born Dec. 28, 1954, Mount Vernon, N.Y., U.S.
U.S. film actor.
A graduate of Fordham University, he began his career as a stage actor. Featured in the television series St. Elsewhere (1982–88), he also appeared in movies from 1981 and won acclaim for his roles in Cry Freedom (1987), Glory (1989, Academy Award), and Mississippi Masala (1991). Praised for his portrayal of the title character in Spike Lee 's Malcolm X (1992), he became one of the most popular leading men of the 1990s, starring in films such as Philadelphia (1993), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), He Got Game (1998), and Training Day (2001, Academy Award).