Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film actor. He is perhaps best known as headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins from the NBC legal drama L.A. Law, a role he portrayed for seven years. He has gained critical acclaim throughout his career, receiving numerous Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and 1 Grammy Award. His feature film debut was the 1985 movie Krush Groove. His 1985 appearance on The Cosby Show landed him a short stint on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, which eventually led to his performance on the TV series L.A. Law, where he appeared from 1987 to 1994. Underwood broke into film with roles in Just Cause (1995), Set It Off (1996) and Deep Impact (1998). He also had a supporting role as a geneticist in the film Gattaca. In 2000, he played the lead role in the short-lived television series City of Angels. In 2003, he guest starred in four episodes on the HBO series Sex and the City playing Cynthia Nixon's love interest. In 2004, he played the role of Roger De Souza opposite Heather Locklear in NBC's LAX. He gained acclaim as the sexy grade school teacher in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus for two years. In 2007, he guest starred in an episode of the NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His also had a role as recurring character Alex in the HBO series In Treatment. Also in 2007, Underwood co-authored the novel Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel with husband-and-wife team Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. He's also had recurring roles on Dirty Sexy Money, NBC's The Event, Ironside, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Quantico. He has received three NAACP Image Awards, for his film work in Rules of Engagement, and his television work in L.A. Law, City of Angels, Murder in Mississippi and Mama Flora's Family. He was voted one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2000, and one of TV Guide's "Most Influential Faces of the 90s".
Filmography · 106
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999 · Miles Sennet
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · Self - Guest
The Good Wife
2009 · Harry Dargis
Tony Awards
1956 · Self - Presenter
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2013 · Andrew Garner
Elsbeth
2024 · Cliff McGrath
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022 · Self - Guest
Knight Rider
1982 · Potts
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003 · Self - Guest
The View
1997 · Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988 · Self
Sex and the City
1998 · Dr. Robert Leeds
Golden Globe Awards
1944 · Self - Nominee
21 Jump Street
1987 · Reginald Brooks
The Cosby Show
1984 · Mark
The Tyra Banks Show
2005
L.A. Law
1986 · Jonathan Rollins
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003 · Self
Tamron Hall
2019 · Self - Guest
American Crime Story
2016 · Vernon Jordan
Quantico
2015 · Owen Hall
In Treatment
2008 · Alex Prince
A Different World
1987 · Zelmer Collier
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983
Your Honor
2020 · Roland Carter
Deep Impact
1998 · Mark Simon
The New Adventures of Old Christine
2006 · Daniel Harris
The Lion Guard
2016 · Makuu (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995 · King Midas (voice)
The Word
1990
Gattaca
1997 · Geneticist
Longlegs
2024 · Agent Carter
Half & Half
2002 · Blair Underwood
Who Do You Think You Are?
2010 · Self
Love Life
2020 · Leon Hines
When They See Us
2019 · Bobby Burns
Dirty Sexy Money
2007 · Simon Elder
The Event
2010 · Elias Martinez
Three Women
2024 · Richard
LAX
2004 · Roger De Souza
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
2020 · Charles James Walker
Ironside
2013 · Robert Ironside
High Incident
1996
Set It Off
1996 · Keith
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996 · Self
Rules of Engagement
2000 · Capt. Lee
Just Cause
1995 · Bobby Earl Ferguson
Madea's Family Reunion
2006 · Carlos
Celebrity Crime Files
2012 · Narrator (voice)
City of Angels
2000 · Ben Turner
Downtown
1986 · Terry Corsaro
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
2016 · Makuu (voice)
One Spoon of Chocolate
2026 · Officer Beem
Fatherhood
2004
Mama Flora's Family
1998 · Willie
Something New
2006 · Mark Harper
Posse
1993 · Carver
Covert One: The Hades Factor
2006 · Palmer Addison
Malibu's Most Wanted
2003 · Tom Gibbsons
The Art of Getting By
2011 · Principal
Origin
2023 · Amari Selvan
Vietnam in HD
2011 · Charles Brown
Youngblood
2026 · Blane Youngblood
Bad Hair
2021 · Amos Bludso
Full Frontal
2002 · Calvin / Nicholas
Mistrial
1996 · Lieutenant C. Hodges
Weather Girl
2009 · Fitz
Bear Witness
2022 · Narrator (voice)
Broken
2016
Smothered
2023
Really Love
2020 · Jerome Richmond
スーパーマン @ Tokyo
2012 · Superman / Narrator (v...
Covert One: The Hades Factor
2006 · Palmer Addison
Krush Groove
1985 · Russell Walker
Murder in Mississippi
1990 · James Chaney
Father & Son: Dangerous Relations
1993 · Jared Williams
Mr. SOUL!
2018 · Ellis Haizlip (voice)
G
2002 · Chip Hightower
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
1993 · Self (segment "Monster...
Asunder
1998 · Chance Williams
The After Party
2018 · Sgt. Martin Ellison
Juanita
2019 · Blair Underwood
Soul of the Game
1996 · Jackie Robinson
Voices That Care
1991 · Self - Choir Member
Tigers on the Rise
2024 · Narrator (voice)
The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU
2020 · Self
Mickey's 60th Birthday
1988 · Jonathan Rollins
The Cover Girl and the Cop
1989 · Horace Bouchet
Thunder and Lightning
2013 · Black Lightning (voice...
Heat Wave
1990 · Bob Richardson
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
2012 · David Ames
Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency
2024 · Narrator (voice)
Guardians of the Galapagos
2025 · Narrator (voice)
The Trip to Bountiful
2014 · Ludie Watts
Black Patriots: Buffalo Soldiers
2022 · Narrator (voice)
Penguins: Life on the Edge
2020 · Narrator (voice)
Truth Be Told
2002 · Det. Harris
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers
1991 · Reader
The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry
1991 · Self
A Soldier's Play
2021 · Captain Richard Davenp...
The Gristle
2004 · Self (uncredited)
The Golden Blaze
2005 · Gregory Fletcher (voic...
Setting it Straight: Making ‘Set it Off’
2009 · Self
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
2016 · Narrator (voice)
The Wishing Tree
1999 · Thomas
Do Geese See God
2004 · Man