Carl Winston Lumbly (born August 14, 1951)[2] is an American actor. He is known for his role as television's first black superhero in M.A.N.T.I.S., Dick Hallorann in Doctor Sleep, NYPD detective Marcus Petrie on the CBS police drama Cagney & Lacey, CIA agent Marcus Dixon on the ABC espionage drama series Alias, and as the voice of J'onn J'onnz / Martian Manhunter in the animated series Justice League, Static Shock and Justice League Unlimited, all part of the DC Animated Universe.[3] As a reference to his voice work as J'onn, Lumbly portrayed J'onn J'onnz's father, M'yrnn, on The CW's Arrowverse on Supergirl from 2017 until 2019. He also plays Isaiah Bradley, the first Black super-soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installments The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and the forthcoming Captain America: Brave New World (2025).
Carl Lumbly | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Lumbly in 2022 | |
| Born | Carl Winston Lumbly August 14, 1951 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | Macalester College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouses | [1] |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
edit
Lumbly was born to Jamaican immigrants in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[4] He graduated from South High School there and Macalester College in nearby St. Paul.
Lumbly's first career was as a journalist in Minnesota. While on assignment for a story about a workshop theatre, he was cast as an actor. He stayed with the improvisational company for two years and later moved to San Francisco where he discovered a newspaper ad seeking “two black actors for South African political plays.” He went to the audition and landed one of the parts (along with then-unknown Danny Glover). Lumbly and Glover toured in productions of Athol Fugard's Sizwe Bansi is Dead and The Island.[5][6]
Career
editLumbly's first major role was Detective Marcus Petrie on the television series Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988), where his character was paired with Detective Victor Isbecki (Martin Kove). In 1985, he appeared as Theseus in The Gospel At Colonus, an African-American musical iteration of the Oedipus legend on PBS' Great Performances series.
In 1987, he garnered positive reviews for his portrayal of Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale in the HBO television film Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8.[7] From 1989 to 1990, he portrayed ongoing character Earl Williams (named for the prisoner in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's story The Front Page), a teacher falsely accused of the rape/murder of a female student, in the series L.A. Law.[8]
In 1990, he co-starred in Charles Burnett's critically acclaimed film To Sleep with Anger. From 1994 to 1995, Lumbly starred as the main character in the short-lived science fiction series M.A.N.T.I.S.. One of his most visible roles was as Marcus Dixon in the American television series Alias (2001–2006).[9]
Other prominent roles include providing the voice for Martian Manhunter in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited,[10] as well as the character's father, M'yrnn J'onzz, in the series Supergirl. In Superman: The Animated Series, Lumbly voiced the mayor of Metropolis in the episode "Speed Demons" and alien military general Alterus in the episode "Absolute Power". He additionally voiced the villain Stalker on Batman Beyond, and hero Anansi in two episodes of Static Shock.
In 2000, Lumbly portrayed activist and Congressman Ron Dellums in the Disney Channel original film The Color of Friendship.[11] Although the film was focused on Dellums' daughter's friendship with a white South African girl, the film also discussed Dellums' role in ending apartheid in South Africa.
Also in 2000, Lumbly guest starred in the season one The West Wing episode "Six Meetings Before Lunch" as Jeff Breckenridge, a nominee for U.S. Assistant Attorney General who supports reparations for slavery.[12] Lumbly appeared as Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek in the 2004 television series Battlestar Galactica. He also plays a role in the Kane's Wrath expansion pack for the video game Command and Conquer 3. More recently, he played police captain Joe Rucker on TNT's Southland.
In 2021, Lumbly guest starred in several episodes of the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) as Isaiah Bradley, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and will reprise his role in the feature film Captain America: Brave New World (2025).[10][13]
He was also cast as the father of Beth Pearson, Abraham Clarke, in the series, This Is Us.[14]
In 2023, Lumbly portrayed C. Auguste Dupin, a major character in Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher.[15]
Personal life
editLumbly has been married twice and has one son. He was married to actress Vonetta McGee from 1987 until her death in 2010.[4] Together they had one son, born in 1988. Lumbly married author Deborah Santana in 2015 and the couple divorced in 2019.[1]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Escape from Alcatraz | Inmate | |
| 1981 | Caveman | Bork | |
| Lifepod | Keshah | ||
| 1984 | The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension | John Parker | |
| 1987 | The Bedroom Window | Detective Quirke | |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Stadium Janitor | |
| Judgement in Berlin | Edwin Palmer | ||
| Everybody's All-American | Narvel Blue | ||
| 1990 | To Sleep with Anger | Junior | |
| Pacific Heights | Lou Baker | ||
| 1992 | South Central | Ali | |
| 1998 | Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero | Additional voices | Direct-to-video[16] |
| How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Judge Spencer Boyle | ||
| 1999 | Nightjohn | Nightjohn | |
| 2000 | Men of Honor | Mac Brashear | |
| 9mm of Love | Cue | Short film | |
| 2002 | Just a Dream | J.M. Hoagland | |
| 2003 | Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property | Nat Turner – Gray | Documentary |
| 2007 | Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation | Sam Nujoma | |
| 2008 | The Alphabet Killer | Ellis Parks | |
| Immigrants | Splits Jackson | Voice, English dub[16] | |
| 2010 | Nominated | Ray Cowan | [17] |
| 2012 | Justice League: Doom | J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter, Ma'alefa'ak | Voice, direct-to-video[16] |
| 2012 | 99% | Carl Westen | Short film |
| 2015 | Justice League: Gods and Monsters | Silas Stone | Voice, direct-to-video[16] |
| Quitters | Dr. Weiss | ||
| 2016 | Gilpin's Nightmare | Charles Gilpin | Short film |
| Love Twice | Rodrigo | ||
| A Cure for Wellness | Wilson | ||
| 2019 | Doctor Sleep | Dick Hallorann | [18] |
| 2022 | I'm Charlie Walker | Willie | |
| 2024 | The Life of Chuck | Sam Yarbrough | |
| 2025 | Captain America: Brave New World | Isaiah Bradley | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Emergency! | Beutel | Episode: "What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing...?" |
| Undercover with the KKK | Reverend Lowell | Television film | |
| 1980 | Lou Grant | Beutel | Episode: "Hazard" |
| Taxi | Customer #2 | Episode: "Fantasy Borough" | |
| 1981 | The Jeffersons | Jimmy | Episode: "And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds" |
| B. J. and the Bear | Telephone Representative | Episode: "Intercepted Pass" | |
| 1981–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Marcus Petrie | Main role |
| 1985 | Great Performances | Theseus | Episode: "The Gospel at Colonus" |
| 1987 | Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 | Bobby Seale | Television film |
| 1989–1990 | L.A. Law | Earl Williams | 6 episodes |
| 1991 | Eyes of a Witness | Mambulu | Television film |
| Brother Future | Denmark Vesey | Television film | |
| American Experience | Narrator | Episode: "Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind" | |
| 1992 | Back to the Streets of San Francisco | Charlie Walker | Television film |
| 1992–1993 | Going to Extremes | Dr. Norris | Main role |
| 1993 | Tribeca | Ernest | Episode: "The Box" |
| 1994–1995 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Miles Hawkins | Main role |
| 1994 | Out of Darkness | Addison | Television film |
| SeaQuest 2032 | Lamm | Episode: "The Last Lap of Luxury" | |
| On Promised Land | Floyd Ween | Television film | |
| 1994 | Cagney & Lacey: The Return | Marcus Petrie | |
