Blair Underwood
Acting • Born 1964-08-25
Biography
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".
Filmography
113 credits
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers
Movie • 1991
Reader
Rules of Engagement
Movie • 2000
Capt. Lee
Asunder
Movie • 1998
Chance Williams
Covert One: The Hades Factor
Movie • 2006
Palmer Addison
Deep Impact
Movie • 1998
Mark Simon
Origin
Movie • 2023
Amari Selvan
Just Cause
Movie • 1995
Bobby Earl Ferguson
Set It Off
Movie • 1996
Keith
Malibu's Most Wanted
Movie • 2003
Tom Gibbsons
The Hit
Movie • 2007
Henry Alabaster
Krush Groove
Movie • 1985
Russell Walker
G
Movie • 2002
Chip Hightower
Full Frontal
Movie • 2002
Calvin / Nicholas
Voices That Care
Movie • 1991
Self - Choir Member
Madea's Family Reunion
Movie • 2006
Carlos
Weather Girl
Movie • 2009
Fitz
The Gristle
Movie • 2004
Self (uncredited)
Soul of the Game
Movie • 1996
Jackie Robinson
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
Movie • 2012
David Ames
Do Geese See God
Movie • 2004
Man
Bear Witness
Movie • 2022
Narrator (voice)
Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers
Movie • 2022
Narrator (voice)
The Cover Girl and the Cop
Movie • 1989
Horace Bouchet
Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
Movie • 1993
Jared Williams
The Trip to Bountiful
Movie • 2014
Ludie Watts
Murder in Mississippi
Movie • 1990
James Chaney
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Movie • 2016
Makuu (voice)
Heat Wave
Movie • 1990
Bob Richardson
First Generation
Movie • 2011
Narrator (voice)
Longlegs
Movie • 2024
Agent Carter
The Golden Blaze
Movie • 2005
Gregory Fletcher (voice)
Mistrial
Movie • 1996
Lieutenant C. Hodges
Tigers on the Rise
Movie • 2024
Narrator (voice)
The Art of Getting By
Movie • 2011
Principal
Something New
Movie • 2006
Mark Harper
One Spoon of Chocolate
Movie • 2025
Truth Be Told
Movie • 2002
Det. Harris
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Movie • 1988
Jonathan Rollins
The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry
Movie • 1991
Self
The Wishing Tree
Movie • 1999
Thomas
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Movie • 2016
Narrator (voice)
The After Party
Movie • 2018
Sgt. Martin Ellison
Gattaca
Movie • 1997
Geneticist
Juanita
Movie • 2019
Blair Underwood
Posse
Movie • 1993
Carver
Bad Hair
Movie • 2021
Amos Bludso
Penguins: Life on the Edge
Movie • 2020
Narrator (voice)
Mr. SOUL!
Movie • 2018
Ellis Haizlip (voice)
Viral
Movie
A Soldier's Play
Movie • 2021
Captain Richard Davenport
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
Movie • 2020
Self
Really Love
Movie • 2020
Jerome Richmond
Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency
Movie • 2024
Narrator (voice)
Guardians of the Galapagos
Movie • 2025
Narrator (voice)
Youngblood
Movie • 2026
Blane Youngblood
Don't Ever Wonder
Movie
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
Movie • 1993
Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")
The Listeners
Movie
Dr. Thomas Hale
Broken
Movie • 2016
A Different World
TV • 1987
Zelmer Collier
L.A. Law
TV • 1986
Jonathan Rollins
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
The Tony Danza Show
TV • 2004
Self
Half & Half
TV • 2002
Blair Underwood
21 Jump Street
TV • 1987
Reginald Brooks
Fatherhood
TV • 2004
The Cosby Show
TV • 1984
Mark
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self
The Tyra Banks Show
TV • 2005
Knight Rider
TV • 1982
Potts
Tamron Hall
TV • 2019
Self - Guest
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV • 1999
Miles Sennet
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
TV • 1983
Dirty Sexy Money
TV • 2007
Simon Elder
LAX
TV • 2004
Roger De Souza
The New Adventures of Old Christine
TV • 2006
Daniel Harris
City of Angels
TV • 2000
Ben Turner
High Incident
TV • 1996
Vietnam in HD
TV • 2011
Charles Brown
Your Honor
TV • 2020
Roland Carter
Company Town
TV
Aspel & Company
TV • 1984
Downtown
TV • 1986
Terry Corsaro
The Event
TV • 2010
Elias Martinez
Ironside
TV • 2013
Robert Ironside
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
TV • 2013
Andrew Garner
American Crime Story
TV • 2016
Vernon Jordan
Love Life
TV • 2020
Leon Hines
Quantico
TV • 2015
Owen Hall
In Treatment
TV • 2008
Alex Prince
Covert One: The Hades Factor
TV • 2006
Palmer Addison
Who Do You Think You Are?
TV • 2010
Self
Mama Flora's Family
TV • 1998
Willie
Smothered
TV • 2023
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TV • 1995
King Midas (voice)
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV • 1996
Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
Elsbeth
TV • 2024
Cliff McGrath
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Sex and the City
TV • 1998
Dr. Robert Leeds
Three Women
TV • 2024
Richard
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
TV • 2020
Charles James Walker
When They See Us
TV • 2019
Bobby Burns
Thunder and Lightning
TV • 2013
Black Lightning (voice)
The Good Wife
TV • 2009
Harry Dargis
Celebrity Crime Files
TV • 2012
Narrator (voice)
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Nominee
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Audience Member
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV • 2022
Self
スーパーマン @ Tokyo
TV • 2012
Superman / Narrator (voice)
The Lion Guard
TV • 2016
Makuu (voice)
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest