
Blair Underwood
Acting
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
Richard
2024

Elsbeth
Cliff McGrath
2024

Smothered
2023

The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self - Guest
2022

Your Honor
Roland Carter
2020

Love Life
Leon Hines
2020

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Charles James Walker
2020

Tamron Hall
Self - Guest
2019

When They See Us
Bobby Burns
2019

American Crime Story
Vernon Jordan
2016

The Lion Guard
Makuu (voice)
2016

Quantico
Owen Hall
2015

Ironside
Robert Ironside
2013

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Andrew Garner
2013

Thunder and Lightning
Black Lightning (voice)
2013

Celebrity Crime Files
Narrator (voice)
2012

スーパーマン @ Tokyo
Superman / Narrator (voice)
2012

Vietnam in HD
Charles Brown
2011

The Event
Elias Martinez
2010

Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
2010

The Good Wife
Harry Dargis
2009

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009

In Treatment
Alex Prince
2008

Dirty Sexy Money
Simon Elder
2007

Covert One: The Hades Factor
Palmer Addison
2006

The New Adventures of Old Christine
Daniel Harris
2006

The Tyra Banks Show
2005
The Tony Danza Show
Self
2004

LAX
Roger De Souza
2004

Fatherhood
2004

The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003

Half & Half
Blair Underwood
2002

City of Angels
Ben Turner
2000

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Miles Sennet
1999
Mama Flora's Family
Willie
1998

Sex and the City
Dr. Robert Leeds
1998

The View
Self
1997

The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
1996

High Incident
1996

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
King Midas (voice)
1995

LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self
1988

A Different World
Zelmer Collier
1987

21 Jump Street
Reginald Brooks
1987

Downtown
Terry Corsaro
1986

L.A. Law
Jonathan Rollins
1986

The Cosby Show
Mark
1984
Aspel & Company
1984

Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983

Knight Rider
Potts
1982

Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
1956

Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Company Town
Movies(59)

One Spoon of Chocolate
Officer Beem
2026

Youngblood
Blane Youngblood
2026

Guardians of the Galapagos
Narrator (voice)
2025

Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency
Narrator (voice)
2024

Longlegs
Agent Carter
2024

Tigers on the Rise
Narrator (voice)
2024

Origin
Amari Selvan
2023

Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers
Narrator (voice)
2022

Bear Witness
Narrator (voice)
2022

Bad Hair
Amos Bludso
2021

A Soldier's Play
Captain Richard Davenport
2021

Really Love
Jerome Richmond
2020

Penguins: Life on the Edge
Narrator (voice)
2020

The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
Self
2020

Juanita
Blair Underwood
2019

The After Party
Sgt. Martin Ellison
2018

Mr. SOUL!
Ellis Haizlip (voice)
2018

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Narrator (voice)
2016

Broken
2016

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Makuu (voice)
2016

The Trip to Bountiful
Ludie Watts
2014

Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
David Ames
2012

The Art of Getting By
Principal
2011
First Generation
Narrator (voice)
2011

Weather Girl
Fitz
2009
The Hit
Henry Alabaster
2007

Madea's Family Reunion
Carlos
2006

Something New
Mark Harper
2006

Covert One: The Hades Factor
Palmer Addison
2006

The Golden Blaze
Gregory Fletcher (voice)
2005

Do Geese See God
Man
2004

The Gristle
Self (uncredited)
2004

Malibu's Most Wanted
Tom Gibbsons
2003

Full Frontal
Calvin / Nicholas
2002

G
Chip Hightower
2002

Truth Be Told
Det. Harris
2002

Rules of Engagement
Capt. Lee
2000

The Wishing Tree
Thomas
1999

Asunder
Chance Williams
1998

Deep Impact
Mark Simon
1998

Gattaca
Geneticist
1997

Set It Off
Keith
1996

Mistrial
Lieutenant C. Hodges
1996

Soul of the Game
Jackie Robinson
1996

Just Cause
Bobby Earl Ferguson
1995

Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")
1993

Posse
Carver
1993

Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
Jared Williams
1993

Voices That Care
Self - Choir Member
1991

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers
Reader
1991

The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry
Self
1991

Heat Wave
Bob Richardson
1990

Murder in Mississippi
James Chaney
1990

The Cover Girl and the Cop
Horace Bouchet
1989

Mickey's 60th Birthday
Jonathan Rollins
1988

Krush Groove
Russell Walker
1985
Viral
Don't Ever Wonder
The Listeners
Dr. Thomas Hale