David Ramsey
David Paul Ramsey (born November 17, 1971) is an American actor, director, and martial artist, best known for his roles in the CW series Arrow as John Diggle/Spartan, Anton Briggs on the Showtime TV series Dexter, and the film Mother and Child (2009) as Joseph.
David Ramsey | |
|---|---|
 Ramsey at the 2016 Phoenix Comicon. | |
| Born | November 17, 1971 |
| Occupation | Actor, Director |
| Years active | 1987–present |
Life and career
Ramsey was born November 17, 1971,[1] in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Wayne State University. From 1997 to 1998, he starred in the UPN sitcom Good News, as pastor David Randolph. In 2000, he starred as Muhammad Ali in the Fox television movie Ali: An American Hero. That year, he appeared in Pay It Forward and started a recurring role in For Your Love. In 2001, he starred as Vince Lee in the South African comedy film "Mr Bones". He has also starred in recurring roles in All of Us, The West Wing, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ghost Whisperer, Wildfire, and Hollywood Residential. From 2008 to 2009, he appeared in 17 episodes of Dexter as Anton Briggs, a pot-smoking confidential informant who has an affair with Debra Morgan in Season 3 and at the start of Season 4. In 2010, he appeared in an episode of Grey's Anatomy and in the short-lived NBC courtroom drama series Outlaw.[2] From 2012 to 2020, he had been pulling double duty, appearing in the main cast of CW's superhero show Arrow, as John Diggle, a military veteran who is Oliver's partner, confidant, bodyguard, and later gained an alter ego, Spartan, since the 4th season. The season 7 episode "Past Sins" was Ramsey's directorial debut. He had also appeared in Arrow's spin off shows such as Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash.[3] Ramsey also starred in the TV series Blue Bloods as Mayor Carter Poole.
Ramsey is an accomplished martial artist, with a black belt in Jeet Kune Do. He has also studied boxing, tae kwon do and Wing Chun, and trained in kickboxing under Benny "Jet" Urquidez.[4][5]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Scared Stiff | George Masterson | |
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Student | |
| A Very Brady Sequel | Brent | ||
| 1997 | Con Air | Londell | |
| 1998 | A Short Wait Between Trains | Jenkins | |
| 1999 | Three to Tango | Bill | |
| 2000 | Pay It Forward | Sidney Parker | |
| 2001 | Mr. Bones | Vince Lee | |
| 2004 | Hair Show | Cliff | |
| 2005 | Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story | J.R. Richard | Produced by Benjamin O. Jimerson-Phillips[6][7] |
| Bathsheba | King David | Short Film | |
| 2006 | Hello Sister, Goodbye Life | Dennis | |
| 2007 | The Death and Life of Bobby Z | Wayne | |
| 2008 | The Coverup | Bill Daily | |
| 2009 | The Rub | Cam Stewart | |
| Mother and Child | Joseph | ||
| 2014 | Draft Day | Thompson | |
| 2015 | Accidental Love | Rep. Bill Harshtone |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Murder One | Reporter #3 | Episode: "Chapter Two" |
| 1996 | Deutschlandlied | George | Television miniseries |
| Space: Above and Beyond | Supervisor | Episode: "The Angriest Angel" | |
| Her Costly Affair | Shep Walker | Television film | |
| 1997–98 | Good News | Pastor David Randolph | Main role |
| 1998 | CHiPs '99 | Officer Sergeant McFall | Television film |
| Mama Flora's Family | Booker Palmer (Adult) | Television film | |
| 1999 | Mutiny | Vernon Nettles | Television film |
| 2000 | Ali: An American Hero | Muhammad Ali | Television film |
| 2000–01 | For Your Love | Brian | 4 episodes |
| 2001 | Girlfriends | Randall | Episode: "Mom's the Word" |
| Thieves | Agent Victor | Episode: "The Long Con" | |
| 2002 | For the People | Episode: "To DNA or Not to DNA" | |
| Romeo Fire | Television film | ||
| The Guardian | Debord's Lawyer | Episode: "No Good Deed" | |
| 2002–03 | One on One | Jayden | Episodes: "Everybody Loves Whom?", "It's a Miserable Life" |
| 2003 | The Flannerys | Sam Gable | Television film |
| Strong Medicine | Jake Cortese | Episode: "Breathing Lessons" | |
| NCIS | Special Agent Richard Owens | Episode: "The Curse" | |
| 2004 | Crossing Jordan | Agent Scannell | Episode: "Is That Plutonium in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?" |
| CSI: Miami | Officer Everhart | Episode: "Wannabe" | |
| Charmed | Upper Level Demon | Episode: "Witch Wars" | |
| Second Time Around | Travis Byrd | Episode: "A Kiss Is Still a Kiss" | |
| 2005 | Central Booking | Troy Stonebreaker | Television film |
| Huff | Clay | 3 episodes | |
| All of Us | Rusty | Recurring role (6 episodes) | |
| Jane Doe: The Wrong Face | Mac | Television film | |
| 2005–08 | Ghost Whisperer | Will | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Hello Sister, Goodbye Life | Uncle Dennis Klein | Television film |
| The West Wing | Teddy - Santos's Turnout Briefer | Episodes: "Welcome to Wherever You Are", "Election Day: Part 1" | |
| Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America | Curtis Ansen | Television film | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Gerald Crowley | Episode: "Burn Out" | |
| 2007 | Criminal Minds | Wakeland | Episode: "Fear and Loathing" |
| Journeyman | Det. Wilson Hargreaves | Episode: "The Legend of Dylan McCleen" | |
| 2008 | Hollywood Residential | Don Merritt | Main role |
| Wildfire | Dr. Noah Gleason | Recurring role (8 episodes) | |
| 2008–09 | Dexter | Anton Briggs | Recurring role (season 3-4) Nominated: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
| 2009 | Castle | Jim Wheeler | Episode: "Fool Me Once..." |
| 2010 | Grey's Anatomy | Jimmy Thompson | Episode: "Sympathy for the Parents" |
| Outlaw | Al Druzinsky | Main role | |
| 2011–2017 | Blue Bloods | Mayor Carter Poole | Recurring role |
| 2012–2020 | Arrow | John Diggle / Spartan | Main Role |
| 2014–2020 | The Flash | 8 episodes | |
| 2016–2017, 2020 | DC's Legends of Tomorrow | 3 episodes | |
| 2018 | Supergirl | Episode: "Elseworlds, Part 3"[8] |
Director
| Year | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Arrow | 2 episodes: "Past Sins", "Reset" |
References
- Rose, Mike (November 17, 2018). "Today's top celebrity birthdays list for November 17, 2018". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- "NBC Unveils 2010-2011 Primetime Schedule Accented by Five New Comedies, Seven New Dramas, and New Alternative Program". The Futon Critic. May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
- https://variety.com/2019/tv/features/arrow-star-david-ramsey-directorial-debut-interview-past-sins-1203118294/
- "Male Celebs Who Practice Martial Arts", Jet, Sept. 24, 2001, at p. 40.
- Sheridan, Brian R. (August 6, 2015). "FOR 'ARROW' STAR DAVID RAMSEY, MARTIAL ARTS IS A WAY OF LIFE". Medium. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- "Greg Carter Resurrects a Baseball Hero". BLT News. 2013. p. 1. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- "Shooting Star". Houston Press. September 2, 2004. p. 1. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
- Bryant, Jacob (December 11, 2018). "'Elseworlds, Part 3' Recap: 2019 'Arrowverse' Crossover Theme Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
