Blair Underwood
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".
Born: 25 August 1964
Played In
Movie
May 2026
One Spoon of Chocolate
Officer Beem
Movie
Mar 2026
Youngblood
Blane Youngblood
Movie
Apr 2025
Guardians of the Galapagos
Narrator (voice)
Movie
Nov 2024
Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency
Narrator (voice)
TV Show
Sep 2024
Three Women
Richard
Movie
Jul 2024
Longlegs
Agent Carter
Movie
Apr 2024
Tigers on the Rise
Narrator (voice)
TV Show
Feb 2024
Elsbeth
Cliff McGrath
Movie
Dec 2023
Origin
Amari Selvan
TV Show
Dec 2023
Smothered
TV Show
Sep 2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self - Guest
Movie
May 2022
Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers
Narrator (voice)
Movie
Apr 2022
Bear Witness
Narrator (voice)
Movie
May 2021
Bad Hair
Amos Bludso
Movie
Feb 2021
A Soldier's Play
Captain Richard Davenport
TV Show
Dec 2020
Your Honor
Roland Carter
Movie
Oct 2020
Really Love
Jerome Richmond
TV Show
May 2020
Love Life
Leon Hines
Movie
Apr 2020
Penguins: Life on the Edge
Narrator (voice)
TV Show
Mar 2020
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Charles James Walker
Movie
Jan 2020
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
Self
TV Show
Sep 2019
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest
TV Show
May 2019
When They See Us
Bobby Burns
Movie
Mar 2019
Juanita
Blair Underwood
Movie
Aug 2018
The After Party
Sgt. Martin Ellison
Movie
Apr 2018
Mr. SOUL!
Ellis Haizlip (voice)
Movie
Aug 2016
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Narrator (voice)
Movie
Mar 2016
Broken
TV Show
Feb 2016
American Crime Story
Vernon Jordan
Movie
Jan 2016
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Makuu (voice)
TV Show
Jan 2016
The Lion Guard
Makuu (voice)
TV Show
Sep 2015
Quantico
Owen Hall
Movie
Mar 2014
The Trip to Bountiful
Ludie Watts
TV Show
Oct 2013
Ironside
Robert Ironside
TV Show
Sep 2013
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Andrew Garner
TV Show
Jan 2013
Thunder and Lightning
Black Lightning (voice)
TV Show
Oct 2012
Celebrity Crime Files
Narrator (voice)
Movie
Apr 2012
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
David Ames
TV Show
Mar 2012
スーパーマン @ Tokyo
Superman / Narrator (voice)
TV Show
Nov 2011
Vietnam in HD
Charles Brown
Movie
Jun 2011
The Art of Getting By
Principal
Movie
Jan 2011
First Generation
Narrator (voice)
TV Show
Sep 2010
The Event
Elias Martinez
TV Show
Mar 2010
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
TV Show
Sep 2009
The Good Wife
Harry Dargis
TV Show
Jul 2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
Movie
Jul 2009
Weather Girl
Fitz
Movie
Jan 2009
Setting it Straight: Making ‘Set it Off’
Self
TV Show
Jan 2008
In Treatment
Alex Prince
Movie
Sep 2007
The Hit
Henry Alabaster
TV Show
Sep 2007
Dirty Sexy Money
Simon Elder
TV Show
Apr 2006
Covert One: The Hades Factor
Palmer Addison
TV Show
Mar 2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Daniel Harris
Movie
Feb 2006
Madea's Family Reunion
Carlos
Movie
Jan 2006
Something New
Mark Harper
Movie
Jan 2006
Covert One: The Hades Factor
Palmer Addison
TV Show
Sep 2005
The Tyra Banks Show
Movie
May 2005
The Golden Blaze
Gregory Fletcher (voice)
Movie
Nov 2004
Do Geese See God
Man
TV Show
Sep 2004
The Tony Danza Show
Self
TV Show
Sep 2004
LAX
Roger De Souza
TV Show
Jun 2004
Fatherhood
Movie
May 2004
The Gristle
Self (uncredited)
TV Show
Sep 2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
Movie
Apr 2003
Malibu's Most Wanted
Tom Gibbsons
TV Show
Jan 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
TV Show
Sep 2002
Half & Half
Blair Underwood
Movie
Aug 2002
Full Frontal
Calvin / Nicholas
Movie
May 2002
G
Chip Hightower
Movie
Jan 2002
Truth Be Told
Det. Harris
Movie
Apr 2000
Rules of Engagement
Capt. Lee
TV Show
Jan 2000
City of Angels
Ben Turner
TV Show
Sep 1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Miles Sennet
Movie
Jan 1999
The Wishing Tree
Thomas
TV Show
Nov 1998
Mama Flora's Family
Willie
Movie
Nov 1998
Asunder
Chance Williams
TV Show
Jun 1998
Sex and the City
Dr. Robert Leeds
Movie
May 1998
Deep Impact
Mark Simon
TV Show
Aug 1997
The View
Self
Movie
Jul 1997
Gattaca
Geneticist
Movie
Nov 1996
Set It Off
Keith
Movie
Nov 1996
Mistrial
Lieutenant C. Hodges
TV Show
Jun 1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
Movie
Apr 1996
Soul of the Game
Jackie Robinson
TV Show
Mar 1996
High Incident
TV Show
Mar 1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
King Midas (voice)
Movie
Feb 1995
Just Cause
Bobby Earl Ferguson
Movie
Oct 1993
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")
Movie
May 1993
Posse
Carver
Movie
Apr 1993
Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
Jared Williams
Movie
Feb 1991
Voices That Care
Self - Choir Member
Movie
Jan 1991
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers
Reader
Movie
Jan 1991
The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry
Self
Movie
Aug 1990
Heat Wave
Bob Richardson
Movie
Feb 1990
Murder in Mississippi
James Chaney
Movie
Jan 1989
The Cover Girl and the Cop
Horace Bouchet
Movie
Nov 1988
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Jonathan Rollins
TV Show
Sep 1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self
TV Show
Sep 1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
TV Show
Sep 1987
A Different World
Zelmer Collier
TV Show
Apr 1987
21 Jump Street
Reginald Brooks
TV Show
Sep 1986
Downtown
Terry Corsaro
TV Show
Sep 1986
L.A. Law
Jonathan Rollins
Movie
Oct 1985
Krush Groove
Russell Walker
TV Show
Sep 1984
The Cosby Show
Mark
TV Show
Jun 1984
Aspel & Company
TV Show
Oct 1983
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
TV Show
Sep 1982
Knight Rider
Potts
TV Show
Apr 1956
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
TV Show
Jan 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
TV Show
Jan 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member
Movie
Viral
Movie
Don't Ever Wonder
Movie
The Listeners
Dr. Thomas Hale
TV Show
Company Town
Tom Wilson