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