Malik Yoba

Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba[1] (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor and occasional singer. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama New York Undercover and as Yul Brenner in Cool Runnings. He also appeared as former FBI Special Agent Bill Harken on the Syfy drama series Alphas, as Jim Hudson in Revolution as well as Vernon Turner in Empire.

Malik Yoba
Yoba in 2010
Born
Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba

(1967-09-17) September 17, 1967
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor, singer
Years active1993–present
Known for
Children3

More recently, he starred in the role of FBI Deputy Director Jason Atwood in the ABC political drama Designated Survivor.[2] He was a guest host of the popular weekly music series Soul Train in May 1997. In 2018, he joined the Netflix drama Seven Seconds as a member of a support group for parents who had lost their children.

Career

In 1994, Yoba began his role on the popular FOX police drama series New York Undercover, opposite Michael DeLorenzo. Yoba and DeLorenzo made television history, as the series was the first police drama on American television to feature two people of color in the starring roles.[3] Yoba's work on New York Undercover earned him three consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (in 1996, 1997, and 1998).

An accomplished singer and stage actor, Yoba's talents were showcased in His Woman His Wife, in which he had the lead role.[4]

Yoba has also appeared in films such as Cool Runnings and Criminal. He has made appearances on the FOX television series Arrested Development as Ice, a bounty hunter whose real love is party planning, and had a recurring role as Brock Harris on the UPN sitcom Girlfriends. Yoba also appeared in the FX Networks crime drama Thief and the NBC crime drama Raines. He appeared as Gavin in the 2007 Tyler Perry film Why Did I Get Married? and its 2010 sequel Why Did I Get Married Too? In 2009, he co-starred as astronaut Ted Shaw on the futuristic ABC drama Defying Gravity. Recently, he announced his plans to bring back New York Undercover to the small screen in a modern TV series adaptation of the original series. Law & Order writer Courtney Parker penned a spec script for networks to bid on.[5]

From 2011 to 2012, Yoba appeared as former FBI Special Agent Bill Harken on Alphas, a science fiction drama series about a team of people with special abilities who belong to a secret department attached to the DOD. In 2013, Yoba joined the cast of Revolution as Jim Hudson, a former captain of the Monroe Republic. In 2015, he joined the cast of Lee Daniels’ Empire as Vernon Turner, Lucious Lyon's business partner and chairman of Empire Entertainment, playing the character through the first season.

Personal life

Family

The fourth of six children,[6] Yoba was born in the Bronx, New York; his parents are Mahmoudah Young (née Lanier) and Abdullah Yoba.[1][7][8] He has three children, daughters Pria and Dena, and a son, Josiah.

Malik Yoba took to social media to announce he would be a participant in the National Trans Visibility March in Washington, D.C.,[9] and publicly revealed he is sexually attracted to pre-operative trans women, though he considers himself to be heterosexual. It has since been alleged by trans activist Mariah Lopez Ebony that Mr. Yoba engaged in inappropriate paid sexual activity with her when she was a minor.[10] Though Mr. Yoba denies the allegation, as a result of the media storm regarding the controversial accusation, Mr. Yoba was removed from his position as spokesman for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which is focused on providing mentorship to "pre-teen and teen-aged males" through social, cultural and educational enrichment.[11]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Cool Runnings Yul Brenner
1995 Smoke The Creeper
1995 Blue in the Face Watch Man
1997 Cop Land Det. Carson
1997 Soul Food Studio Engineer
1998 Ride Poppa
1999 Personals Keith Parker
1999 Harlem Aria Luke
2000 His Woman, His Wife Stuart Banks Video
2002 Dreaming in Black and White Chris Jones
2003 Vote for Me The Professor
2003 Playas Ball Himself
2004 Criminal Frank Hill
2004 Oh Happy Day Moses Jackson
2005 Slur Jordan Short film
2005 Kids in America Will Drucker
2006 They're Just My Friends Pat Black Sr.
2007 Rockaway Case
2007 Why Did I Get Married? Gavin
2007 Feel the Noise The Mayor
2010 My Girlfriend's Back Dereck Scott
2010 Why Did I Get Married Too? Gavin
2012 Allegiance Staff Sergeant Hart
2014 The Assault Coach Tim Miller
2015 Brotherly Love Overbrook Coach
2016 Lucky Girl Gerard Jackson
2016 Paradox Mr. Landau
2017 'Til Death Do Us Part Rob
2018 Take Point Gerald
2019 Awake Frank Ward

