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Clarke Peters

Actor, Writer, Additional CreditsBorn April 7, 1952 (73 years)
Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American actor, writer, and director, who has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series The Wire (2002–2008) and Albert Lambreaux in the television series Treme (2010–2013). He also wrote the book for the musical revue Five Guys Named Moe (1990).

Peters is also known for his roles in the films Silver Dream Racer (1980), Endgame (2009), John Wick (2014), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), Harriet (2019), and Da 5 Bloods (2020), the lattermost of which earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Peters was born Peter Clarke, the second of four sons, in New York City, and grew up in Englewood, New Jersey. At the age of 12, he had his first theater experience, in a school production of My Fair Lady. He began to have serious ambitions to work in the theater at the age of 14. He graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in 1970.

In 1971, Peters' older brother enabled him to work as a costume designer for a production of the musical Hair in Paris, in which Peters later starred. In 1973, Peters moved to London and changed his name to Clarke Peters, because Equity already had a few namesake members. While in London, he formed a soul band, The Majestics, and worked as a backup singer on such hits as "Love and Affection" by Joan Armatrading, "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave, and some David Essex songs. However, music was not Peters' main ambition, and he preferred to work in the theater.

His first West End theatre musical roles, which he received with assistance from his friend Ned Sherrin, were I Gotta Shoe (1976) and Bubbling Brown Sugar (1977). Other West End credits include Blues in the Night, Porgy and Bess, The Witches of Eastwick, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, and Chess. Peters starred in the Sean Connery space Western Outland (1981) as the treacherous Sgt. Ballard, and he played an almost wordless role as Anderson, a vicious pimp in Neil Jordan's Mona Lisa (1986).

Peters is familiar to television viewers as Detective Lester Freamon in the HBO series The Wire. Peters also starred in the HBO mini-series The Corner, portraying a drug addict named Fat Curt, as well as the FX series Damages, as Dave Pell. Both The Wire and The Corner were created by writer and former The Baltimore Sun journalist David Simon. Peters also stars in Simon's HBO series Treme, in the role of Mardi Gras Indian chief Albert Lambreaux. Peters appeared in two episodes of the American time-travel/detective TV series Life on Mars (2008) as NYPD Captain Fletcher Bellow.

He also appeared in the British show Holby City, as Derek Newman, the father of nurse Donna Jackson. He voiced a part in the Doctor Who animated episode Dreamland, and in the In Plain Sight episode "Duplicate Bridge" as a man in Witness Protection named Norman Baker/Norman Danzer. In 2010, Peters read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption for BBC 7. In that year, he also had a guest appearance as Professor Mark Ramsay in the pilot episode of the USA Network TV series Covert Affairs. From 2012 to 2013, Peters had a recurring role as Alonzo D. Quinn in the CBS TV series Person of Interest.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Midsomer Murders
  • Come Away
  • The Poker House
  • The Mandela Effect
  • The Professionals
  • The Divide
  • La Fortuna
  • Jericho
  • Meadowlands
  • Silver Dream Racer

Known For

  • Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
  • The Wire
  • Da 5 Bloods
  • Marley & Me
  • The Best of Me
  • Harriet
  • Eric (2024)
  • Outland
  • Mona Lisa
  • Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
  • The Man Who Fell to Earth
  • Treme
  • The Irregulars
  • Chance
  • Testament: The Story of Moses
  • Red Hook Summer
  • Freedomland
  • The Corner
  • The Mandela Effect
  • Gigantic
  • Christmas Under the Stars
  • Division 19

