Blair Underwood

Award-Winning Actor, Director, Producer, Author & Philanthropist

Blair Underwood

Award-Winning Actor, Director, Producer, Author & Philanthropist

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Biography

Blair Underwood is an Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actor, director, producer, author, and philanthropist whose distinguished career spans more than four decades across film, television, theater, and literature. A two-time Golden Globe nominee, Tony Award nominee, and eight-time NAACP Image Award winner, Underwood has established himself as one of Hollywood's most versatile and respected performers. From his breakthrough role as attorney Jonathan Rollins on NBC's L.A. Law to acclaimed performances on Broadway and in contemporary film and television, he continues to captivate audiences while using his platform to champion humanitarian causes, education, and social change.

Underwood continues to build on his remarkable career with an exciting slate of film and television projects. In 2026, he joined the cast of Fox's medical drama Doc as Dr. Ben Grant, a brilliant and charismatic trauma and cardiothoracic surgeon, following an appearance in the second-season finale and a series regular role in Season 3. He has also joined the cast of the upcoming second season of Apple TV's acclaimed science-fiction series Murderbot, starring Alexander Skarsgård. His recent film work includes Youngblood, a contemporary reimagining of the 1986 hockey drama, in which he portrays the father of a young hockey prodigy; RZA's One Spoon of Chocolate, a socially charged action thriller; and the independent drama The Listeners. He also stars alongside Nia Long and Larenz Tate in the forthcoming Netflix romantic drama Don't Ever Wonder, directed by Eugene Ashe.

In 2024, Underwood delivered a memorable performance as FBI Agent Carter in the critically acclaimed horror thriller Longlegs, directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe. That same year, he appeared in the Starz drama Three Women, adapted from Lisa Taddeo's bestselling book, and the British romantic comedy Smothered. He was also featured in Ava DuVernay's Origin, inspired by Isabel Wilkerson's acclaimed book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Underwood has further expanded his creative work behind the camera, directing, producing, and starring in the independent psychological thriller Viral, in which he portrays a man struggling with paranoia and emotional turmoil following his wife's disappearance.

An accomplished stage actor, Underwood earned his first Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2020 Broadway revival of Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama A Soldier's Play, directed by Kenny Leon. The production earned seven Tony Award nominations and won Best Revival of a Play. In 2021, Underwood served as a producer of Pass Over, the first play to reopen Broadway following the COVID-19 shutdown. He made his Broadway debut in the 2012 revival of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, earning a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award nomination for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski. His extensive theatrical work also includes Othello, Paradise Blue, and The Trip to Bountiful, in which he appeared opposite legendary actress Cicely Tyson.

Throughout his career, Underwood has delivered compelling performances in some of television's most celebrated productions. His credits include Netflix's Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, for which he received an NAACP Image Award, and Ava DuVernay's Emmy-winning limited series When They See Us. He has appeared in Dear White People, Quantico, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., In Treatment, Dirty Sexy Money, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Event, and Impeachment: American Crime Story, portraying civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. His film credits include Set It Off, Deep Impact, Gattaca, Just Cause, Rules of Engagement, Something New, Madea's Family Reunion, and Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal. He also guest-starred in CBS's acclaimed crime comedy Elsbeth.

In April 2026, Underwood released his deeply personal memoir, A Soldier's Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood, published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins. Written with Ylonda Gault and drawing from his mother's writings, recordings, and family memories, the book honors the extraordinary life of Marilyn Underwood, a pioneering fashion professional, entrepreneur, military wife, and mother whose journey was shaped by resilience, faith, and her experience living with multiple sclerosis. Underwood and his sister Marlo also collaborated on the audiobook narration. Through this intimate exploration of family, identity, sacrifice, and personal legacy, he celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of women whose strength and determination help shape generations. An established author, Underwood has also co-written multiple fiction and nonfiction works.

Beyond his work as an actor, Underwood has built an accomplished career as a director, producer, and documentary storyteller. He made his feature-film directorial debut with The Bridge to Nowhere and has directed short films, music videos, commercials, and an award-winning virtual reality concert production for Megadeth. His documentary work includes executive producing and narrating the Peabody Award-winning Mr. SOUL! and narrating and producing Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, which explores the experiences of Black American athletes who competed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He is also an executive producer of Clinton: Portrait of a Presidency and has consistently sought opportunities to bring historically significant and underrepresented stories to audiences.

Underwood's contributions to entertainment have earned him numerous honors, including an Emmy Award as a producer of the philanthropy-focused television series Give and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album as a co-narrator of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. He has also received two Golden Globe nominations, a Tony nomination, and eight NAACP Image Awards. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Underwood continues to advocate for diverse storytelling and meaningful representation in entertainment.

Equally significant is Underwood's longstanding dedication to philanthropy and humanitarian service. He co-founded Artists for a New South Africa, an organization supporting human rights and HIV/AIDS awareness, and has worked with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to expand access to healthcare and combat the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. In recognition of his advocacy, the organization established the Blair Underwood Healthcare Center in Washington, D.C. His charitable efforts have also included supporting youth development, education, and military families, reflecting his own upbringing in a military household. Whether discussing his journey in Hollywood, the lessons learned from his mother's extraordinary life, or the importance of using one's influence for good, Underwood brings a thoughtful perspective on perseverance, leadership, representation, and the lasting impact of service.

Blair Underwood works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.

