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Michael Ealy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ealy in 2024 | |
| Born | Michael David Brown (1973-08-03)August 3, 1973 (age 52) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | University of Maryland, College Park (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Michael David Brown (born August 3, 1973),[1] known professionally asMichael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles inBarbershop (2002),2 Fast 2 Furious (2003),Takers (2010),Think Like a Man (2012),About Last Night (2014),Think Like a Man Too (2014),The Perfect Guy (2015), andThe Intruder (2019). Ealy also portrayed two detectives on two TV shows:Stumptown (2019) andPower Book II: Ghost (2024); the latter during its fourth and final season.
Ealy was born in Washington, D.C.,[2] and was raised inSilver Spring, Maryland. Ealy went toSpringbrook High School[3] and graduated from theUniversity of Maryland inCollege Park, Maryland in 1996 with a degree in English.[4][5] His mother worked forIBM and his father was in the grocery business.[6]
He started his acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in severaloff-Broadway stage productions. Among his first film roles wereBad Company andKissing Jessica Stein. His breakout role came in 2002'sBarbershop, in which he plays reformed felon Ricky Nash, a role that he reprised in the 2004 sequel,Barbershop 2: Back in Business.[7] In 2003, he played the role of Slap Jack in the second installment of theFast and the Furious film series,2 Fast 2 Furious. Later in 2004, Ealy appeared inNever Die Alone withDMX.[8] He also appeared inMariah Carey's music video for her hit single "Get Your Number" from her 2005 albumThe Emancipation of Mimi.[5]
In 2005, Ealy co-starred in the television film version ofTheir Eyes Were Watching God, produced byOprah Winfrey andQuincy Jones, and starringAcademy Award-winning actressHalle Berry.[9] The same year, he starred in theindependent filmJellysmoke, directed by Mark Banning. He starred in theShowtime television seriesSleeper Cell, the first season of which aired December 4–18, 2005, and the second season of which,Sleeper Cell: American Terror, aired December 10–17, 2006.[10]
On December 14, 2006, Ealy was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for his role inSleeper Cell: American Terror in the category Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.[5] In December 2008 he was featured in the movieSeven Pounds alongsideWill Smith as Ben Thomas.[11] He also starred as the male lead inBeyoncé's "Halo" music video,[5] and as CIA Field Officer Marshall Vogel in theABC television seriesFlashForward.[12]
Ealy also appears in the limited-edition coffee table book (About Face) by celebrity photographer John Russo, published by Pixie Press Worldwide.[13][14] In 2009, Ealy performed inThe People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historianHoward Zinn'sA People's History of the United States.[15]
In 2010, Ealy appeared as attorney Derrick Bond in the second season ofThe Good Wife.[16] He co-starred in the 2010 action movieTakers as Jake Attica and appeared as Travis Marks inUSA Network's original seriesCommon Law about two cops who have to go to couples counseling because they argue too much.Common Law premiered followingFairly Legal on Friday, May 11, 2012.[17]
Ealy appeared as Dominic in the 2012 ensemble comedyThink Like a Man and its 2014 sequel,Think Like a Man Too,[18] and appeared as "Papa Joe" in the 2012 inspirational filmUnconditional.[19] He appeared oppositeThink Like a Man co-starKevin Hart in the 2014 remake ofAbout Last Night.[20]
In 2013, Ealy signed on to play co-lead "Dorian" in theFox television seriesAlmost Human. The sci-fi police procedural takes place in the year 2048 and follows the relationship between two cops as they struggle to solve futuristic crimes that involve complex technology. Ealy depicts the android "Dorian", an older, "DRN" android model that is considered to be less reliable due to its artificial emotions and that is tasked with protecting his partner John Kennex (Karl Urban).[21] The show aired for one season on Fox from 2013 to 2014.[22]
In 2015, Ealy played serial killer "Theo" in season 3 of the Fox television seriesThe Following.[23] He starred as Eric Warner in the second season of the ABC mystery crime seriesSecrets and Lies, which aired in the fall of 2016.[24] From 2017 to 2019, Ealy starred in the fourth, fifth and final season ofBeing Mary Jane oppositeGabrielle Union.[25][26] 2019 also saw Ealy star inStumptown on ABC alongsideCobie Smulders,Jake Johnson andCamryn Manheim.
