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Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967)[1][note 1] is an American actor, director, and martial artist.[3] Though he has appeared in a variety of genres, White is best known for his action and martial arts films.[4] His first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. He went on to portray Al Simmons in the 1997 movie Spawn, making him the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture.[note 2][5] His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. White went on to star opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) and in 2001, he starred opposite Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds.
Michael Jai White | |
|---|---|
.jpg) White at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2024 | |
| Born | November 10, 1967[1] New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouses | Courtenay Chatman
(m. 2005; div. 2011)Gillian Iliana Waters
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 7 |
He has appeared in the well-received films The Dark Knight (2008), Black Dynamite (2009), Accident Man (2018), Dragged Across Concrete (2019), and As Good As Dead (2022), among others. He appeared as Marcus Williams in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? (2007) and Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010), and starred as the character on the TBS/OWN comedy-drama television series Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse. He directed and starred in Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011), Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016), and Outlaw Johnny Black (2023). His voice acting work includes Justice League Heroes (2006), Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021), and Marvel's Midnight Suns (2022).
White has been training in martial arts since the age of 7, and specialises in the styles of Kyokushin, Taekwondo, Kobudo, Shotokan, and The Superfoot System.[6] His martial arts films include Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006) and Blood and Bone (2009).[7]
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White is a martial artist in nine different styles: Shōtōkan, Goju-Ryu (for which he studied under Master Eddie Morales where he learned to sharpen his Goju karate technique), Taekwondo, Kobudō, Tang Soo Do, Wushu, Jujutsu, Kyokushin, and Boxing,[8][9] with a specific focus in Kyokushin Karate (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms).[10] White started training in the martial arts at the age of four in Jujutsu. He next took up Shōtōkan and moved on to other styles later.[11] White holds seven legitimate black belts in Kyokushin Karate, Goju-Ryu Karate, Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Kobudo, and Wushu.[8]
White is a former special education teacher and taught students with behavioral problems for three years. He cites his history in education as the reason why, despite his personal love for the music genre on "a lot of levels", he cannot "in good [conscience]" have a positive opinion on hip hop or "excuse some of [its] pervasive and destructive elements", mainly due to his experience with youngsters who had difficulty seeing the difference between it and real life.[12]
He graduated from Central High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1982.[13]
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White's first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson, as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. He portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 film Spawn, making him the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture.[5] His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return, in 1999. A few years earlier, he acted in Full Contact, with Jerry Trimble. In 2001, he also starred opposite fellow martial artist Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds. In 2003, he starred in Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey's music video "I Know What You Want". Since 2003, in addition to his on screen roles, White has been doing voice work, including in Static Shock and Justice League. White showcases his martial arts skills in the direct-to-DVD film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. He also appears in Michelle Yeoh's Silver Hawk in 2004. He appeared in Kill Bill: Volume 2, although his role was cut from the theatrical release. His film Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007.
White played the role of mob boss Gambol in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. He also starred in the film Blood and Bone and the blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite, both released in 2009. White wrote the scripts for both Black Dynamite and 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine.
On March 30, 2010, White appeared on The Mo'Nique Show to promote his film Why Did I Get Married Too. The two joked about the acclaim that comes with winning an Oscar. In May of that year he appeared in the music video for Toni Braxton's new song "Hands Tied" from her album Pulse, as well as the Nicki Minaj music video for "Your Love" as Nicki's sensei and love interest.
He also starred in Kevin Tancharoen's short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth,[14] as Jax Briggs, and reprised the role in Mortal Kombat: Legacy, a webseries from the same director. He posted on Twitter that he would not be returning to the role for the second season, but would return for the 2013 film.