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

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Speech Topics

An Evening with Blair Underwood

For more than four decades, Blair Underwood has captivated audiences across film, television, and Broadway while building a career defined by versatility, perseverance, and purpose. In this engaging conversation, the award-winning actor, director, producer, and author shares behind-the-scenes stories from L.A. Law, Set It Off, Sex and the City, When They See Us, and his Tony-nominated Broadway performance in A Soldier's Play. Beyond Hollywood, Underwood reflects on growing up in a military family, navigating representation in entertainment, and expanding his creative passions through directing, producing, and writing. He also explores the profound influence of his mother, whose remarkable life and battle with multiple sclerosis inspired his memoir, A Soldier's Wife. With humor, honesty, and personal reflections, Underwood offers an unforgettable look at the experiences, relationships, and defining moments that have shaped his life and extraordinary career.

Audience Takeaways

Behind-the-scenes stories from four decades in entertainment.
Lessons on resilience, reinvention, and pursuing your passions.
Reflections on family, identity, and creating a meaningful legacy.

Defining Your Dream

A dream becomes meaningful when it is matched by the willingness to grow, adapt, and keep moving forward. Blair Underwood draws on his career as an award-winning actor, director, and producer to share how education, versatility, and persistence have shaped his path across film, television, theatre, and literature. Blair reflects on the challenges, transitions, and choices that taught him the importance of staying flexible while remaining focused on long-term goals. Through personal stories and hard-earned perspective, he encourages audiences to recognize their progress, seize opportunities, and keep expanding their vision of what success can look like. His message is a reminder that defining your dream is not a one-time decision, but an ongoing process of growth, reinvention, and purpose.

Audiences will learn:

How adaptability and persistence can support long-term success
Why education and personal growth can expand future opportunities
How to stay motivated while continuing to redefine and pursue meaningful goals

From the Mountaintop to Hip-Hop: The Evolution of Black Culture, Identity & Influence

Black culture has long been a driving force in shaping how America sees itself and how the world understands American identity. Blair Underwood traces the connections between the Civil Rights Movement, Black artistic expression, and the rise of hip-hop as a global cultural force. Drawing on his decades in entertainment and his commitment to representation, Blair explores how storytellers, musicians, actors, and activists have challenged stereotypes, expanded opportunity, and used culture as a vehicle for social change. He also examines how the achievements and struggles of earlier generations continue to influence today’s conversations around identity, creativity, and power. Through history, personal reflection, and lessons from his own career, Blair encourages audiences to honor the legacy behind Black cultural influence while recognizing their role in shaping what comes next.

Audiences will learn:

How the Civil Rights Movement helped shape later forms of Black cultural and artistic expression
How representation across music, film, television, and popular culture can influence identity and public dialogue
How lessons from past generations can inform cultural awareness, civic engagement, and future change

Testimonials

"On behalf of DuPont, we want to thank you for your participation in our event and your inspiring message. From the moment you began your address to the countless times we have received feedback about the inspirational nature of your remarks, you have exceeded our expectations. Your flexibility and graciousness in supporting the scheduling challenges presented by the pandemic is sincerely appreciated. Thank you for weaving the DuPont story into your remarks. We also appreciate you sharing some of your personal life with us to emphasize the importance of determining our individual passion as we decide where and how to serve. You helped to spark an even greater passion for serving others in the hearts of our colleagues. Thank you for playing a part in our mission to engage our employees in their communities through volunteerism and supporting communities to ensure they thrive."

- DuPont

"The event went very well! Yes, Blair captured our audience and was very engaging. He was a pleasure to work with!"

- Educational and Charitable Foundation

"Wow. What a fantastic event we just had! Blair Underwood was a HUGE hit for our 1,000 person crowd. People could not believe how he added such a personal touch to the celebration. He took photos with everyone. He knew everyone by name (first AND last). He played with our daycare children. He was engaged on our campus tour. People said this was the best Civic Celebration they’ve ever been to - and there’s been 48 of them!"

- Salvation Army of the Syracuse Area

"Our event with Blair Underwood was a smashing success. We are still receiving feedback from attendees raving about the program and heartfelt comments by Blair."

- United Way of Central Ohio

"WOW...what an amazing man and fantastic choice as our commencement speaker. During his entire visit, Blair was a pleasure to host. He was kind and approachable during our Friday evening informal dinner at the Country Club, providing our Advisory Board, alumni and faculty/staff the opportunity to meet him and have a photo taken with a genuine smile. His message to our graduates was delivered with such heart and passion—what a true inspiration to our graduates. Our graduates LOVED getting to meet him for autographs after commencement and Blair's kindness and genuine personality made each graduate's brief exchange a positive ending to an already exciting day. We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND him to any other university considering him as their speaker in the future. He truly was an amazing choice! Please extend our warm thanks again to him as well as everyone there at the APB for being so great to work with!"

- Community Affairs, Board Liaison, Penn State Lehigh Valley Advisory Board

"We wanted to share that his presentation was most powerful and the members truly enjoyed."

- United Way of Central Ohio

"He was outstanding and so, so nice! We had over 4,000 people crammed in there - they were hanging from the rafters. They came from everywhere. He read Martin Luther King's MLK speech and I swear I thought it was Martin himself. He made me look good, too by mentioning how hard I had worked to get him here and I really appreciate it. I definitely want him back."

- Friends of Iowa Civil Rights, Inc.