| Birth date | August 26, 1976 (age 50) |
|---|---|
| Education | Benedict College University of South Carolina, Columbia (BA) Rutgers University, New Brunswick (MFA) |
| Spouse | Iva Colter (m. 2002) |
| Relatives | Viola Davis (second cousin) |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Mike Colter (born August 26, 1976)[1] is an American actor best known for his roles as Luke Cage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2015–present) and David Acosta in the CBS/Paramount+ series Evil (2019–2024). He has also appeared as Lemond Bishop in the television series The Good Wife (2010–2015) and The Good Fight (2018–2019), Malcolm Ward in Ringer (2011–2012), and Agent J's father in Men in Black 3 (2012), and Jameson Locke in the Halo franchise (2014–2015).
Early life
Colter is a graduate of Calhoun County High School. In his senior high school yearbook, his senior superlative as voted by the class was "most ambitious."[2] Colter spent a year at Benedict College before transferring to the University of South Carolina, receiving a bachelor's degree in theater in 1999. He obtained an MFA degree in acting from the Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts.[3][4]
Career
Colter's first role was in the film Million Dollar Baby as boxer Big Willie Little. He also guest starred on Law & Order: Trial By Jury, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, The Good Wife, ER, and The Parkers as well as several television films. He starred in the series Ringer.[5]
In 2012, Colter appeared in Men in Black 3 as Agent J's father.
In 2014, Colter began portraying the role of Agent Jameson Locke in the Halo franchise.[6] Colter starred in the series Halo: Nightfall and provided the motion capture for Locke in Halo 5: Guardians, with Ike Amadi voicing the character.
Colter co-starred as Luke Cage / Carl Lucas in Jessica Jones on Netflix. The first season was released online on November 20, 2015.[7] This was followed by a solo series, Luke Cage, with the first season being released on September 30, 2016. The second season release followed on June 22, 2018.[8] In between the two seasons, Colter also appeared as Cage in The Defenders.
Colter starred in the 2018 alien invasion film Extinction.[9]
Colter was announced as the male lead in the CBS drama pilot, Evil as David Acosta, a Catholic seminarian who assesses unexplained phenomena for supernatural or scientific explanations.[10]
In 2020, Colter starred in the Netflix anthology series Social Distance.[11]
In 2023, Colter and Gerard Butler starred in the film Plane by Lionsgate Play.[12][13] Colter was expected to headline a sequel titled Ship, but the film was cancelled before production commenced.[14]
Colter reprised his role as Luke Cage in the second season finale of the Marvel Studios' Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again and is set to return in the third season.[15]
Personal life
Colter met his future wife, Iva, at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where they were both graduate students. The couple married in 2002.[16][17] They have two daughters.[18] Colter is a second cousin of actress Viola Davis.[19][20] He resides in Los Angeles.
In 2019, Colter played for the "home" roster during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at the Bojangles' Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The roster was made up of celebrities with Carolina roots.[21]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Million Dollar Baby | Big Willie Little | |
| 2005 | Brooklyn Lobster | Jamal | |
| 2007 | And Then Came Love | Yuppie Paul | |
| 2010 | Salt | CIA Tactical Leader | |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | Col. James Darrell Edwards II | |
| Zero Dark Thirty | DEVGRU Operative Mike | ||
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Stewart Pierce | |
| 2018 | Extinction | David | |
| Skin | Daryle Lamont Jenkins | ||
| 2019 | Before You Know It | Charles | |
| Breakthrough | Tommy Shine | ||
| Black and Blue | Darius Tureau | ||
| 2020 | Fatale | Rafe Grimes | |
| 2021 | South of Heaven | Whit Price | |
| 2022 | I'm Charlie Walker | Charlie Walker | |
| Carter | Smith | ||
| 2023 | Plane | Louis Gaspare | |
| Murder City[citation needed] | Neil | ||
| 2024 | The Union | Nick Faraday | |
| 2025 | Alarum | Orlin |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ER | Watts | Episode: "Hindsight" |
| The Parkers | Lamar | Episode: "Lights, Camera, Action" | |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Officer Billy Tolbert | Episode: "Blue Wall" |
| Silver Bells | Bill | Television film | |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dave Oldren | Episode: "Albatross" |
| 2009 | Taking Chance | Master Gunnery Sgt. Demetry | Television film |
| Solving Charlie | Jack Dash | Television film | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Joseph Serumaga | Episode: "Hell" | |
| 2010 | Royal Pains | Officer Tanner | Episode: "Lovesick" |
| 2010–2015 | The Good Wife | Lemond Bishop | Recurring cast (season 1-2 & 4-6) Guest (season 3); 21 episodes |
| 2011 | Blue Bloods | Cliff Reacher | Episode: "The Blue Templar" |
| 2011–2012 | Ringer | Malcolm Ward | Main cast; 16 episodes |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Colin Bramwell | Episode: "Final Shot" |
| The Surgeon General | Dr. McCallan | Television film | |
| 2013–2014 | American Horror Story: Coven | David | Recurring cast; 3 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | The Following | Nick Donovan | Recurring cast (season 1 & 3); 8 episodes |
