Ving Rhames | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Rhames in 2010 | |
| Born | Irving Rameses Rhames (1959-05-12)May 12, 1959 (age 65) New York City, U.S. |
| Education | State University of New York, Purchase Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3[citation needed] |
Irving Rameses Rhames (/ˈreɪmz/; born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying IMF AgentLuther Stickell in theMission: Impossible film series (1996–present) andcrime boss Marsellus Wallace inPulp Fiction (1994).
Rhames was born and raised inHarlem, New York City.[1] He was named "Irving" afterNBC journalistIrving R. Levine.[2]
Rhames entered New York'sHigh School of Performing Arts, where he developed his love of acting. After high school, he studied drama atSUNY Purchase, where fellow acting studentStanley Tucci gave him his nickname "Ving". Rhames later transferred to theJuilliard School's Drama Division (Group 12: 1979–1983)[3] where he graduated with aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1983.[4]
Rhames first appeared onBroadway in the playThe Boys of Winter in 1984. He started out in film inWes Craven'sThe People Under the Stairs (1991) as Leroy, watched overKevin Kline as Secret Service agent Duane Stevensen inDave (1993), and playedMarsellus Wallace inPulp Fiction (1994). He also played Buddy Bragg inOut of Sight (1998).
Rhames played Dr. Peter Benton's brother-in-law on the TV medical dramaER, a recurring role he filled for three seasons. He played ace computer hackerLuther Stickell oppositeTom Cruise inBrian De Palma'sMission: Impossible (1996). In 1997, Rhames portrayed the character of Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones in the popular filmCon Air, and Muki in the Ice Cube filmDangerous Ground.
Rhames won aGolden Globe in 1998 forBest Actor – Miniseries or Television Film inHBO'sDon King: Only in America. At the ceremony he gave his award to fellow nomineeJack Lemmon, saying, "I feel that being an artist is about giving, and I'd like to give this to you." Lemmon was clearly touched by the gesture as was the celebrity audience who gave Lemmon a standing ovation. Lemmon, who tried unsuccessfully to give the award back to Rhames, said it was "one of the nicest, sweetest moments I've ever known in my life." TheHollywood Foreign Press Association announced later that they would have a duplicate award prepared for Rhames. That moment was #98 on E!'s 101 Awesome Moments in Entertainment.[5][6][7]The New York Times lauded Rhames for the act, writing that in doing so he "demonstrated his capacity for abundant generosity".[7]
Rhames appeared inStriptease (1996) as the wisecracking bodyguard Shad, Jesus-praising paramedic Marcus inBringing Out the Dead (1999), and reprised his Luther Stickell role forMission: Impossible 2 (2000). He playedJohnnie Cochran inAmerican Tragedy (2000), the ex-con boyfriend of Jody's mother in theJohn Singleton filmBaby Boy, portrayed agaydrag queen in the television filmHoliday Heart, contributed his voice for the character ofCobra Bubbles inLilo & Stitch (2002) and the subsequent TV series, and played a stoic cop fighting zombie hordes inDawn of the Dead (2004) andDay of the Dead (2008) remakes. Rhames has also appeared in a series of television commercials forRadioShack, usually performing withVanessa L. Williams.
In March 2005, Rhames played the lead role on a newKojak series, on theUSA Network cable channel (and on ITV4 in the UK). The bald head, lollipops, and "Who loves ya, baby?" catchphrase remained intact, but little else remained from theTelly Savalas-starring original.
Rhames voiced the part of Tobias Jones in the video gameDriver 3.
Reprising his Luther Stickell role, Rhames co-starred inMission: Impossible III (2006), had a cameo appearance inMission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), and played a major role inMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015),Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) andMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), the fifth, sixth and seventh installments in theMission Impossible film series, respectively.[8] He is the only actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in all sevenMission: Impossible films. It was announced that he would have a role in theAquaman-based showMercy Reef; however, due to the integration ofThe WB andUPN for the new network,CW,Mercy Reef was not picked up. Rhames played a gay – and possibly also homicidal – firefighter who comes out of the closet inI Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. He narrates theBET television seriesAmerican Gangster.
In the 2008 filmSaving God, he played an ex-con who is released from prison a changed man, looking to take over his father's former church congregation in a deteriorating neighborhood. Rhames stars inPhantom Punch, a biopic of boxerSonny Liston, released directly to DVD, as well asThe Tournament, portraying a fighter out to win a no-rules tournament.
Rhames makes an appearance inLudacris's song "Southern Gangstas" on his albumTheater of the Mind. RappersPlayaz Circle andRick Ross are also featured on the track.
He filmed the filmThe Red Canvas withErnie Reyes Jr., UFC lightweight contenderGray Maynard, andRandy Couture. In 2010, he filed a lawsuit against the film's producer,[9] claiming that he had only been paid $175,000 of a $200,000 contract.
In 2015, he filmed a series of commercials forThe ADT Corporation.[citation needed]
Rhames is one of the narrators forUFC.