White made his directorial debut and starred in Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown, which was released on home video on September 13, 2011.[15]
White also provided the voice of Green Lantern in the video game Justice League Heroes.[16]
In October 2019, White announced that the spiritual successor to Black Dynamite titled Outlaw Johnny Black had officially entered pre-production. Despite the Indiegogo campaign not reaching its goal, he was still able to secure enough backers and additional donors to get the project off the ground. In July 2023, its trailer was released.[17] Its theatrical release date was September 15, 2023.[18]
In October 2020, White's latest film Welcome to Sudden Death debuted on Netflix and became one of the most watched films on the platform.[19] The Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release is a remake of the 1995 film Sudden Death starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
On July 12, 2021, White laid out a vision for starting a film studio in New Haven, Connecticut called "Jaigantic Studios".[20] He wants to create a studio district on New Haven's Quinnipiac River waterfront.[21]
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From 2005 to 2011, White was married to Courtenay Chatman and together they have a daughter named Morgan. In addition, White has two sons.[22][23] In February 2014, White announced his engagement to actress Gillian Iliana Waters.[23] In April 2015, White penned an open letter via Facebook entitled "Apologies to My Ex's", where he credited Waters for helping him become "the very best version of myself."[24] In July 2015, White married Waters in Thailand.[25] They appeared together in the martial arts thriller movie Take Back (2021),[26] with Gillian White starring as the female lead.[27]
In 2014, White was honored with the Fists of Legends Decade Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo at HBO.[28] In 2015, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.[29] On November 8, 2019, he assumed the "Mantle of The Black Dragon" from Ron van Clief, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, and Taimak, in a ceremony at the 2019 Urban Action Showcase & Expo at AMC 25, New York City.[30]
White briefly dated actress Angela Bassett during the 1990s.[31]
White is a cousin of comedian and actress Kym Whitley.[32]
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Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Toxic Avenger Part II | Apocalypse Inc. Executive | |
| The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie | |||
| 1991 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze | Audience Man | |
| True Identity | Alley Guy #1 | ||
| 1992 | Universal Soldier | Soldier | |
| 1993 | Full Contact | Low-Ball | |
| 1994 | On Deadly Ground | Oil Worker | |
| Lion Strike | Silvio | ||
| 1995 | Tyson | Mike Tyson | |
| Ballistic | Quint | ||
| 1996 | 2 Days in the Valley | Buck | |
| 1997 | City of Industry | Odell Williams | |
| Spawn | Al Simmons / Spawn | ||
| 1998 | Ringmaster | Demond | |
| Thick as Thieves | Pointy | ||
| 1999 | Breakfast of Champions | Howell | |
| Universal Soldier: The Return | S.E.T.H. Super UniSol | [33] | |
| 2000 | The Bus Stop | Unknown | Short |
| 2001 | Exit Wounds | Sergeant Lewis Strutt | |
| 2002 | Trois 2: Pandora's Box | Hampton Hines | |
| 2003 | Justice | Tre | |
| 2004 | Silver Hawk | Morris | |
| Kill Bill: Volume 2 | Martial Artist | Scene deleted | |
| 2006 | Undisputed II: Last Man Standing | George "The Iceman" Chambers | Video |
| 2007 | Why Did I Get Married | Marcus | |
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | Gambol | |
| 2009 | Black Dynamite | Black Dynamite | Also writer |
| The Legend of Bruce Lee | Ali | Video | |
| Blood and Bone | Isaiah Bone | ||
| Three Bullets | The Man | Short; also writer | |
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Marcus | |
| Mortal Kombat: Rebirth | Jackson "Jax" Briggs | Video short[34] | |
| 2011 | Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown | Casey "Case" Walker Jr. | Video; also director |
| Tactical Force | SWAT Sergeant Tony Hunt | ||
| 2012 | We the Party | Officer Davis | |
| Freaky Deaky | Donnell Lewis | ||
| The Philly Kid | Arthur Letts | ||
| 2013 | Fedz | "Big D" | |
| 2014 | Android Cop | Hammond | |
| Falcon Rising | John "Falcon" Chapman | ||
| Skin Trade | FBI Agent Reed | ||
| 2015 | Chocolate City | Princeton | |
| Chain of Command | James Webster | ||
| 2016 | Vigilante Diaries | Barrington | [35][36] |
| The Asian Connection | Greg "Greedy Greg" | ||
| Never Back Down: No Surrender | Casey "Case" Walker Jr. | Video; also writer and director | |
| 2017 | S.W.A.T.: Under Siege | "Scorpion" | |
| Chocolate City: Vegas Strip | Princeton | ||
| Cops and Robbers | Michael | ||
| 2018 | Accident Man | Mick | |
| Making a Killing | Orlando Hudson | ||
| Dragged Across Concrete | "Biscuit" | ||
| 2019 | The Hard Way | Payne | |
| Triple Threat | Devereaux | ||