| 1996 | America's Dream | Cal | Television film; segment: "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black" |
| Chicago Hope | Michael Johnson | Episode: "Life Lines" | |
| Nightjohn | John | Television film | |
| Touched by an Angel | Willis Thompson | Episode: "Sins of the Father" | |
| The X-Files | Marcus Duff | Episode: "Teliko" | |
| 1996–1997 | EZ Streets | Christian Davidson | 9 episodes |
| 1997 | The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | William Marcus | Voice, episode: "Other Space"[16] |
| The Ditchdigger's Daughters | Donald Thornton | Television film | |
| Buffalo Soldiers | John Horse | ||
| 1997–1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Alterus, Mayor of Metropolis | Voice, 2 episodes[16] |
| 1998 | The Wedding | Lute McNeil | Television film |
| 1999 | Any Day Now | Nathan | 2 episodes |
| Border Line | Detective Mollo | Television film | |
| ER | Graham Baker | 2 episodes | |
| Strange World | Kevin Manus | Episode: "Eliza" | |
| 1999–2000 | Batman Beyond | Stalker | Voice, 2 episodes[16] |
| The Wild Thornberrys | Red Colobus, Tumbulu | Voice, 2 episodes[16] | |
| 2000 | The Color of Friendship | Ron Dellums | Television film |
| Little Richard | Bud Penniman | ||
| The West Wing | Jeff Breckenridge | Episode: "Six Meetings Before Lunch" | |
| The Magnificent Seven | Obediah Jackson | Episode: "The Trial" | |
| Family Law | Tom Calloway | Episode: "Affairs of the State" | |
| 2001 | American Experience | Frederick Douglass | Episode: "The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry"" |
| Kate Brasher | Jackson Turner | Episode: "Jackson Turner" | |
| Night Visions | Dan | Episode: "A View Through the Window" | |
| 2001–2004 | Justice League | J'onn J'onnz / Martian Manhunter | Voice, main role[16] |
| 2001–2006 | Alias | Marcus Dixon | Main role |
| 2002 | Toonami | Swayzak | Episode: "Trapped in Hyperspace" |
| 2003 | The Wonderful World of Disney | The Father | Episode: "Sounder" |
| Static Shock | J'onn J'onnz / Martian Manhunter, Anansi | Voice, 3 episodes[16] | |
| 2004–2006 | Justice League Unlimited | J'onn J'onnz / Martian Manhunter | Voice, 18 episodes[16] |
| 2005 | Slavery and the Making of America | Salomon Northup | Episode: "Seeds of Destruction" |
| 2006 | Battlestar Galactica | Danny 'Bulldog' Novacek | Episode: "Hero" |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Cordell Baker '08 | Episode: "Wednesday's Women" |
| Grey's Anatomy | Kurt Walling | Episode: "There's No 'I' in Team" | |
| Chuck | Ty Bennett | Episode: "Chuck Versus the Sensei" | |
| 2009 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Tornado Champion, Tornado Tyrant | Voice, episode: "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!"[16] |
| 2010 | Black Panther | S'Yan, additional voices | Voice, 6 episodes[16] |
| Trauma | Special Agent Reynolds | Episode: "Tunnel Vision" | |
| Criminal Minds | James "Jay-Mo" Morris | Episode: "Devil's Night" | |
| 2011 | NCIS | Beau Hindley | Episode: "Tell-All" |
| 2012 | Southland | Joel Rucker | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Family Guy | Loan Officer | Voice, episode: "Baking Bad" |
| Hope: The Last Paladin | Robert Danforth | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2015 | The Returned | Leon Wright | 5 episodes |
| Zoo | Delavenne | 6 episodes | |
| 2016 | UnREAL | Henry Carter | Episode: "Infiltration" |
| 2017 | Six | Robert Chase Sr. | Episode: "Confession" |
| Doubt | Walter Don Burkes | Episode: "#2.5" | |
| 2017–2018 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Charles Langston | 4 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | Supergirl | M'yrnn J'onzz | Recurring role; 15 episodes |
| 2018 | Bunnicula | Lead Prison Guard, Vampire Bat | Voice, episode: "Prism Prison"[16] |
| 2019, 2022 | This Is Us | Abe Clarke | 2 episodes[19] |
| 2020 | God Friended Me | Alphonse Jeffries | Episode: "BFF" |
| Altered Carbon | Lukas Imani | 2 episodes | |
| 2021 | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Isaiah Bradley | 3 episodes |
| Young Justice | M'aatt M'orzz | Voice, 3 episodes[16] | |