Rhames narrated the team introductions for theNew England Patriots andAtlanta Falcons inSuper Bowl LI in February 2017.[citation needed]
Since 2014, Rhames has provided the narration for numerousArby's commercials, with the slogan "Arby's: We have the meats!"[10]
Rhames is aChristian.[11][12] As of 2018, he resides inSanta Monica, California. He has been married to Deborah Reed since 2000.[13]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Native Son | Jack | ||
| 1988 | Patty Hearst | Cinque Mtume | ||
| 1989 | Casualties of War | Lieutenant Reilly | ||
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home | Herbert Cotter | ||
| Jacob's Ladder | George | |||
| 1991 | Flight of the Intruder | Chief Petty Officer Frank McRae | ||
| Homicide | Robert Randolph | |||
| The People Under the Stairs | Leroy | |||
| 1992 | Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot | "Mr. Stereo" | ||
| 1993 | Blood In Blood Out | Ivan | ||
| Dave | Duane Stevenson | |||
| The Saint of Fort Washington | Leroy "Little Leroy" | |||
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Marsellus Wallace | ||
| Drop Squad | Garvey | |||
| 1995 | Kiss of Death | FBI Agent Omar | ||
| 1996 | Mission: Impossible | Luther Stickell | ||
| Striptease | "Shad" | |||
| 1997 | Dangerous Ground | Muki | ||
| Rosewood | Mann | |||
| Con Air | Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones | |||
| 1998 | Body Count | Pike | ||
| Out of Sight | Buddy Bragg | |||
| 1999 | Entrapment | FBI Agent Aaron Thibadeaux | ||
| Bringing Out the Dead | Marcus | |||
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible 2 | Luther Stickell | ||
| 2001 | Baby Boy | Melvin | ||
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Ryan Whittaker | [14] | ||
| 2002 | Undisputed | George "The Iceman" Chambers | ||
| Lilo & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | [14] | ||
| Dark Blue | Deputy Chief Arthur Holland | |||
| 2003 | Stitch! The Movie | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | Direct-to-video[14] | |
| Sin | Eddie Burns | |||
| 2004 | Dawn of the Dead | Sergeant Kenneth Hall | ||
| 2005 | Back in the Day | Joe "J-Bone" Brown | ||
| Animal | James "Animal" Allen | Video | ||
| Shooting Gallery | Carl "Cue Ball Carl" Bridgers | Video | ||
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III | Luther Stickell | ||
| Leroy & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | Direct-to-video | ||
| Idlewild | "Spats" | |||
| 2007 | Ascension Day | Hark | Video | |
| I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | Fred G. Duncan | |||
| A Broken Life | Vet | |||
| 2008 | Animal 2 | James "Animal" Allen | ||
| Day of the Dead | Captain Kenneth Rhodes | Video | ||
| Phantom Punch | Sonny Liston | |||
| Saving God | Armstrong Cane | |||
| 2009 | Echelon Conspiracy | FBI Agent Dave Grant | ||
| Give 'Em Hell, Malone | "Boulder" | |||
| The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard | "Jibby" Newsome | |||
| The Bridge to Nowhere | Nate | |||
| The Tournament | Joshua Harlow | |||
| Surrogates | The Prophet | |||
| Evil Angel | Detective Carruthers | |||
| 2010 | Master Harold...and the Boys | Sam | ||
| Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed | Mike | Video | ||
| Operation: Endgame | "Judgement" | |||
| Piranha 3D | Deputy Fallon | |||
| King of the Avenue | Norman De'Sha | |||
| The Wrath of Cain | Miles "Cain" Skinner | |||
| Red Canvas | Himself | |||
| Death Race 2 | R. H. Weyland | Video | ||
| 2011 | The River Murders | Captain Art Langley | ||
| Pimp Bullies | Miguel | |||
| Julia X | The Man | |||
| Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | Luther Stickell | Uncredited cameo | ||
| 2012 | Seven Below | Jack | ||
| Piranha 3DD | Deputy Fallon | |||
| Soldiers of Fortune | Grimaud "Grim Reaper" Tourneur | |||
| Art of Submission | Gene | |||
| Won't Back Down | Principal Thompson | |||
| Mafia | Renzo Wes | |||
| Btd | Ken | Short | ||
| 2013 | Death Race 3: Inferno | R. H. Weyland | Video | |
| Armed Response | Officer Hall | |||
| Force of Execution | "Ice Man" | Video | ||
| 2014 | Jamesy Boy | Conrad | ||
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Luther Stickell | ||
| Operator | Richard | [15] | ||
| 2016 | A Sunday Horse | Mr. Valentine | ||
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Charlie-27 | [16] | |
| The Star | Thaddeus (voice) | [14] | ||
| Father Figures | Rod Hamilton | [17] | ||
| 2018 | Con Man | "Peanut" | [18] | |
| Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Luther Stickell | [19] | ||
| 2022 | Wendell & Wild | Buffalo Belzer (voice) | [20] | |
| 2023 | The Locksmith | Frank | [21] | |
| Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Luther Stickell | |||
| 2024 | The Garfield Movie | Otto (voice) | [22][14] | |
| The Instigators | Frank Toomey | [23] | ||
| The Wild Robot | Thunderbolt (voice) | [24][14] | ||
| 2025 | Uppercut † | Elliott Duffond[25] | Post-production | |
| Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning † | Luther Stickell[26] | |||
| TBA | The Mongoose † | Tanker[27] | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Young Gabriel Grimes | Television film | |
