Blair Underwood

Blair Erwin Underwood, born August 25, 1964, is an acclaimed American actor who made his cinematic debut with the musical film 'Krush Groove' in 1985. He then gained fame playing attorney Jonathan Rollins on the NBC legal drama series 'L.A. Law' from 1987 to 1994. Underwood has demonstrated a prolific career, appearing in a wide range of films, such as 'Just Cause' (1995), 'Set It Off' (1996), 'Deep Impact' (1998), and 'Longlegs' (2024). In addition to the silver screen, Underwood has been a regular face on television, with leading roles in series like the 2000 medical drama 'City of Angels' and popular shows 'High Incident', 'LAX', 'Dirty Sexy Money', 'In Treatment', 'The Event', 'Ironside', and 'Quantico'. His outstanding work has earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations, five NAACP Image Awards, one Daytime Emmy Award, and one Grammy Award.

Underwood was born in Tacoma, Washington, to Marilyn Ann Scales, an interior decorator, and Frank Eugene Underwood Sr., a United States Army colonel. He lived on various bases and army posts during his childhood due to his father's military career. He graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is an honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. His career in the industry took off following an appearance on 'The Cosby Show', which led to his role on 'One Life to Live' as Bobby Blue. His list of TV roles grew in the following years, including significant parts in 'Downtown', 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King', and '21 Jump Street'. In 2007, Underwood spoke in Inspired By... The Bible Experience, a fully dramatized audio Bible. He has also branched out into writing, co-authoring the novel 'Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel'. His charitable works include working with the LA chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, serving as the spokesperson for YouthAIDS, and being involved with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Blair Underwood Clinic in Washington, DC.