Harry Lennix


Harry Joseph Lennix III is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Terrence "Dresser" Williams in the Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats and as Boyd Langton in the Joss Whedon television series Dollhouse. Lennix currently co-stars as Harold Cooper, Assistant Director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division, on the NBC drama The Blacklist. Lennix played General and then Secretary of Defense Calvin Swanwick in the DC Extended Universe.

Early life

The youngest of four siblings, Lennix was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Lillian C., a laundress, and Harry Lennix Jr., a machinist. His mother was African-American and his father was a Creole from Louisiana. Lennix attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South and Northwestern University, where he majored in Acting and Direction. In his senior year at Northwestern, he was the coordinator of the African-American student organization, For Members Only.

Career

Lennix starred in the Showtime Networks made-for-cable television film Keep the Faith, Baby as Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who was a legendary Harlem Congressman from 1944 to 1972; in the movie Titus, based on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, as Aaron the Moor; and in the ABC television series Commander in Chief. Lennix currently co-stars as Harold Cooper, Assistant Director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division, on the NBC drama The Blacklist, which debuted September 23, 2013.
In film, Lennix has had supporting roles such as The Five Heartbeats, Comfortably Numb, Get on the Bus, Love & Basketball, The Matrix series, Ray, ', Stomp the Yard, and State of Play.
In television, he had a recurring role in ' as Agent Ron Wagner as well as a voice-over role in the Legion of Super Heroes animated series. He also had a recurring role in the sixth season of 24 as fictional Muslim civil rights activist Walid Al-Rezani. He appeared on the series House M.D. as a paralyzed jazz trumpet player, and in six episodes of ER as Dr. Greg Fischer. He also appeared in the episode "The Blame Game" of the first season of Ally McBeal. He played the parts of Boyd Langton in Joss Whedon's series Dollhouse and U.S. president Barack Obama in the comedy sketch show Little Britain USA.
In 2007, he was an official festival judge at the first annual Noor Iranian Film Festival.
In July 2014, he formed his own production company Exponent Media Group along with long time business partner Steve Harris. EMG had a distribution deal with NEHST studios for three of the company's titles Mr. Sophistication, H4 and Revival!

Personal life

In 2009, Lennix married business executive Djena Graves.

Filmography

Film

Television