Filmography

2025
Towards Zero (TV Series) · as Frederick Treves
2025
Small Town, Big Story (TV Series) · as Chet Donald
2024
Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin. · as Reverend Powell Sr.
2024
Eric (2024) (TV Series) · as George
2024
Testament: The Story of Moses (TV Series) · as God (voice)
2024
Truelove (TV Series) · as Ken
2023
Royal Crackers (TV Series) · as Deshaun (voice)
2022
2022
The Man Who Fell to Earth (TV Series) · as Josiah Falls
2021
La Fortuna (TV Series) · as Jonas Pierce
2021
Foundation (2021) (TV Series) · as Abbas
2021
The Irregulars (TV Series) · as Linen Man
2020
Come Away · as Mad Hatter
2020
Da 5 Bloods · as Otis
2020
Bumps · as Charles
2019
2019
Christmas Under the Stars · as Clem Marshwell
2019
His Dark Materials (TV Series) · as The Master
2019
Harriet · as Ben Ross
2019
The Opera Game · as Narrator
2018
An Acceptable Loss · as Phillip Lamm
2018
Love Is___ (TV Series) · as 'wiser' Yasir
2018
Bulletproof (TV Series) · as Ronald Pike Snr
2018
Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes · as Voice Of Count Basie
2017
2017
The Deuce (TV Series) · as Melvin 'ace'
2017
Division 19 · as Perelman
2017
The Blacklist: Redemption (TV Series) · as Richard Whitehall
2016
People of Earth (TV Series) · as Ronald
2016
Chance (TV Series) · as Carl Allan
2016
Underground (TV Series) · as Jay
2016
Jericho (TV Series) · as Ralph Coates
2015
Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones · as Roy Orbison (voice)
2015
The Benefactor · as Dr. Romano
2015
The Timeline (TV Series) · as Narrator
2015
Marvel's Jessica Jones (TV Series) · as Det. Oscar Clemons
2015
London Spy (TV Series) · as The American
2015
The Bad Education Movie · as Commander Andrews
2015
Show Me a Hero (TV Series) · as Robert Mayhawk
2015
Partners in Crime (2015) (TV Series) · as Julius Hersheimmer
2014
2014
Grace · as Father Michael
2014
John Wick · as Harry
2014
The Best of Me · as Morgan Dupree
2014
Forever (2014) (TV Series) · as Jerry Charters
2014
The Divide (TV Series) · as Isaiah Page
2014
True Detective (TV Series) · as Minister
2013
The Tunnel (TV Series) · as Sonny Persaud
2012
Red Hook Summer · as Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse
2011
Death in Paradise (TV Series) · as Marlon Croft
2011
Searching for Sonny · as The Narrator
2011
Person of Interest (TV Series) · as Alonzo Quinn
2010
Legacy · as Ola Adenuga
2010
Blue Bloods (TV Series) · as Nathan Anderson
2010
Locked In · as Frank
2010
Covert Affairs (TV Series) · as Dr. Mark Ramsay
2010
Memphis Beat (TV Series) · as Fred
2010
Treme (TV Series) · as Albert "big Chief" Lambreaux
2009
Nativity! · as Studio Boss
2009
Doctor Who: Dreamland (TV Series) · as Night Eagle (voice)
2009
2009
Archer (2009) (TV Series) · as Popeye (voice)
2009
Chess in Concert · as Walter De Courcy
2009
Endgame · as Nelson Mandela
2008
Marley & Me · as Editor
2008
Life on Mars (US) (TV Series) · as Captain Bellow
2008
Gigantic · as Roger Stovall
2008
2008
Sympathetic Details · as Carson
2008
In Plain Sight (TV Series) · as Norman Baker / Norman Danzer
2008
2007
Damages (TV Series) · as Dave Pell
2007
Meadowlands (TV Series) · as Professor Campbell
2006
Freedomland · as Reverend Longway
2005
Law & Order: Trial by Jury (TV Series) · as Rex Da Silva
2003
2003
Head of State · as Fundraiser Demo-Tape Man
2002
The Wire (TV Series) · as Lester Freamon
2001
Night and Day (2001) (TV Series) · as Gabriel
2001
K-PAX · as Homeless Veteran
2000
Waking the Dead (TV Series) · as Howard Boorstin
2000
The Corner (TV Series) · as Fat Curt
1999
Notting Hill · as 'helix' Lead Actor
1999
Holby City (TV Series) · as Derek Newman
1998
1997
Oz (TV Series) · as Afsana
1997
Jonathan Creek (TV Series) · as Hewie Harper
1997
Midsomer Murders (TV Series) · as Frank Wainwright
1996
Seasick · as Radio Reporter Pounds
1994
Chandler & Co. (TV Series)
1993
Detonator · as Whitlock
1992
Between the Lines (TV Series)
1992
A Masculine Ending · as Theo Sykes
1991
Murder Most Horrid (TV Series) · as American
1990
El C.I.D. (TV Series) · as Sultan
1989
Frederick Forsyth Presents (TV Series) · as Grover T. Fleming
1989
1987
French & Saunders (TV Series) · as Lt. Johnny Cochrane
1986
Mona Lisa · as Anderson
1984
Travelling Man (TV Series) · as Alan Downing
1984
King · as Stevie
1983
1981
Outland · as Sgt. Ballard
1980
Silver Dream Racer · as Cider Jones
1979
The Music Machine · as Laurie
1977
The Professionals (TV Series) · as President Ojuka
1971
Great Performances (TV Series) · as Walter De Courcy
1970
Play for Today (TV Series) · as Stevie

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