ReelRifter
Blair Underwood

Blair Underwood

Acting

Born August 25, 1964 Tacoma, Washington, USA

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".

TV Shows(53)

Three Women

Three Women

Richard

2024

Elsbeth

Elsbeth

Cliff McGrath

2024

Smothered

Smothered

2023

The Jennifer Hudson Show

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Self - Guest

2022

Your Honor

Your Honor

Roland Carter

2020

Love Life

Love Life

Leon Hines

2020

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker

Charles James Walker

2020

Tamron Hall

Tamron Hall

Self - Guest

2019

When They See Us

When They See Us

Bobby Burns

2019

American Crime Story

American Crime Story

Vernon Jordan

2016

The Lion Guard

The Lion Guard

Makuu (voice)

2016

Quantico

Quantico

Owen Hall

2015

Ironside

Ironside

Robert Ironside

2013

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Andrew Garner

2013

Thunder and Lightning

Thunder and Lightning

Black Lightning (voice)

2013

Celebrity Crime Files

Celebrity Crime Files

Narrator (voice)

2012

スーパーマン @ Tokyo

スーパーマン @ Tokyo

Superman / Narrator (voice)

2012

Vietnam in HD

Vietnam in HD

Charles Brown

2011

The Event

The Event

Elias Martinez

2010

Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are?

Self

2010

The Good Wife

The Good Wife

Harry Dargis

2009

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Self - Guest

2009

In Treatment

In Treatment

Alex Prince

2008

Dirty Sexy Money

Dirty Sexy Money

Simon Elder

2007

Covert One: The Hades Factor

Covert One: The Hades Factor

Palmer Addison

2006

The New Adventures of Old Christine

The New Adventures of Old Christine

Daniel Harris

2006

The Tyra Banks Show

The Tyra Banks Show

2005

The Tony Danza Show

The Tony Danza Show

Self

2004

LAX

LAX

Roger De Souza

2004

Fatherhood

Fatherhood

2004

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Self

2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Self - Guest

2003

Half & Half

Half & Half

Blair Underwood

2002

City of Angels

City of Angels

Ben Turner

2000

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Miles Sennet

1999

Mama Flora's Family

Mama Flora's Family

Willie

1998

Sex and the City

Sex and the City

Dr. Robert Leeds

1998

The View

The View

Self

1997

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

Self

1996

High Incident

High Incident

1996

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

King Midas (voice)

1995

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Self

1988

A Different World

A Different World

Zelmer Collier

1987

21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street

Reginald Brooks

1987

Downtown

Downtown

Terry Corsaro

1986

L.A. Law

L.A. Law

Jonathan Rollins

1986

The Cosby Show

The Cosby Show

Mark

1984

Aspel & Company

Aspel & Company

1984

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Scarecrow and Mrs. King

1983

Knight Rider

Knight Rider

Potts

1982

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

Self - Presenter

1956

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Self - Nominee

1944

Company Town

Company Town

Movies(59)

One Spoon of Chocolate

One Spoon of Chocolate

Officer Beem

2026

Youngblood

Youngblood

Blane Youngblood

2026

Guardians of the Galapagos

Guardians of the Galapagos

Narrator (voice)

2025

Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency

Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency

Narrator (voice)

2024

Longlegs

Longlegs

Agent Carter

2024

Tigers on the Rise

Tigers on the Rise

Narrator (voice)

2024

Origin

Origin

Amari Selvan

2023

Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers

Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers

Narrator (voice)

2022

Bear Witness

Bear Witness

Narrator (voice)

2022

Bad Hair

Bad Hair

Amos Bludso

2021

A Soldier's Play

A Soldier's Play

Captain Richard Davenport

2021

Really Love

Really Love

Jerome Richmond

2020

Penguins: Life on the Edge

Penguins: Life on the Edge

Narrator (voice)

2020

The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU

The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU

Self

2020

Juanita

Juanita

Blair Underwood

2019

The After Party

The After Party

Sgt. Martin Ellison

2018

Mr. SOUL!

Mr. SOUL!

Ellis Haizlip (voice)

2018

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice

Narrator (voice)

2016

Broken

Broken

2016

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar

Makuu (voice)

2016

The Trip to Bountiful

The Trip to Bountiful

Ludie Watts

2014

Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day

Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day

David Ames

2012

The Art of Getting By

The Art of Getting By

Principal

2011

First Generation

First Generation

Narrator (voice)

2011

Weather Girl

Weather Girl

Fitz

2009

The Hit

The Hit

Henry Alabaster

2007

Madea's Family Reunion

Madea's Family Reunion

Carlos

2006

Something New

Something New

Mark Harper

2006

Covert One: The Hades Factor

Covert One: The Hades Factor

Palmer Addison

2006

The Golden Blaze

The Golden Blaze

Gregory Fletcher (voice)

2005

Do Geese See God

Do Geese See God

Man

2004

The Gristle

The Gristle

Self (uncredited)

2004

Malibu's Most Wanted

Malibu's Most Wanted

Tom Gibbsons

2003

Full Frontal

Full Frontal

Calvin / Nicholas

2002

G

G

Chip Hightower

2002

Truth Be Told

Truth Be Told

Det. Harris

2002

Rules of Engagement

Rules of Engagement

Capt. Lee

2000

The Wishing Tree

The Wishing Tree

Thomas

1999

Asunder

Asunder

Chance Williams

1998

Deep Impact

Deep Impact

Mark Simon

1998

Gattaca

Gattaca

Geneticist

1997

Set It Off

Set It Off

Keith

1996

Mistrial

Mistrial

Lieutenant C. Hodges

1996

Soul of the Game

Soul of the Game

Jackie Robinson

1996

Just Cause

Just Cause

Bobby Earl Ferguson

1995

Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration

Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration

Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")

1993

Posse

Posse

Carver

1993

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations

Jared Williams

1993

Voices That Care

Voices That Care

Self - Choir Member

1991

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers

Reader

1991

The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry

The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry

Self

1991

Heat Wave

Heat Wave

Bob Richardson

1990

Murder in Mississippi

Murder in Mississippi

James Chaney

1990

The Cover Girl and the Cop

The Cover Girl and the Cop

Horace Bouchet

1989

Mickey's 60th Birthday

Mickey's 60th Birthday

Jonathan Rollins

1988

Krush Groove

Krush Groove

Russell Walker

1985

Viral

Viral

Don't Ever Wonder

Don't Ever Wonder

The Listeners

The Listeners

Dr. Thomas Hale