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Hill Harper

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Hill Harper
Harper with his book, Letters to a Young Brother, in St. Louis (2007)
Born
Francis Eugene Harper [1]

(1966-05-17) May 17, 1966 (age 58)
Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
Other namesF. Hill Harper
Alma materBrown University
Harvard University
Occupation(s)Actor, author
Years active1993–present

Francis Eugene Harper [2] (born May 17, 1966), known professionally as Hill Harper, is an American film, television and stage actor, and author. He is best known for playing Will Beckford in the 2000 teen thriller The Skulls.

Early life

Harper was born in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of Harry Harper, a psychiatrist, and Marilyn Hill, who was one of the first black practicing anesthesiologists in the United States.[3][4][5] He has been acting since the age of 7. Harper graduated from Bella Vista High School in 1984. He then graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1988. In 1992 Harper graduated with a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. In addition, he also received his Master of Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[6] During his years at Harvard, he was a full-time member of Boston's Black Folks Theater Company, one of the oldest and most acclaimed black theater troupes in the country.[7] While a student at Harvard, Harper befriended Barack Obama.[8] Harper and Obama met on the basketball court and became good friends during their first year as law students.

Although Harper earned three Ivy League degrees, he decided to pursue acting and moved to Los Angeles. He has received several honorary degrees, including honorary doctorates from both Westfield State College and Howard University.[9] Born Francis Eugene Harper, he adopted the name "Hill" as a tribute to both his maternal and paternal ancestors.[10]

Acting career

Harper's first roles in television began in 1993, in a recurring role on the Fox series Married... with Children while also making his film debut in the short film Confessions of a Dog. He had his first acting role in a feature film with Spike Lee's Get on the Bus (1996), which cast him as a UCLA film student riding a bus to the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. He went on to further demonstrate his versatility in such films as Christopher Scott Cherot's Hav Plenty (1997) and Lee's He Got Game (1998), the former of which featured him as an egotistical pop-soul singer.

His profile subsequently rose on both the mainstream and independent film circuits, thanks to roles in films ranging from Beloved (1998) to the independent romantic comedy Loving Jezebel (1999) to The Skulls (2000). Harper did some of his most acclaimed work in Jordan Walker-Pearlman's The Visit (2000), an independent drama in which he starred as a prisoner dying of AIDS who tries to put his life back together.[11]

Harper played coroner-turned-crime scene investigator Sheldon Hawkes on the CBS crime drama CSI: NY for nine seasons. He also portrayed Leshem in the 2010 Syfy original movie Stonehenge Apocalypse.[12]

In February 2013 it was announced that CSI: NY would be ending and Harper would be joining the cast of Covert Affairs as a series regular.[13]

From April 21, 2015 to May 10, 2015, Hill Harper starred as “Hard Rock“ in the Off-Broadway play "ToasT". The play (produced by Lemon Andersen and co-starred Keith David) was set in the Attica Prison around the time of its 1971 prison riot and told of the lives of its prisoners using poetic prose.[14]

Writing career and political advocacy

Harper is the author of several books: Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny, was published in 2006, Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny, was published in 2008; The Conversation: How (Black) Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships, was published in 2010. His books, The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place and The Wiley Boys were both published in 2011. And his book, Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones was published in 2013.

In January 2008, Hill Harper participated in "Yes We Can", a music video supporting (Successful) Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. The "Yes We Can" music video was produced by will.i.am. Harper is a member of the Obama for America National Finance Committee.[15] As of October 2009, Hill has made several contributions to political candidates, exclusively to Democrats. Harper endorsed the 10,000 Bookbags[16] back to school backpack campaign to help local disadvantaged children with Urban Change Ministries founder Pastor Jay Cameron of the Life Center and R&B singer Ginuwine.[17] Harper stated that he is a fiscal conservative when he appeared on the political talk show Hannity on September 10, 2009. On February 22, 2016 the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announced that Hill Harper would be their National Spokesman.[18]

Awards and recognition

In the fall of 2008, Harper was initiated as a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity with his line brothers Dr. Naim Akbar of Florida State University and former NFL player Leo LeMarcus Newman.[19]

Harper won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for three consecutive years (2008–2010) for his portrayal of Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY. Previously he had been nominated for the award for three consecutive years (2005–2007), for the same character. In 2000, he had also been nominated for the award, for his role in the medical drama City of Angels. On January 9, 2014 his book Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction.

People magazine named Hill Harper as one of the “Sexiest Men Alive” for 2004, and again for 2014.[20][21]

