Mike Colter | |
|---|---|
 Colter in 2025 | |
| Born | (1976-08-26)August 26, 1976 (age 49) |
| Education | Benedict College University of South Carolina, Columbia(BA) Rutgers University, New Brunswick(MFA) |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Viola Davis (second cousin) |
Mike Colter (born August 26, 1976)[1] is an American actor best known for his role asLuke Cage in theMarvel Cinematic Universe television seriesLuke Cage (2016–2018),The Defenders (2017), andJessica Jones (2015; 2019). He has also appeared as Lemond Bishop in the television seriesThe Good Wife (2010–2015) andThe Good Fight (2018–2019), Malcolm Ward inRinger (2011–2012),Agent J's father inMen in Black 3 (2012),Jameson Locke in theHalo franchise (2014–2015), and David Acosta, a former journalist studying to be a Catholic priest in theCBS/Paramount+ seriesEvil (2019–2024).
Colter is a graduate ofCalhoun County High School. In his senior high school yearbook, his senior superlative as voted by the class was "most ambitious."[2] Colter spent a year atBenedict College before transferring to theUniversity of South Carolina, receiving abachelor's degree in theater in 1999. He obtained anMFA degree in acting from theRutgers UniversityMason Gross School of the Arts.[3][4]
Colter's first role was in the filmMillion Dollar Baby as boxer Big Willie Little. He also guest starred onLaw & Order: Trial By Jury,Law and Order: Criminal Intent,The Good Wife,ER, andThe Parkers as well as several television films. He starred in the seriesRinger.[5]
In 2012, Colter appeared inMen in Black 3 asAgent J's father.
In 2014, Colter began portraying the role of Agent Jameson Locke in theHalo franchise.[6] Colter starred in the seriesHalo: Nightfall and provided the motion capture for Locke inHalo 5: Guardians, withIke Amadi voicing the character. He also co-starred asLuke Cage / Carl Lucas inJessica Jones on Netflix. The first season was released online on November 20, 2015.[7] This was followed by a solo series,Luke Cage, with thefirst season being released on September 30, 2016. Thesecond season release followed on June 22, 2018.[8] In between the two seasons, Colter also appeared as Cage inThe Defenders. He also starred in the 2018 alien invasion filmExtinction.[9]
Colter was announced as the male lead in theCBS drama pilot,Evil as David Acosta, a Catholic seminarian who assesses unexplained phenomena for supernatural or scientific explanations.[10]
In 2020, Colter starred in the Netflix anthology seriesSocial Distance.[11]
In 2023, Colter andGerard Butler starred in the filmPlane byLionsgate Play.[12][13]
Colter met his future wife, Iva, atRutgers University inNew Jersey, where they were both graduate students. The couple married in 2002.[14][15] They have two daughters.[16] Colter is a second cousin of actressViola Davis.[17][18] He resides inLos Angeles.
In 2019, Colter played for the "home" roster during theNBA All-Star Celebrity Game at theBojangles' Coliseum inCharlotte,North Carolina. The roster was made up of celebrities with Carolina roots.[19]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Million Dollar Baby | Big Willie Little | |
| 2005 | Brooklyn Lobster | Jamal | |
| 2007 | And Then Came Love | Yuppie Paul | |
| 2010 | Salt | CIA Tactical Leader | |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | Col. James Darrell Edwards II | |
| Zero Dark Thirty | DEVGRU Operative Mike | ||
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Stewart Pierce | |
| 2018 | Extinction | David | |
| Skin | Daryle Lamont Jenkins | ||
| 2019 | Before You Know It | Charles | |
| Breakthrough | Tommy Shine | ||
| Black and Blue | Darius Tureau | ||
| 2020 | Fatale | Rafe Grimes | |
| 2021 | South of Heaven | Whit Price | |
| 2022 | I'm Charlie Walker | Charlie Walker | |
| Carter | Smith | ||
| 2023 | Plane | Louis Gaspare | |
| Murder City[citation needed] | Neil | ||
| 2024 | The Union | Nick Faraday | |
| 2025 | Alarum | Orlin |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ER | Watts | Episode: "Hindsight" |
| The Parkers | Lamar | Episode: "Lights, Camera, Action" | |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Officer Billy Tolbert | Episode: "Blue Wall" |
| Silver Bells | Bill | Television film | |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dave Oldren | Episode: "Albatross" |
| 2009 | Taking Chance | Master Gunnery Sgt. Demetry | Television film |
| Solving Charlie | Jack Dash | Television film | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Joseph Serumaga | Episode: "Hell" | |
| 2010 | Royal Pains | Officer Tanner | Episode: "Lovesick" |
| 2010–2015 | The Good Wife | Lemond Bishop | Recurring cast (season 1-2 & 4-6) Guest (season 3); 21 episodes |
| 2011 | Blue Bloods | Cliff Reacher | Episode: "The Blue Templar" |
| 2011–2012 | Ringer | Malcolm Ward | Main cast; 16 episodes |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Colin Bramwell | Episode: "Final Shot" |
| The Surgeon General | Dr. McCallan | Television film | |
| 2013–2014 | American Horror Story: Coven | David | Recurring cast; 3 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | The Following | Nick Donovan | Recurring cast (season 1 & 3); 8 episodes |
| 2014 | Halo: Nightfall | Agent Jameson Locke | Main cast; 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Agent X | Miles Lathem | Main cast; 10 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | Jessica Jones | Luke Cage | Main role (season 1) Guest role (season 3); 8 episodes |
| 2016 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Mike Colter Wears a Pink Button Up and Black Boots" |
| 2016–2018 | Luke Cage | Luke Cage / Carl Lucas | Lead role; 26 episodes |
| 2017 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Playing Hardwick to Get" |
| Breakthrough | Himself/Narrator (voice) | Episode: "Addiction: A Psychedelic Cure?" | |
| The Defenders | Luke Cage | Main role, miniseries; 8 episodes | |
| 2018 | Comic Book Men | Himself | Episode: "Power Man vs. Counter Man" |
| American Dad! | Guerrilla Soldier (voice) | Episode: "(You Gotta) Strike for Your Right" | |
| 2018–2019 | The Good Fight | Lemond Bishop | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Drop the Mic | Himself | Episode: "Mike Colter vs.Ne-Yo andChristina Milian vs.Ashlee Simpson" |
| Hollywood Game Night | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Kiss Me in Lamorne-ing" | |
| Seis Manos | Brister (voice) | Main cast 8 episodes | |
| 2019–2024 | Evil | David Acosta | Main cast 50 episodes |
| 2020 | Tiny Creatures | Narrator (voice) | Main cast 8 episodes |
| Monsterland | Brian Cooke | Episode: "Newark, New Jersey" | |
| Social Distance | Ike | Episode: "Delete All Future Events" | |
| 2021 | Match Game | Himself/Celebrity Panelist | Episode #6.2 |
| City Confidential | Himself/Narrator (voice) | Main narrator (season 12) | |
| 2024 | Accused | John | Episode: "Megan's Story"[20][21] |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Halo: The Master Chief Collection | Spartan Jameson Locke | |
| 2015 | Halo 5: Guardians | Spartan Jameson Locke | Also likeness Motion-capture only |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
