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Ving Rhames
Actor, Producer
Born May 12, 1959 (63 years)
An American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series. Rhames was born in New York City, New York, he entered New York's School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. After high school, he studied drama at SUNY Purchase where he met fellow actor Stanley Tucci, who gave him his nickname "Ving". He later transferred to Juilliard, where he began his career in New York theater. Rhames first appeared on Broadway in the play The Winter Boys in 1984. Ving continued his rise to fame through his work in soap operas. He found work as a supporting actor, and came to the attention of the general public by playing the role of Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994). Rhames was also getting public exposure on television as Peter Benton's brother-in-law on the medical drama ER, a recurring role he filled for 3 seasons. Not long after, Rhames was cast with Tom Cruise as the ace computer hacker Luther Stickell in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible (1996). With solid performances in two of these highly popular productions, his face was now known to moviegoers; the work offers began rolling in more frequently and he can been seen in several popular films such as Con Air and Dawn of the Dead. Rhames won a Golden Globe in 1998 for best actor in a TV miniseries for his performance in HBO's Don King: Only in America. At the ceremony Rhames gave his award to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon (who is White), saying "I feel that being an artist is about giving, and I'd like to give this to you." Lemmon was clearly touched by the gesture as was the celebrity audience who gave Lemmon a standing ovation. Lemmon, who tried unsuccessfully to give the award back to Rhames said it was "one of the sweetest moments I've ever known in my life." The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced later that they would have a duplicate award prepared for Rhames.
Filmography
| 2018 | Mission: Impossible - Fallout · as Luther Stickell |
| 2018 | Con Man · as Peanut |
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 · as Charlie-27 |
| 2017 | Father Figures · as Rod Hamilton |
| 2017 | The Star · as Thaddeus (voice) |
| 2016 | A Sunday Horse · as Mr. Valentine |
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation · as Luther Stickell |
| 2015 | Operator · as Richard |
| 2014 | Percentage · as Porter |
| 2014 | Jamesy Boy · as Conrad |
| 2014 | A Day Late and a Dollar Short · as Cecil |
| 2013 | Death Race: Inferno · as Weyland |
| 2013 | Force of Execution · as Ice Man |
| 2013 | Armed Response · as Officer Hall |
| 2013 | Monday Mornings (TV Series) · as Dr. Jorge Villanueva |
| 2012 | Piranha 3DD · as Deputy Fallon (uncredited) |
| 2012 | Won't Back Down · as Principal Thompson |
| 2012 | Soldiers of Fortune · as Grimaud |
| 2012 | Mafia · as Renzo Wes |
| 2012 | Money Fight · as Gene |
| 2012 | 7 Below · as Jack |
| 2011 | Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol · as Luther Stickell (uncredited) |
| 2011 | Zombie Apocalypse · as Henry |
| 2011 | Julia X · as The Man |
| 2011 | Pimp Bullies · as Miguel |
| 2011 | The River Murders · as Captain Langley |
| 2011 | Black Jack · as Black Jack |
| 2010 | Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed · as Mike |
| 2010 | Piranha 3D · as Deputy Fallon |
| 2010 | Caged Animal · as Cain |
| 2010 | King of the Avenue · as Norman / De'Sha |
| 2010 | Death Race 2 · as Weyland |
| 2010 | 'Master Harold' ... And the Boys · as Sam |
| 2010 | Gravity (TV Series) · as Dogg McFee |
| 2010 | Operation: Endgame · as Judgement |
| 2009 | Echelon Conspiracy · as Agent Dave Grant |
| 2009 | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard · as Jibby Newsome |
| 2009 | Surrogates · as Prophet |
| 2009 | The Bridge to Nowhere · as Drug Dealer |
| 2009 | The Tournament · as Joshua Harlow |
| 2009 | Malone · as Boulder |
| 2009 | Evil Angel · as Carruthers |
| 2008 | Animal 2 · as James 'Animal' Allen |
