUL!
Mr. SOUL!
Voice of Ellis Haizlip

Acting (103)

Company Town (1 episode)
Viral
One Spoon of Chocolate
2024
Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency as Narrator
2024
Three Women as Richard (10 episodes)
2024
Longlegs as Agent Carter
2024
Tigers on the Rise as Narrator (voice)
2024
Elsbeth as Cliff McGrath (1 episode)
2023
Origin as Amari Selvan
2023
Smothered (6 episodes)
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 (1 episode)
2020
Really Love as Jerome Richmond
2020
Love Life as Leon Hines (1 episode)
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 (4 episodes)
2020
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU as Self
2019
Tamron Hall as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2019
When They See Us as Bobby Burns (2 episodes)
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 (3 episodes)
2015
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar as Makuu (voice)
2015
Quantico as Owen Hall (35 episodes)
2014
The Trip to Bountiful as Ludie Watts
2013
Ironside as Robert Ironside (9 episodes)
2013
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Andrew Garner (10 episodes)
2013
Thunder and Lightning as Black Lightning (2 episodes)
2012
Celebrity Crime Files as Narrator (voice) (8 episodes)
2012
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day as David Ames
2011
Vietnam in HD as Charles Brown (6 episodes)
2011
The Art of Getting By as Principal
2011
First Generation as Narrator
2010
The Event as Elias Martinez (22 episodes)
2010
Who Do You Think You Are? as Self (1 episode)
2009
The Good Wife as Harry Dargis (1 episode)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2009
Weather Girl as Fitz
2008
In Treatment as Alex Prince (9 episodes)
2007
Dirty Sexy Money as Simon Elder (23 episodes)
2007
The Hit as Henry Alabaster
2006
Covert One: The Hades Factor as Palmer Addison (2 episodes)
2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine as Daniel Harris (9 episodes)
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 (1 episode)
2005
The Golden Blaze as Gregory Fletcher (voice)
2004
Do Geese See God as Man
2004
The Tony Danza Show as Self (2 episodes)
2004
LAX as Roger De Souza (13 episodes)
2004
Fatherhood (26 episodes)
2004
The Gristle as Self (uncredited)
2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self (1 episode)
2003
Malibu's Most Wanted as Tom Gibbsons
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1 episode)
2002
Half & Half as Himself (1 episode)
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 (25 episodes)
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Miles Sennet (1 episode)
1999
The Wishing Tree as Thomas
1998
Mama Flora's Family as Willie (2 episodes)
1998
Asunder as Chance Williams
1998
Sex and the City as Dr. Robert Leeds (5 episodes)
1998
Deep Impact as Mark Simon
1997
Gattaca as Geneticist
1997
The View as Self (1 episode)
1996
Set It Off as Keith
1996
Mistrial as Lieutenant C. Hodges
1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self (1 episode)
1996
Soul of the Game as Jackie Robinson
1996
High Incident (32 episodes)
1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as King Midas (voice) (1 episode)
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
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers as Reader
1991
The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry as Self
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 (2 episodes)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest (1 episode)
1987
A Different World as Zelmer Collier (1 episode)
1987
21 Jump Street as Reginald Brooks (1 episode)
1986
Downtown as Terry Corsaro (13 episodes)
1986
L.A. Law as Jonathan Rollins (149 episodes)
1985
Krush Groove as Russell Walker
1984
The Cosby Show as Mark (1 episode)
1984
Aspel & Company (1 episode)
1983
Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1 episode)
1982
Knight Rider as Potts (1 episode)
1956
Tony Awards as Self - Presenter (1 episode)

Directing (2)

Viral • Director
• Director
2009
The Bridge to Nowhere • Director
• Director

Production (5)

2024
Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer
2018
Mr. SOUL! • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer
2016
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer
2012
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day • Producer
• Producer
2007
The Hit • Producer
• Producer

Writing (1)

2009
The Bridge to Nowhere • Writer
• Writer