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Blair Underwood
Actor, Producer, Director, Writer
Born August 25, 1964 (58 years)
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. In recent years, he has appeared on The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dirty Sexy Money and In Treatment and currently stars in NBC's The Event. Underwood's 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. In 1996 Underwood was featured in the July issue of Playgirl. 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 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 In 2007, Underwood co-authored the novel Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel with husband-and-wife team Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. Next, Underwood can seen as the President of the United States in the NBC drama series The Event. Underwood 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". In 1989, Underwood co-founded Artists for a New South Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to democracy and equality in South Africa. Underwood is a part of several charitable organizations. He won the 1993 Humanitarian Award for his work with the Los Angeles chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2003, along with Ashley Judd, he served as the spokesperson for YouthAIDS. Underwood also appeared in a 2004 public service announcement for The Fulfillment Fund. He is a Trustee for the Robey Theatre Company in Los Angeles, a non-profit theatre group founded by Danny Glover, focusing on plays about the Black experience. On September 17, 1994, he married Desiree DaCosta, with whom he has three children.
Filmography
| 2022 | Bear Witness · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2022 | Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers · as Narrator |
| 2020 | Bad Hair · as Amos Bludso |
| 2020 | Your Honor (US) (TV Series) · as Roland Carter |
| 2020 | Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J. Walker (TV Series) · as Charles James Walker |
| 2020 | Really Love · as Jerome Richmond |
| 2020 | Penguins: Life on the Edge · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2020 | Love Life (TV Series) · as Leon Hines |
| 2019 | Juanita · as Blair Underwood |
| 2019 | When They See Us (TV Series) · as Bobby Burns |
| 2018 | Mr. Soul! · as Voice of Ellis Haizlip |
| 2018 | The After Party · as Sgt. Ellison |
| 2017 | Dear White People (TV Series) · as Moses Brown |
| 2016 | Olympic Pride, American Prejudice · as Narrator |
| 2016 | American Crime Story (TV Series) · as Vernon Jordan |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar · as Makuu (voice) |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard (TV Series) · as Makuu |
| 2015 | Quantico (TV Series) · as Owen Hall |
| 2014 | The Trip to Bountiful · as Ludie Watts |
| 2014 | Against the Odds (TV Series) · as Narrator |
| 2013 | Ironside (2013) (TV Series) · as Robert Ironside |
| 2013 | Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Series) · as Andrew Garner |
| 2013 | Thunder and Lightning (TV Series) · as Black Lightning |
| 2012 | Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day · as David Ames |
| 2012 | Sofia the First (TV Series) · as Sir Jaxon |
| 2011 | The Art of Getting By · as Principal |
| 2011 | First Generation · as Narrator |
| 2011 | Vietnam in HD (TV Series) · as Charles Brown |
| 2011 | Jake and the Never Land Pirates (TV Series) · as Captain Wraith |
| 2010 | |
| 2010 | I Will Follow · as Evan |
| 2010 | The Event (TV Series) · as Elias Martinez |
| 2009 | Weather Girl · as Fitz |
| 2009 | The Good Wife (TV Series) · as Harry Dargis |
| 2008 | In Treatment (TV Series) · as Alex Prince |
| 2008 | Secret Millionaire (TV Series) · as Narrator |
| 2007 | The Hit · as Henry Alabaster |
| 2007 | Dirty Sexy Money (TV Series) · as Simon Elder |
| 2006 | Madea's Family Reunion · as Carlos |
| 2006 | Covert One: The Hades Factor · as Palmer Addison |
| 2006 | The New Adventures of Old Christine (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2006 | Something New · as Mark Harper |
| 2005 | The Golden Blaze · as Gregory Fletcher |
| 2005 | The Tyra Banks Show (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2004 | The Tony Danza Show (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2004 | Fatherhood (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2003 | Malibu's Most Wanted · as Tom Gibbsons |
| 2002 | G · as Chip Hightower |
| 2002 | Turnaround · as Det. Harris |
| 2002 | Half & Half (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2002 | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (TV Series) · as actor |
| 2002 | Full Frontal · as Nicholas |
| 2002 | Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad · as William Still |
| 2000 | Rules of Engagement · as Capt. Lee |
| 2000 | City of Angels (TV Series) · as Ben Turner |
| 1999 | Asunder · as Chance Williams |
| 1999 | The Wishing Tree · as Thomas |
| 1999 | Independent Lens (TV Series) · as Narration |
| 1999 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) · as Miles Sennet |
| 1998 | Deep Impact · as Mark Simon |
| 1998 | Sex and the City (TV Series) · as Dr. Robert Leeds |
| 1998 | Mama Flora's Family (TV Series) · as Willie |
| 1997 | Gattaca · as Geneticist |
| 1996 | Set It Off · as Keith Weston |
| 1996 | Soul of the Game · as Jackie Robinson |
| 1996 | Mistrial · as Lieutenant C. Hodges |
| 1996 | High Incident (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV Series) · as King Midas (voice) |
| 1995 | Just Cause · as Bobby Earl Ferguson |
| 1994 | Duckman (TV Series) · as Blair Underwood |
| 1993 | Father & Son: Dangerous Relations · as Jared Williams |
| 1993 | Posse · as Carver |
| 1991 | Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers · as Reader |
| 1991 | The Legend of Prince Valiant (TV Series) · as Harbormaster |
| 1990 | Heat Wave · as Bob Richardson |
| 1987 | A Different World (TV Series) · as Zelmer Collier |
| 1987 | American Experience (TV Series) · as Lewis Douglass |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street (TV Series) · as Reginald Brooks |
| 1986 | L.A. Law (TV Series) · as Jonathan Rollins |
| 1986 | Downtown (1986) (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1985 | Krush Groove · as Russell Walker |
| 1984 | The Cosby Show (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1983 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1982 | Knight Rider (TV Series) · as Potts |
| 1968 | One Life to Live (TV Series) · as Bobby Blue |