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Blair Underwood
Actor, Activist & Philanthropist
Blair Underwood
Actor, Activist & Philanthropist
Biography
A charismatic and versatile actor, Blair Underwood has found success in television, on stage and screen, in the literary world, and in his personal life. His success has been shaped by the underlying belief that you must diversify yourself and remain as flexible as possible in order to achieve longevity in the acting business. But an acting career is only one facet of Underwood's wildly varied achievements. His passion for philanthropy, activism and advocacy for causes ranging from mental illness, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and HIV/AIDS has made him one of the most well-rounded and respected faces in Hollywood, Washington, D.C. and around the world.
Blair Underwood will soon star in the upcoming reboot of the hit legal series, L.A. Law, for ABC, on which he will reprise his character, “Jonathan Rollins.” He is also currently filming a starring role in the new Showtime series, Three Women, alongside Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise and Betty Gilpin.
Underwood recently directed Viral, a feature in which he will also play the lead, opposite Sarah Silverman and Alfre Woodard. He can currently be seen playing “Vernon Jordan,” opposite Clive Owen, Edie Falco and Beanie Feldstein, in megaproducer Ryan Murphy’s Impeachment for FX, as well as the role of father to “William Jackson Harper” in the second season of Love Life on HBO Max. Underwood co-starred in the Netflix limited series, Self-Made, opposite Octavia Spencer. His performance earned a nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series for the NAACP Image Awards, as well as a Black Reel Award. While audiences were streaming that performance, Underwood was onstage, starring on Broadway opposite David Allen Grier in the Roundabout Theatre revival of “A Soldier’s Play” at the American Airlines Theater. His performance garnered accolades and was nominated for a Tony Award as well as a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.
In 2019 he recurred on the Netflix comedy series, Dear White People, and in Clark Johnson's Juanita, opposite Alfred Woodard, also for Netflix. He spent two years as a series regular on the ABC drama series, Quantico, while also recurring on another hit ABC drama, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He also had a co-starring role in The After Party, from writer/director Ian Edelman, which Netflix released late in 2018. He can be seen co-starring in Justin Simien’s horror comedy, Bad Hair, which premiered on Hulu in October 2020.
Past television credits include series regular roles on Dirty Sexy Money, The New Adventures of Old Christine, In Treatment, L.A. Law and The Event. Film credits include Rules of Engagement, Madea's Family Reunion and Full Frontal, for director Steven Soderbergh. Underwood co-starred opposite the late Cicely Tyson in the Lifetime telefilm, A Trip to Bountiful, based on the Tony Award-winning play. In 2012 he made his acclaimed Broadway debut in the iconic role of "Stanley" in Tennessee Williams' “A Streetcar Named Desire,” for which he earned a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award nomination.
Underwood speaks candidly about his life and career, whether rising through the ranks as an actor, raising awareness for diabetes and obesity prevention, championing for HIV/AIDS treatment and caregiving to those nearest and dearest to him. A driving force in making positive changes in the world, he believes you have to first practice being a leader in your family and community in order to have that leadership flourish at work and in your personal life.
Speaker Videos
The Components of True Success
Actor Blair Underwood & Family on Caregiving From a Distance
Strong Black Legends: Blair Underwood | Strong Black Lead | Netflix
Blair Underwood On 'Black Patriots,' Growing Up In A Military Family
Speech Topics
Defining Your Dream
Blair Underwood has distinguished himself as an award-winning actor/director/producer who continues to showcase his many talents in the world of film, television, theatre and literature. His success has been driven by the underlying belief that, in order to achieve longevity in the acting business, you must diversify yourself and become as flexible as possible.
Sharing insights on how his own education influenced his life as well as noteworthy career, Underwood illustrates his experiences, many life challenges and journey to success to inspire audiences to pursue their dreams as they move forward to their career and life. He encourages people to seize the moment and recognize their accomplishments as a way to shape their futures — reminding them to always stay motivated to pursue their personal and professional goals, while constantly looking for even greater success.
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