| 1985 | Miami Vice | Georges | Episode: "The Maze" | |
| 1986 | Another World | Czaja Carnek | Regular cast | |
| Crime Story | Hector Lincoln | Episode: "Abrams for the Defense" | ||
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Walker Monroe | Episode: "Child's Play" | |
| Tour of Duty | SP4 Tucker | Episode: "Burn Baby, Burn" | ||
| 1988 | Spenser: For Hire | Henry Brown | Episode: "McAllister" | |
| 1989 | Men | Charlie Hazard | Main cast | |
| The Equalizer | Luther Paxton | Episode: "Suicide Squad" | ||
| 1990 | Rising Son | Ed | Television film | |
| When You Remember Me | Leon | Television film | ||
| 1991 | ScreenPlay | Sergeant Blue | Episode: "Murder in Oakland" | |
| Iran: Days of Crisis | Charles Jones | Television film | ||
| 1992 | Terror on Track 9 | "Jellyroll" | Television film | |
| 1994 | Philly Heat | DeWitt Wardlaw | TV series | |
| 1994–1996 | ER | Walter Robbins | Recurring cast (season 1–3) | |
| 1995 | Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning | Detective Artie Brown | Television film | |
| New York Undercover | Max Villareal | Episode: "Olde Thyme Religion" | ||
| Deadly Whispers | Detective Jackson | Television film | ||
| 1997 | Don King: Only in America | Don King | Television film | |
| 2000 | American Tragedy | Johnnie Cochran | Television film | |
| Holiday Heart | "Holiday" Heart | Television film | ||
| 2001 | UC: Undercover | Quito Real | Recurring cast | |
| 2002 | Sins of the Father | Garrick Jones | Television film | |
| Little John | John Morgan | Television film | ||
| RFK | Judge Thomas R. Jones | Television film | ||
| The Proud Family | Garrett Krebs (voice) | Episode: "A Hero for Halloween" | ||
| 2002–2003 | The District | Attorney General Troy Hatcher | Recurring cast (season 3) | |
| 2003 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | Cobra Bubbles[a] (voice) | Episode: "Spooky" | |
| The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Chief (voice) | Episode: "Operation: Rescue Jet Fusion" | ||
| The System | Andre Charles | Main cast | ||
| Freedom: A History of US | Various Roles | TV documentary series | ||
| 2005 | Kojak | Lieutenant Theo Kojak | Main cast | |
| 2006 | Aquaman | McCaffery | Television film | |
| 2007 | Football Wives | Frank Wallingford | Television film | |
| 2010 | Gravity | "Dogg" McFee | Main cast | |
| 2011 | Zombie Apocalypse | Henry Everlen | Television film | |
| Black Jack | Jack "Black Jack" | Television film | ||
| 2013 | Monday Mornings | Dr. Jorge Villanueva | Main cast | |
| 2014 | A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Cecil Price | Television film | |
| 2018 | Cagney and Lacey | Captain Stark | Television film | |
| 2019 | Voice Arts Awards | Himself - Icon Award | Television special | |
| 2025 | Dope Thief | Bart | Upcoming miniseries[28] |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma | IMF Agent Luther Stickell | [14] |
| 2004 | Driver 3 | Tobias Jones | [14] |
| 2017 | Call of Duty: WWII | Jefferson Potts |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in Mini-Series or Motion Picture | Don King: Only in America | Won | [29] |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actor in Mini-Series or Movie | Don King: Only in America | Nominated | ||
| Acalpulco Black Film Festival | Best Actor | Rosewood | Nominated | ||
| Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in Motion Picture | Rosewood | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in Television or Mini-Series | Don King: Only in America | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series or TV Film | Don King: Only in America | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series or TV Film | Don King: Only in America | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Action | Entrapment | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Comedy or Music | Bringing Out the Dead | Nominated | ||
| ShoWest Convention | Best Supporting Actor | Won | [30] | ||
| 2001 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Network | Holiday Heart | Nominated | |
| Image Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | Mission: Impossible 2 | Nominated | ||
| Locarno International Film Festival | Special Mention | Baby Boy | Won | ||
| 2002 | Black Reel Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Baby Boy | Nominated | |
| Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | UC: Undercover | Nominated | ||
| Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Baby Boy | Nominated | |||
| 2003 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series | Sins of the Father | Nominated | |
| Image Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Comedy | The Proud Family | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor - Mini-Series or TV Film | Sins of the Father | Nominated | |||
| 2004 | Black Reel Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Dark Blue | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Television | Kojak | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Television | A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Nominated | |
| Image Awards | Best Actor - Television | Nominated |
