Michael Jai White

Actor

Born November 10, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor and professional martial artist, who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African-American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved as a teen to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he graduated from Central High School in 1988. White started martial arts training at the age of seven and is now an accomplished martial artist, holding seven legitimate black belts in Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, Kobudo, Goju Ryu, Tang Soo Do, Wushu and Kyokushin, with a specific focus in Kyokushin (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms). His first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson, as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. In 1997, he portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 movie Spawn. His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return. 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 Static Shock, Justice League, and the Spawn animated series. 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. His film, Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007. White played the role of the 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 his upcoming 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine. White will make his directorial debut and star in Never Back Down 2, which is slated for a 2011 release. In August 2005 he wed his girlfriend of two years, Courtenay Chatman. The couple have a daughter named Morgan Michelle who was born on December 24, 2008. Michael has two sons from a previous relationship. He is an avid chess player, as seen in his movie Blood and Bone.

Filmography

Coming soon

Why Did I Get Married Again?

Marcus

To Live and Die in the Midwest

The Hook

Malcolm Miller

Special Op: Rent-a-Cop

Brock Belfry

The Secret Between Us

Jack Frazier

Oscar Shaw

Exit Protocol

Isaac Florentine

Hostile Takeover

Pete

Trouble Man

Jaxen

Scream Before You Die

Joe Washington

Don't Mess with Grandma

Chuck Zito: An American Story

Self

One More Shot

Robert Jackson

Outlaw Johnny Black

MR-9: Do or Die

Duke

The Island

Mark

Come Out Fighting

Sergeant AJ 'Red' McCarron

You're Not Alone

Keith Mitchell

A Snowy Day in Oakland

Reverend Carter

The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief

Himself

As Good as Dead

Bryant

The Hit

Brooke

Dead Zone

Boss

Kingdom Business

Julius “Caesar” Jones

The Commando

James Baker

Black Friday

Archie

Take Back

Brian

Rogue Hostage

Sparks

Send It!

Coach

Assault on VA-33

Chief Malone

Bisping

Self

Batman: Soul of the Dragon

Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger (voice)

Welcome to Sudden Death

Jesse Freeman

The Art of Action

Self

Undercover Brother 2

Undercover Brother / Narrator

In Search of the Last Action Heroes

Self

Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks

Self

Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare

Self

Triple Threat

Devereaux

The Hard Way

Payne

Dragged Across Concrete

'Biscuit'

Every Day Is Christmas

Justin

Carl Weber's The Family Business

Vegas Duncan

Making a Killing

Orlando Hudson

Accident Man

Mick

Cops and Robbers

Michael

S.W.A.T.: Under Siege

Scorpion

Insecure

Zeke

The Crooked Man

Milo

Vigilante Diaries

Barrington

Chocolate City: Vegas Strip

Princeton

Never Back Down: No Surrender

Case Walker

The Asian Connection

Greedy Greg

Chain of Command

James Webster

Chocolate City

Princeton

The Real Miyagi

Self

Beyond the Game

Himself

Skin Trade

Reed

black-ish

Vincent

Falcon Rising

John 'Falcon' Chapman

Android Cop

Hammond

Generation Iron

Self

Teen Titans Go!

Don Jackson (voice)

Fedz

Big D

Metal Hurlant Chronicles

Teague

Arrow

Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger

Somebody's Child

Douglas

Black Dynamite

The Philly Kid

Arthur Letts

Freaky Deaky

Donnell Lewis

We the Party

Officer Davis

Tactical Force

Hunt

Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse

Marcus Williams

Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown

Case Walker

Mortal Kombat: Legacy

Major Jackson 'Jax' Briggs

One Angry Juror

Derrick

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth

Jackson Briggs

Why Did I Get Married Too?

Marcus

Black Dynamite

The Legend of Bruce Lee

Ali

Blood and Bone

Isaiah Bone

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Tattooed Man (voice)

PVC-1

The Legend of Bruce Lee

Ali

The Dark Knight

Gambol

Why Did I Get Married?

Marcus

Windfall

Michael

Undisputed II: Last Man Standing

George Chambers

Getting Played

Actor

UnConventional

Self

Clubhouse

Ellis Hayes

Justice League Unlimited

Doomsday (voice)

Silver Hawk

Morris

Justice

Tre

CSI: Miami

Roy Bailey

Pandora's Box

Hampton Hines

The Making of Exit Wounds

Self

Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes

Spawn (archive footage)

Justice League

Doomsday (voice)

Exit Wounds

Lewis Strutt

Boston Public

Darren Schofield

Static Shock

Osebo (voice)

Wonderland

Derrick Hatcher

Freedom Song

Coleman Vaughnes

Universal Soldier: The Return

SETH

Thick as Thieves

Pointy

Breakfast of Champions

Howell

Mutiny

Ben Cooper

Ringmaster

Demond

Spawn

Al Simmons / Spawn

City of Industry

Odell Williams

2 Days in the Valley

Buck

Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal

Carpenter

Captive Heart: The James Mink Story

Elroy

JAG

Peter Quinn / Martin Payne

Tyson

Mike Tyson

Ballistic

Quint

Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike

Silvio

On Deadly Ground

Oil Worker (uncredited)

Living Single

Steve

Full Contact

Low-Ball

Renegade

Luther - Dawn's boyfriend

Martin

Valdez

Universal Soldier

Soldier

True Identity

Alley Guy #1

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze

Audience Man

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie

Apocalypse, Inc. Executive

Saved by the Bell

Military Police Man #2 (uncredited)

The Toxic Avenger Part II

Apocalypse Inc. Executive