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Where I Live Fisher Episode: "Local Hero"
1994 Law & Order Pat Williams Episode: "Wager"
1994–1999 New York Undercover Det. Julius Clarence "J.C." Williams Main role
1998 Black Jaq Gregory 'Greg' Franklin TV movie
1998 For Your Love Keith Episode: "Divorce-i-versary"
1999 Trinity Sam Davis Episode: "Having Trouble with the Language"
Episode: "Breaking In, Breaking Out, Breaking Up, Breaking Down"
2000–2001 Bull Corey Granville 20 episodes
2003 Violation Patrick Matthews TV movie
2003 Kingpin Bobby Curtis TV miniseries
2003 The Twilight Zone Shawn Episode: "Developing"
2003–2007 Girlfriends Brock Harris 7 episodes
2004 The Days Gib Taylor 4 episodes
2004 Arrested Development Ice Episode: "Amigos"
Episode: "Good Grief!"
2006 Thief Elmo "Mo" Jones 6 episodes
2006 That's So Raven Judge Episode: "Checkin' Out"
2007 Raines Charlie Lincoln 7 episodes
2008 Inseparable Curtis Raleigh TV movie
2008 CSI: Miami Reggie Mastow Episode: "Power Trip"
2009 Defying Gravity Ted Shaw 13 episodes
2010 Justified Toby Griffin Episode: "Hatless"
2011 The Celibate Nympho Chronicles: The Web Series Bustah Episode: "Bustah Nut"
2011 Nikita Wallace Episode: "Fair Trade"
2011–2012 Alphas Bill Harken Series regular
2012 Person of Interest Andre Wilcox Episode: "Wolf and Cub"
2012 NYC 22 Ray-Ray Burnell Episode: "Turf War"
2013 Betty & Coretta Martin Luther King Jr. TV movie
2013 Revolution Jim Hudson Recurring role
2013 The Good Wife Eddie Fornum Episode: "Everything is Ending"
2014 Turks & Caicos Jim Carroll TV movie
2015 Empire Vernon Turner Series regular
2015 Blue Bloods Det. Darryl Reid Episode: "Flags of Our Fathers"
2016–2017 Designated Survivor Jason Atwood Recurring role
2018 Gotham Major Rodney Harlan Episode: "A Dark Knight: No Man's Land"
2018 The Last O.G. Wavy Recurring role
2018 God Friended Me Uncle Terence Episode 5
2019 - present First Wives Club Derrick Main role

2020 |The Family business |Randy |Recurring Role|}

References
  1. Malik Yoba Biography (1967– ). Filmreference.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-20.
  2. Petski, Denise (21 July 2016). "'Designated Survivor': Malik Yoba Joins ABC Drama Starring Kiefer Sutherland".
  3. "Hip-Hop Cops", TV Guide, October 15, 1994, at p. 29.
  4. His Woman, His Wife (Video 2000). IMDB.com
  5. "Malik Yoba Announces New York Undercover Revamp". wiznation.com. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  6. "TV star shines on others. 'New York Undercover's' Malik Yoba gives back". The Washington Times. August 13, 1996. (subscription required)
  7. Malik Yoba Biography – Yahoo! Movies. Movies.yahoo.com (1967-09-17). Retrieved on 2011-11-20.
  8. "Why Cool Runnings and Empire Actor Is The Perfect Example of a Phi Beta Sigma Brother". Watch The Yard. August 15, 2016.
  9. https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/malik-yoba-says-hes-attracted-to-trans-women-will-host-1837831472
  10. https://newsone.com/3885888/trans-woman-accuses-malik-yoba/
  11. https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/phi-beta-sigma-removes-malik-yoba-from-youth-leadership-1838019126
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