In October 2012, Ealy married Afghan-American entrepreneur Khatira Rafiqzada,[27] his girlfriend of four years, in a ceremony in Los Angeles,[28] and together they have a son and a daughter.[29][30][31][32]
Ealy is a fan of theWashington Commanders.[33]
Ealy is a Democrat.[34] In 2024, he publicly endorsed and supportedAngela Alsobrooks in theSenate election in Maryland.[35] He also showed support for Vice PresidentKamala Harris andTim Walz in theircampaign for the2024 presidential election.[36]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Lush Life | Isaac Youngblood | Short |
| 2001 | Kissing Jessica Stein | Greg | |
| 2002 | Bad Company | G-Mo | |
| Barbershop | Ricky Nash | ||
| 2003 | Justice | Woody | |
| 2 Fast 2 Furious | Slap Jack | ||
| 2004 | November | Jesse | |
| Never Die Alone | Michael | ||
| Barbershop 2: Back in Business | Ricky Nash | ||
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Virgible 'Tea Cake' Woods | TV movie |
| Jellysmoke | Jacob | ||
| 2007 | Put It in a Book | Akmed | Short |
| Suspect | Detective Marcus Tillman | TV movie | |
| 2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | Sgt. Cummings | |
| Seven Pounds | Ben Thomas | ||
| 2009 | The People Speak | Himself | |
| 2010 | Takers | Jake Attica | |
| For Colored Girls | Beau Willie | ||
| 2011 | Margaret | Dave the Lawyer | |
| 2012 | Underworld: Awakening | Detective Sebastian | |
| Think Like a Man | Dominic | ||
| Unconditional | "Papa Joe" Bradford | ||
| 2013 | The Signal | Daniel Miller | Short |
| Last Vegas | Ezra | ||
| 2014 | About Last Night | Danny | |
| Think Like a Man Too | Dominic | ||
| 2015 | The Perfect Guy | Carter Duncan/Robert Adams | |
| 2019 | The Intruder | Scott Russell | |
| Stucco | X | Short | |
| Jacob's Ladder | Jacob Singer | ||
| 2020 | aTypical Wednesday | Dr. Jones | |
| Really Love | Yusef Davis | ||
| Fatale | Derrick Tyler | ||
| 2022 | The Devil You Know | Detective Joe McDonald | |
| 2024 | It Takes a Village | Lawrence Cooke | Short |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Law & Order | Private Nelson | Episode: "Vaya Con Dios" |
| Madigan Men | Runner | Episode: "Love and Dermatology" | |
| 2001 | Soul Food | Steve | Episode: "Little Girl Blue" |
| 2002–03 | ER | Rick Kendrick | Recurring role (season 9) |
| 2005–06 | Sleeper Cell | Darwyn al-Sayeed | Main cast |
| 2009 | Hawthorne | Dr. Alan Phillips | Episode: "The Sense of Belonging" |
| 2009–10 | FlashForward | CIA Agent Marshall Vogel | Recurring cast |
| 2010–11 | The Good Wife | Derrick Bond | Recurring role (season 2) |
| 2011 | Californication | Ben | Recurring role (season 4) |
| 2012 | Common Law | Travis Marks | Main cast |
| 2013–14 | Almost Human | Dorian | Main cast |
| 2014–16 | Celebrity Name Game | Himself/Celebrity Player | Recurring Celebrity Player (seasons 1–2) |
| 2014–19 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself/Celebrity Player | Guest Celebrity Player (seasons 2, 4 & 6) |
| 2015 | The Following | Theo Noble | Main cast (season 3) |
| 2016 | Barbarians Rising | Narrator (voice) | Main cast |
| Secrets and Lies | Eric Warner | Main cast (season 2) | |
| 2017 | Hip Hop Squares | Himself | Guest (season 3); recurring (season 4) |
| 2018 | Match Game | Himself/Celebrity Panelist | Episode: "Episode #3.11" |
| 2017–19 | Being Mary Jane | Justin Talbot | Recurring role (season 4); guest (season 5) |
| 2019 | Stumptown | Detective Miles Hoffman | Main cast |
| 2020 | Westworld | Jake Reed | Recurring role (season 3) |
| Sherman's Showcase | Himself | Episode: "Black History Month Spectacular" | |
| 2020–21 | To Tell the Truth | Himself | Panelist (seasons 5–6) |
| 2021 | Celebrity Game Face | Himself | Episode: "Caught in the Act of Mouthing Off" |
| 2022 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Episode #6.9" |
| The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window | Douglas | Main cast | |
| Bel-Air | Reid Broderick | Recurring role (season 1) | |
| A Black Lady Sketch Show | Supreme Rameek | Episode: "Save My Edges, I'm a Donor!" | |
| 2022–24 | Reasonable Doubt | Damon Cooke | Main cast (season 1); guest (season 2) |
| 2023 | The Afterparty | Quentin Devereaux | Episode: "Danner's Fire" |
| 2024 | Is It Cake? | Himself/Judge | Episode: "Knock Knock...Cake Service!" |
| Power Book II: Ghost | Detective Don Carter | Main cast (season 4) | |
| 2025 | The Terminal List: Dark Wolf | Ish | Episode: "What's Past is Prologue" |
| Year | Music video | Artist | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Get Your Number" | Mariah Carey | Love interest of Mariah Carey |
| 2009 | "Halo" | Beyoncé Knowles | Love interest of Beyoncé |
| 2012 | "Tonight" | John Legend ft.Ludacris | Love interest of woman[37] |
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sleeper Cell | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series | Won |
| 2010 | For Colored Girls | African-American Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| 2011 | For Colored Girls | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Nominated |
| 2012 | Think Like a Man | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor Romance | Nominated |
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