Blair Underwood is an American actor who debuted in the 1985 musical film Krush Groove. He then went on to play attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series L.A. Law from 1987 to 1994. Underwood has been recognized throughout his career with two Golden Globe nominations, five NAACP Image Awards, one Daytime Emmy, and one Grammy.
Early Life & Education
Blair Erwin Underwood was born in Tacoma, Washington on August 25, 1964. He was raised by his mother, Marilyn Ann Scales, an interior decorator, and his father, Frank Eugene Underwood Sr., who served as a colonel in the US Army.
Because his father was in the military, Underwood spent his early years living in different US bases and Army posts, and in Stuttgart, Germany.
Blair graduated from Petersburg High School in Petersburg, Virginia. He then pursued his education at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and holds an honorary membership in the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Blair Underwood’s Movies & TV Shows
In 1985, Blair Underwood made his debut in the film industry with the musical “Krush Grove.” He later secured a spot on “The Cosby Show” and had a brief role on the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live” for three months.
From 1986 to 1987, he also appeared on the CBS crime drama “Downtown.” In addition, he made guest appearances on “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and “21 Jump Street.”
In 1987, 23-year-old Blair Underwood landed the role of Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama “L.A. Law”. In 1991, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for his performance. He continued portraying the character until the show’s conclusion in 1994.
During his time on “L.A. Law,” he secured a part in the 1990 film “Murder in Mississippi.” Three years later, he shared the screen with Mario Van Peebles in the western “Posse.”
He went on to star in several movies, including the 1995 legal thriller “Just Cause,” and played the romantic lead alongside Jada Pinkett in “Set It Off.” In the late 1990s, he also appeared in films such as “Gattaca” and “Deep Impact.”
Furthermore, while this period passed, Underwood remained active in the television industry. He appeared on the ABC drama “High Incident” and starred alongside Cicely Tyson in the 1998 miniseries “Mama Flora’s Family.”
In 2000, he took on a prominent role in the medical drama “City of Angels.” He was also recognized as one of the “Most Influential Faces of the 90s” by “People” magazine in the same year.
In 2003, Blair Underwood had a recurring role in four episodes of “Sex and the City” as the romantic interest of Cynthia Nixon. The following year, he was cast as Heather Locklear’s love interest in the NBC drama “LAX.”
In 2006, he joined the cast of Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Family Reunion,” his second film. Additionally, he scored a recurring part as a school teacher on the CBS comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which lasted from 2006 to 2008.
In 2007, he was involved in the massive undertaking of “Inspired By…The Bible Experience,” a fully dramatized audio Bible lasting 89 hours. Additionally, he collaborated with Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due to write the novel “Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel.”
The following year, Blair Underwood took on a lead role in the inaugural season of the HBO Drama series “In Treatment.” He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 2009 Golden Globes.
Additionally, he made appearances on multiple seasons of the ABC prime-time soap opera, “Dirty Sexy Money” from 2007 to 2009. He also lent his voice to a character in “The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.”
From 2015 to 2016, he secured a recurring part in the ABC show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and later landed a leading role in the ABC series “Quantico.” He stayed with the show for three seasons until it ended.
In 2019, Blair Underwood appeared in the Netflix limited series “When They See Us.” The following year, he starred alongside Octavia Spencer in another Netflix series called “Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.”
Also in 2020, he took to the stage in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of the award-winning play “A Soldier’s Play.” His performance was recognized with a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play.
Personal Life
Blair Underwood tied the knot with his longtime friend Josie Hart on June 24, 2023. Before his relationship with Hart, Underwood was married to Desiree DaCosta for 27 years.
The couple, who publicly announced their separation in 2021, had three children together: two sons named Paris and Blake, and a daughter named Brielle.
Net Worth
American actor Blair Underwood has accumulated a net worth of $8 million. He is most recognized for his portrayal of the determined lawyer Jonathan Rollins on the NBC show “L.A. Law.” At just 21 years old, he made his film debut in “Krush Groove” (1985). Additionally, he starred in the HBO series “In Treatment” in 2008.