Personal life

While writing his book The Wealth Cure: Putting Money In Its Place, Hill was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. After treatment, he was given a clean bill of health.[22]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings Peter
1996 Get on the Bus Xavier
1997 Steel Slats
1997 Hav Plenty Michael Simmons
1998 The Nephew Chad Egan-Washington
1998 Beloved Halle
1998 He Got Game Coleman 'Booger' Sykes
1998 Park Day Steve Johnson
1999 In Too Deep Breezy T.
1999 Loving Jezebel Theodorous
1999 Slaves of Hollywood Fisher Lovelace
2000 The Skulls Will Beckford
2000 The Visit Alex Waters Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
2003 Love, Sex and Eating the Bones Michael Joseph
2005 Constellation Errol Hickman
2006 Max and Josh Josh Short film
2006 The Breed Noah
2006 Premium Ed
2008 This Is Not a Test Carl
2008 A Good Man Is Hard to Find Damion Marshall
2010 For Colored Girls Donald Watkins
2011 Mama, I Want to Sing! Jeff Andrews
2011 The Shanghai Hotel Carlos
2013 Miss Dial Political Nutcase
2013 The Volunteer Phil
2013 1982 Tim Brown
2014 Parts Per Billion Rick
2015 The Boy Next Door Principal Edward Warren
2015 Concussion Christopher Jones
2016 All Eyez on Me Journalist In Post Production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Life Goes On Nurse #2 Episode: "Incident on Main"
1993–94 Married... with Children Aaron Mitchell 5 episodes
1994 Renegade Clarence 'Dex' Dexter Episode: "South of 98"
1994 M.A.N.T.I.S. — Episode: "Tango Blue"
1994 Walker, Texas Ranger B.J. Mays Episode: "Badge of Honor"
1994 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Dana Episode: "Will Steps Out"
1995 The Client J-Top Episode: "Them That Has..."
1995 Live Shot Tommy Greer 13 episodes
1996 NYPD Blue Bo-Bo Thomas Episode: "The Blackboard Jungle"
1996 Dangerous Minds Darryl Episode: "Family Ties"
1997 ER Mr. Jackson Episode: "Obstruction of Justice"
1998 Cosby Preston Episode: "Men Are from Mars Women Are from Astoria"
1998 Mama Flora's Family Don Television movie
2000 City of Angels Dr. Wesley Williams 24 episodes
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
2002 The Court Christopher Bell Unsold TV pilot
2002 The Twilight Zone Professor John Woodrell Episode: "Shades of Guilt"
2003–04 The Handler Darnell 16 episodes
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series
2004 Soul Food Kelvin Chadway 2 episodes
2004 The Sopranos Stokley Davenport M.D. Episode: "Irregular Around the Margins"
2004 CSI: Miami Dr. Sheldon Hawkes Episode: "MIA/NYC NonStop"
2004–13 CSI: NY Dr. Sheldon Hawkes 197 episodes
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2008–10)
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2005–07, 2011–13)
2005 The 4400 Edwin Mayuya Episode: "Rebirth"
2005 Lackawanna Blues Ruben, Jr. (Adult) Television movie
2009 The Game Himself Episode: "Hill Street Blues"
2010 Stonehenge Apocalypse Joseph Lesham Television movie
2013–14 Covert Affairs Calder Michaels 32 episodes
2015 Madam Secretary Aiden Humphrey Episode: "The Kill List"
2015-16 Limitless Spelman Boyle 22 episodes. Can be seen on Netflix.
2016 Braxton Family Values Himself Episode: "You Gotta Get Pelvic to Pelvic!"
2016 Unsung Hollywood Himself Episode: "Hill Harper"
2017 Homeland Chief of Staff Regular Cast[23]

Published works

  • Harper, Hill (2007). Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592402496.
  • Harper, Hill (2009). Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592404599.
  • Harper, Hill (2010). The Conversation: How (Black) Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592405787.
  • Harper, Hill (2011). The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592406500.
  • Harper, Hill (2011). The Wiley Boys. Harper Hill. ISBN 978-0974721873.
  • Harper, Hill (2013). Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592407248.

References

  1. ^ "8 Things You Didn't Know About Actor Hill Harper" The Huffington Post Retrieved July 3, 2016
  2. ^ "8 Things You Didn't Know About Actor Hill Harper" The Huffington Post Retrieved July 3, 2016
  3. ^ "Hill Harper: Biography, Latest News & Videos". TV Guide. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
  4. ^ Huntley, Kristine (January 25, 2006). "Hill Harper". CSI Files. Retrieved May 10, 2007.
  5. ^ Lynn (May 4, 2007). "Hill Harper is Much More Than Meets the Eye". EveryJoe.com. Retrieved May 10, 2007.
  6. ^ "Hill Harper bio". Manifest Your Destiny Foundation. Retrieved November 15, 2010. Archived July 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Miller, Kiley (December 15, 2007). "Actor returns to Iowa for Obama". The Hawk Eye. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  8. ^ Dani, Sarika (October 24, 2008). "Actor and Obama pal Hill Harper: 'He gets it right'". msnbc.com. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  9. ^ "Hill Harper has received 7 honorary doctorate degrees." Manifest Your Destiny Foundation's web site Retrieved April 19, 2016
  10. ^ "8 Things You Didn't Know About Actor Hill Harper" The Huffington Post Retrieved July 3, 2016
  11. ^ Scott, A. O. (December 15, 2000). "Overcoming Bitterness On the Way to Redemption". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  12. ^ Foy, Scott (June 9, 2010). "Watch a Preview of the Stonehenge Apocalypse!". DreadCentral. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  13. ^ Ng, Philiana (February 22, 2013). "CSI: NY Star Hill Harper Joins Covert Affairs as Series Regular". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  14. ^ ToasT Opens in Public Theatre BroadwayBlack.com Retrieved July 24, 2016
  15. ^ "Obama for America National Finance Committee". George Washington University. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
  16. ^ "Support Our 10,000 Bookbag Giveaway on 8.8.09". The Life Center – Urban Change. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  17. ^ Pendleton, Tonya (August 12, 2009). "Ginuwine, Hill Harper Lead Back-to-School Effort". BlackAmericaWeb.com. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  18. ^ "Hill Harper Named as Lawyers' Committee's National Spokesperson" Retrieved February 22, 2016
  19. ^ "Actor Hill Harper Is INDUCTED into the African American Fraternity ALPHA PHI ALPHA". Media Take Out. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  20. ^ "Sexiest Men Alive List 2004"People magazine Retrieved July 4, 2016
  21. ^ "Sexiest Men Alive List 2014 : Sexy at Every Age"People magazine Retrieved July 4, 2016
  22. ^ Rhone, Nedra (August 22, 2011). "Actor Hill Harper cures his health and America's wealth". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  23. ^ "'Homeland' adds actors from 'The Flash,' 'Limitless'". Retrieved 2016-08-13.
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