| 2021–2022 | S.W.A.T. | Saint | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | The Fall of the House of Usher | C. Auguste Dupin | 8 episodes[20] |
| 2023 | Obliterated | James Langdon | 6 episodes[21] |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Eden |
| 1997 | Macbeth |
| 2013 | The Motherfucker with the Hat |
| Storefront Church | |
| 2015 | Let There Be Love |
| Between Riverside and Crazy | |
| 2016 | Red Velvet |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Alias | Agent Marcus Dixon | |
| 2008 | Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath | Brother Marcion | |
| 2010 | BioShock 2: Minerva's Den | Charles Milton Porter | |
| 2012 | Diablo III | Witch Doctor | Also Reaper of Souls DLC[16] |
| 2013 | Injustice: Gods Among Us | J'onn J'onnz / Martian Manhunter | Uncredited |
| 2015 | Heroes of the Storm | Nazeebo | |
| 2017 | Tacoma | Odin | [16] |
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Carl Lumbly". deborahsantana.com. January 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019.
- ^ According to the State of Minnesota. Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002. At Ancestry.com.
- ^ Hillard, Kyle (July 14, 2013). "Martian Manhunter Coming To Injustice: Gods Among Us". Game Informer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2013.
- ^ a b "Berkeley stage star Carl Lumbly used his art to overcome real-life grief". The Mercury News. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ "Carl Lumbly - About this Artist". LA Phil. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Carl Lumbly: The Man Behind the Martian Manhunter (DCAU, MCU, and Beyond)". YouTube. March 5, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ "HBO'S 'TRIAL OF CHICAGO 8' ACQUITS ITSELF WELL". Chicago Tribune. 1987-05-15. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (1990-02-22). "'L.A. LAW' MAKES GOOD CASE FOR A VERY ENTERTAINING SEASON". Buffalo News. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ Wallenberg, Christopher (2023-01-12). "'Alias' Stars Reflect on 'Phase One' Episode, 20 Years Later". TV Insider. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ a b Betancourt, David (2021-04-29). "Superhero veteran Carl Lumbly returns for a crucial role in 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ Heffley, Lynne (2000-02-05). "A Compelling 'Friendship'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ Beavers, Staci L. (2002). ""The West Wing" as a Pedagogical Tool". PS: Political Science and Politics. 35 (2): 213–216. doi:10.1017/S1049096502000537. ISSN 1049-0965. JSTOR 1554721. S2CID 154392253.
- ^ Gajjar, Saloni (March 27, 2023). "In good Marvel news, Liv Tyler and Carl Lumbly will star in Captain America 4". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Petski, Nellie Andreeva,Denise; Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (2019-02-07). "'This Is Us' Casts Young & Teen Beth; Carl Lumbly To Play Her Father". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Before the fall: Meet the power players of Netflix's 'House of Usher'". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Carl Lumbly (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "Nominated (2010)". IMDb.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 1, 2018). "'Doctor Sleep' Gets Carl Lumbly For Dick Halloran, Alex Essoe For Wendy Torrance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (February 7, 2019). "'This Is Us' Casts Young & Teen Beth; Carl Lumbly To Play Her Father". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Romanchick, Shane (January 31, 2022). "Mike Flanagan's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' Officially Begins Production". Collider. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Lash, Jolie (October 5, 2022). "Carl Lumbly, David Costabile Join Netflix Series Obliterated". TheWrap. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ "1980-1989 Awards". Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. United States. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
External links
edit- Carl Lumbly at IMDb