| 2014 | Halo: Nightfall | Agent Jameson Locke | Main cast; 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Agent X | Miles Lathem | Main cast; 10 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | Jessica Jones | Luke Cage | Main role (season 1); 7 episodes Guest role (season 3); Episode: "A.K.A. Everything" |
| 2016 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Mike Colter Wears a Pink Button Up and Black Boots" |
| 2016–2018 | Luke Cage | Luke Cage / Carl Lucas | Lead role; 26 episodes |
| 2017 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Playing Hardwick to Get" |
| Breakthrough | Himself/Narrator (voice) | Episode: "Addiction: A Psychedelic Cure?" | |
| The Defenders | Luke Cage | Main role, miniseries; 8 episodes | |
| 2018 | Comic Book Men | Himself | Episode: "Power Man vs. Counter Man" |
| American Dad! | Guerrilla Soldier (voice) | Episode: "(You Gotta) Strike for Your Right" | |
| 2018–2019 | The Good Fight | Lemond Bishop | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Drop the Mic | Himself | Episode: "Mike Colter vs. Ne-Yo and Christina Milian vs. Ashlee Simpson" |
| Hollywood Game Night | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Kiss Me in Lamorne-ing" | |
| Seis Manos | Brister (voice) | Main cast 8 episodes | |
| 2019–2024 | Evil | David Acosta | Main cast 50 episodes |
| 2020 | Tiny Creatures | Narrator (voice) | Main cast 8 episodes |
| Monsterland | Brian Cooke | Episode: "Newark, New Jersey" | |
| Social Distance | Ike | Episode: "Delete All Future Events" | |
| 2021 | Match Game | Himself/Celebrity Panelist | Episode #6.2 |
| City Confidential | Himself/Narrator (voice) | Main narrator (season 12) | |
| 2024 | Accused | John | Episode: "Megan's Story"[22][23] |
| 2026–present | Daredevil: Born Again | Luke Cage | Guest role (season 2); Episode: "The Southern Cross" Main role (season 3); Filming |
| 2026 | M.I.A. | Dominick Pierre | Recurring cast; 3 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Halo: The Master Chief Collection | Spartan Jameson Locke | |
| 2015 | Halo 5: Guardians | Also likeness Motion-capture only |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ "Famous birthdays list for August 26, 2023 includes celebrities Chris Pine, Macaulay Culkin". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ Mitchell, Maurice (December 23, 2014). "7 Fast Facts About Mike Colter Marvel's Luke Cage". The Geek Twins. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ Gleaton, Dionne (July 22, 2012). "Following a dream: St. Matthews native navigating acting world". The Times and Democrat
- ^ Myers, Marc (2020-06-16). "To Act or Not to Act? For Mike Colter, That Was Never a Question". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ "Mike Colter | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ Opam, Kwame (November 10, 2015). "Meet the new face of 'Halo'". The Verge. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (November 20, 2015). "'Jessica Jones' star Mike Colter a powerhouse as Luke Cage". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ^ Stedman, Alex (2016-12-04). "'Luke Cage' Renewed for Season 2 on Netflix". Variety. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
- ^ Caron, Nathalie (2017-04-21). "Luke Cage's Mike Colter joins alien invasion movie Extinction". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim (2019-02-19). "Luke Cage' Star Mike Colter Cast as Lead on CBS Drama Pilot 'Evil'". www.thewrap.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
- ^ Warner, Sam (2020-08-27). "Luke Cage's Mike Colter returns to Netflix in quarantine-shot series Social Distance". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ "Gerard Butler and Mike Colter talk new 'Plane' movie". MSN. Archived from the original on 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ Elfadl, Murtada (2023-01-13). "Mike Colter on building trust with Gerard Butler in their film Plane". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ Rouse, Lauren (February 18, 2026). "Gerard Butler's Plane 2 Gets Officially Cancelled (Exclusive)". TheDirect. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ^ Loving, Casey (April 3, 2026). "The Defenders Spotted on Set for 'Daredevil: Born Again' Season 3, Suggesting Netflix Reunion | Photos". TheWrap. Archived April 4, 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ^ "Fun Facts About 'Evil' Star Mike Colter's Wife, Iva Colter". YourTango. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ Sihlangu, Junie (2020-12-26). "Mike Colter's Wife Iva Works at Netflix — Glimpse into the Actor's Interracial Marriage". news.amomama.com. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ Zauzmer, Emily (October 22, 2018). "Mike Colter Welcomes Baby as Luke Cage Is Canceled: 'As One Door Closes, Another Has Opened'". People. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
- ^ Sharma, Nemisha (December 6, 2015). "'Luke Cage': 5 Cool Things You Didn't Know About Marvel/Netflix Star Mike Colter". Design & Trend. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
- ^ DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God (September 30, 2016). "Mike Colter Interview With The Breakfast Club (9-30-16)" (Radio program). The Breakfast Club. Archived 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ "ESPN and NBA announce celebrity rosters and coaches for 2019 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles exclusively on ESPN". NBA.com. February 6, 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- ^ "Accused: Season 2 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-12-15.
External links
- Mike Colter at IMDb
- Mike Colter on Instagram