Corey Hawkins | |
|---|---|
 Hawkins at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Corey Antonio Hawkins (1988-10-22)October 22, 1988 (age 37) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2011–present |
Corey Antonio Hawkins (born October 22, 1988) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his role in the TV seriesThe Walking Dead (2015–2016), as well as his portrayal ofDr. Dre in the 2015 filmStraight Outta Compton, the latter of which earned him aScreen Actors Guild Award nomination. He is also known for his performances onBroadway starring inSix Degrees of Separation (2017) andTopdog/Underdog (2022), both of which earned him nominations for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
That same year, Hawkins starred in theFox network series24: Legacy (2017), along withJordan Vogt-Roberts' monster filmKong: Skull Island. In 2018, he was featured inSpike Lee's biographical crime-comedyBlacKkKlansman, which earned him a nomination for aScreen Actors Guild Award. Hawkins received a nomination for aPrimetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Paul in theQuibi seriesSurvive (2020).
His other roles includeMichael Bay's action-comedy6 Underground (2019),Jon M. Chu's musical filmIn the Heights (2021), andJoel Coen's historical thriller filmThe Tragedy of Macbeth (2021). He starred in the 2023 film adaptation ofThe Color Purple.
Hawkins was born inWashington, D.C., where he was raised by his mother, a police officer.[1] He attended theDuke Ellington School of the Arts, and graduated from theJuilliard School inNew York City, a member of the drama division's "Group 40".[2] While studying at Juilliard, Hawkins received the prestigiousJohn Houseman Award for excellence in classical theatre.[3]
Upon graduation, he began a career starringOff-Broadway[4] and guest-starring on television. Hawkins garnered a brief role inMarvel Studios'Iron Man 3 and went on to star oppositeLiam Neeson andJulianne Moore inUniversal Pictures' action-thrillerNon-Stop.[5]
In 2013, Hawkins made hisBroadway debut asTybalt in the revival ofWilliam Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet, acting alongsideOrlando Bloom andGeoffrey Owens. In 2015,The Hollywood Reporter announced that Hawkins would join the cast ofAMC'sThe Walking Dead as Heath, a key character fromRobert Kirkman'scomic series.[6] Hawkins playedDr. Dre in thebiopicStraight Outta Compton, fromUniversal Pictures, which was theatrically released on August 14, 2015,[7] and grossed $201 million at the box office.
In 2017, Hawkins began playing a lead role in the24 reboot24: Legacy onFox.[8] Also that year, he co-starred in the filmKong: Skull Island,[9] alongsideBrie Larson,Samuel L. Jackson andTom Hiddleston.[10] In spring 2017, Hawkins played a limited-engagement run onBroadway in the playSix Degrees of Separation oppositeAllison Janney andJohn Benjamin Hickey.[11] He received a nomination for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[12]
Hawkins performed "God Bless America" for the men's singles final at the 2017U.S. Open.[13] In January 2024, it was announced that Hawkins would replaceJonathan Majors forThe Man in My Basement.[14]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Digital Antiquities | Kai | Short film |
| 2012 | Allegiance | Willie | |
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 | Navy Op | |
| 2014 | Non-Stop | Travis Mitchell | |
| Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt | Filmed live performance | |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Andre "Dr. Dre" Young | |
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Houston Brooks | |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Stokely Carmichael | |
| 2019 | Georgetown | Daniel Volker | |
| 6 Underground | Blaine / Seven | ||
| 2021 | In the Heights | Benny | |
| The Tragedy of Macbeth | Macduff | ||
| 2023 | The Last Voyage of the Demeter | Clemens | |
| The Color Purple | Harpo Johnson | ||
| 2024 | The Piano Lesson | Avery Brown | |
| 2025 | The Man in My Basement | Charles Blakey | |
| 2026 | Crime 101 | Detective Tillman | |
| The Odyssey† | TBA | Post-production | |
| TBA | Nightwatching† | TBA | Filming[15] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Royal Pains | Busboy | Episode: "The Shaw/Hank Redemption" |
| 2013 | Golden Boy | Evander | Episode: "Young Guns" |
| 2015–2016 | The Walking Dead | Heath | Recurring role (seasons 6–7) |
| 2017 | 24: Legacy | Eric Carter | Main role |
| 2020 | Survive | Paul | Main role |
| 2025 | Poker Face | Bill | Episode: "One Last Job" |
| Year | Title | Role | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Hurt Village | Buggy | Signature Theatre Company |
| 2011 | Suicide Inc | Perry | Roundabout Theatre Company |
| 2013 | Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt | Richard Rodgers Theatre |
| 2017 | Six Degrees of Separation | Paul | Ethel Barrymore Theatre |
| 2022–23 | Topdog/Underdog | Lincoln | John Golden Theatre |
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