| 2008 | Saving God · as Armstrong Cane |
| 2008 | Phantom Punch · as Sonny Liston |
| 2008 | Day of the Dead · as Captain Rhodes |
| 2007 | A Broken Life · as The Vet |
| 2007 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry · as Fred G. Duncan |
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III · as Luther Stickell |
| 2006 | Aquaman · as McCaffery |
| 2006 | Aquaman (TV Series) · as McCaffery |
| 2006 | American Gangster (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2006 | Idlewild · as Spats |
| 2006 | Leroy & Stitch · as Cobra Bubbles (voice) |
| 2005 | Animal · as Animal |
| 2005 | Shooting Gallery · as Cue Ball Carl Bridgers |
| 2005 | Back to You in the Days · as J-Bone |
| 2005 | Kojak (2005) (TV Series) · as Theo Kojak |
| 2004 | Dawn of the Dead · as Kenneth |
| 2004 | The Tony Danza Show (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2003 | Stitch! The Movie · as Cobra Bubbles (voice) |
| 2003 | Beef · as Narrator |
| 2003 | Sin · as Eddie Burns |
| 2003 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series (TV Series) · as Cobra Bubbles (voice) |
| 2003 | Freedom: A History of Us (TV Series) · as W.E.B. DuBois |
| 2003 | Jimmy Neutron: Operation: Rescue Jet Fusion · as Chief (voice) |
| 2002 | Dark Blue · as Arthur Holland |
| 2002 | Lilo & Stitch · as Cobra Bubbles (voice) |
| 2002 | Undisputed · as George 'Iceman' Chambers |
| 2002 | RFK · as Judge Jones |
| 2002 | Little John · as John Morgan |
| 2002 | Sins of the Father · as Garrick Jones |
| 2002 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (TV Series) · as Chief |
| 2002 | Icons (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within · as Sgt. Ryan Whitaker (voice) |
| 2001 | Baby Boy · as Melvin 'Mel' |
| 2001 | UC: Undercover (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2001 | The Proud Family (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible II · as Luther Stickell |
| 2000 | Holiday Heart · as Holiday Heart |
| 2000 | American Tragedy · as Johnnie Cochran |
| 2000 | The District (TV Series) · as Attorney General Troy Hatcher |
| 1999 | Entrapment · as Aaron Thibadeaux |
| 1999 | Bringing Out the Dead · as Marcus |
| 1998 | Out of Sight · as Buddy Bragg |
| 1998 | Body Count · as Pike |
| 1997 | Con Air · as Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones |
| 1997 | Rosewood · as Mann |
| 1997 | Don King: Only in America · as Don King |
| 1997 | Dangerous Ground · as Muki |
| 1997 | The Wonderful World of Disney (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1996 | Mission: Impossible · as Luther Stickell |
| 1996 | Striptease · as Shad |
| 1995 | Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning · as Detective Artie Brown |
| 1995 | Deadly Whispers · as Det. Jackson |
| 1995 | Kiss of Death · as Omar |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction · as Marsellus Wallace |
| 1994 | Drop Squad · as Garvey |
| 1994 | New York Undercover (TV Series) · as Max Villareal |
| 1994 | ER (TV Series) · as Walter Robbins |
| 1993 | Dave · as Duane Stevenson |
| 1993 | The Saint of Fort Washington · as Little Leroy |
| 1993 | Blood In, Blood Out · as Ivan |
| 1992 | Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot · as Mr. Stereo |
| 1991 | The People Under the Stairs · as Leroy |
| 1991 | Homicide · as Robert Randolph |
| 1991 | Flight of the Intruder · as McRae |
| 1990 | Jacob's Ladder · as George |
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home · as Herbert Cotter |
| 1989 | Casualties of War · as Lt. Reilly |
| 1988 | Patty Hearst · as Cinque |
| 1987 | Tour of Duty (TV Series) · as Tucker |
| 1986 | Native Son · as Jack |
| 1986 | Crime Story (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1985 | Go Tell It on the Mountain · as Young Gabriel |
| 1985 | The Equalizer (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1985 | Spenser: For Hire (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1984 | Miami Vice (TV Series) · as Georges |
| 1964 | Another World (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall Of Fame (TV Series) · as John Morgan |