| Undercover Brother 2 | Undercover Brother | ||
| 2020 | Welcome to Sudden Death | Jesse | Video |
| 2021 | Batman: Soul of the Dragon | Bronze Tiger | Voice[33] |
| Assault on VA-33 | Chief Malone | ||
| Take Back | Brian | ||
| Send It! | Coach | ||
| Rogue Hostage | Sparks | ||
| Black Friday | Archie | ||
| 2022 | The Commando | James Baker | |
| Dead Zone | Boss | Tubi original | |
| The Hit | Brooke | ||
| As Good as Dead | Bryant | Also writer | |
| Come Out Fighting | Sergeant AJ 'Red' McCarron | Direct-to-video | |
| 2023 | You're Not Alone | Keith Mitchell | Tubi original |
| A Snowy Day in Oakland | Reverend Carter | Direct-to-video | |
| The Island | Mark | ||
| MR-9: Do or Die | Duke | Direct-to-video | |
| Outlaw Johnny Black | Johnny Black | Also writer and director | |
| 2024 | One More Shot | Robert Jackson | Direct-to-video |
| Take Cover | Assassin | Direct-to-video; cameo |
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Saved by the Bell | Military Police Man #2 | Episode: "Wrestling with the Future" |
| 1993 | Renegade | Luther, Dawn's Boyfriend | Episode: "Vanished" |
| 1994 | Martin | Valdez | Episode: "Arms Are for Hugging" |
| Living Single | Steve | Episode: "Hot Fun in the Wintertime" | |
| 1995 | NYPD Blue | Officer Reggie Fancy | 2 episodes |
| JAG | Navy Petty Officer Peter Quinn / Lieutenant Martin Payne | Episode: "Brig Break" | |
| Tyson | Mike "Iron Mike" Tyson | Television film | |
| 1996 | Captive Heart: The James Mink Story | Elroy | Television film |
| Shaughnessy | Carpenter | Television film | |
| 1999 | Mutiny | Ben Cooper | Television film |
| 2000 | Wonderland | Dr. Derrick Hatcher | Main cast |
| Freedom Song | Coleman Vaughnes | Television film | |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Darren Schofield | Episode: "Chapter Eighteen" |
| Soul Food | Russell Banks | Episode: "Who Do You Know?" | |
| 2003 | CSI: Miami | Officer Roy Bailey | Episode: "Hard Time" |
| Justice League | Doomsday | Voice; episode: "A Better World, Part 1"[33] | |
| Hotel | Unknown | Television film | |
| 2003–2004 | Static Shock | Osebo | Voice, 2 episodes[33] |
| 2004–2005 | Clubhouse | Ellis Hayes | Recurring cast |
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Doomsday | Voice, episode: "The Doomsday Sanction"[33] |
| 2006 | Windfall | Michael | Episode: "Priceless" |
| Getting Played | Actor | Television film | |
| 2008 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | Bryan | Recurring cast, season 3 |
| 2010 | The Boondocks | Bushido Brown / Cop | Voice, episode: "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy" |
| One Angry Juror | Derrick | Television film | |
| 2011 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Tattooed Man | Voice, episode: "The Scorn of the Star Sapphire!"[33] |
| 2011–2017 | Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse | Marcus Williams | Main cast |
| 2011–2015 | Black Dynamite | Black Dynamite | Voice, main cast; also creator[33] |
| 2012 | Aqua Something You Know Whatever | Zucotti Manicotti | Voice, episode: "Zucotti Manicotti" |
| Somebody's Child | Douglas | Television film | |
| 2013–2014, 2018–2019 |
Arrow | Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger | Guest (season 2), recurring (season 7); 10 episodes |
| 2016 | The Crooked Man | Milo | Television film |
| 2017 | Insecure: Due North | Zeke | Episode: "201" |
| Insecure | Zeke | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | Every Day Is Christmas | Justin | Television film |
| 2018–present | The Family Business | Vegas Duncan | Recurring cast |
| 2020 | Black-ish | Vincent | Episode: "Dad Bod-y of Work" |
| Pump | Eric | Main cast | |
| 2022–present | Kingdom Business | Julius "Caesar" Jones | Main cast |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "I Know What You Want" | Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey featuring The Flipmode Squad |
| 2010 | "Your Love" | Nicki Minaj |
| 2010 | "Hands Tied" | Toni Braxton |
| 2012 | "Let's Go" | Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo |
| 2021 | "Where I Belong" | Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Justice League Heroes | John Stewart[33] |
| 2007 | The Underground Bounty Hunter | Hatch |
| 2022 | Marvel's Midnight Suns | Eric Brooks / Blade[33] |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Jackson "Jax" Briggs | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Métal Hurlant Chronicles | Teague | Episode: "King's Crown" |
| 2014 | Métal Hurlant Chronicles | Balt | Episode: "The Endomorphe" |
| 2016 | Enter the Dojo | Himself | Episode: "How to Fight a Clown" |
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- Spawn was released on August 1, 1997, two weeks before the release of Steel, which starred NBA basketball player Shaquille O'Neal. Robert Townsend and Damon Wayans also starred in the superhero films The Meteor Man (1993) and Blankman (1994), respectively, both parodies.
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