Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood has built a distinguished career across film, television, and theatre, earning acclaim as an actor while expanding his creative influence as a director, producer, and author. With a body of work defined by range, depth, and longevity, he stands among the rare artists whose impact extends both in front of and behind the camera.
Underwood currently stars in Youngblood, a reimagining of the 1980s hockey film, and co-stars in RZA’s indie feature One Spoon of Chocolate, which premiered at Tribeca. He recently completed production on the upcoming Netflix romance Don’t Ever Wonder, alongside Larenz Tate and Nia Long. He also joins the cast of the hit FOX series Doc as Dr. Ben Grant—a world-class trauma and cardiothoracic surgeon whose confidence matches his extraordinary talent. He will appear in the two-hour season finale and return as a series regular in season three, premiering this fall.
In 2024, Underwood garnered critical acclaim for his role in Longlegs, directed by Oz Perkins and starring Nicolas Cage, widely described as one of the most chilling films of the decade. That same year, he co-starred in the Starz drama Three Women, the Sky TV romantic comedy Smothered, and appeared in Ava DuVernay’s Origin, adapted from Isabel Wilkerson’s best-selling book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.
Expanding his work behind the camera, Underwood directed, produced, and starred in the psychological thriller Viral, portraying a man spiraling into paranoia after his wife’s disappearance. The film explores themes of trauma, perception, and emotional survival.
On stage, Underwood earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Play for his role in the 2020 revival of A Soldier’s Play, which won Best Revival of a Play. He later served as a producer on Pass Over, the first production to reopen Broadway following the COVID-19 shutdown.
His extensive television career includes standout roles in Quantico, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Dirty Sexy Money, The New Adventures of Old Christine, In Treatment, The Event, and the iconic L.A. Law. His film credits include Set It Off, Deep Impact, Rules of Engagement, Just Cause, and Madea’s Family Reunion. He also starred opposite Cicely Tyson in A Trip to Bountiful.
Underwood has executive produced and narrated acclaimed documentaries including the Peabody Award-winning Mr. SOUL! and Olympic Pride, American Prejudice. He made his feature directorial debut with The Bridge to Nowhere and has directed music videos, commercials, and award-winning virtual reality projects.
An accomplished author, Underwood has contributed to multiple best-selling works. His latest book, A Soldier’s Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood, will be released April 14 by HarperCollins.
His accolades include an Emmy Award (as producer of Give), two Golden Globe nominations, 17 NAACP Image Award nominations (with eight wins), a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word, and an Audie Award for Best Non-Fiction Narrator. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Underwood is also actively engaged in philanthropic initiatives.
