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Mekhi Phifer
Actor

Mekhi Phifer

29 Dec 1974Born
51Age
66Credits
New York City, New York, USABirthplace

Biography

Mekhi Thira Phifer (born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his multi-year role as Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama ER and his co-starring role opposite Eminem in the feature film 8 Mile. He was a regular on the Fox crime show Lie to Me portraying the role of Ben Reynolds, before season 3. He was born in in Harlem, New York City, the son of Rhoda Phifer, a high school teacher; he grew up in a single-parent household with his mother.

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His acting career began in 1995, when Phifer attended an open casting call for director Spike Lee’s Clockers, beating over a thousand others to get the lead role as a narcotics dealer embroiled in a murder cover-up. He followed that role with another in the comedy spoof feature High School High (which also starred his former wife Malinda Williams) and continued by co-starring in the fright flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr. Among Phifer’s other big-screen credits are Soul Food, The Biography of Spud Webb, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, Tears of a Clown, O (as the titular character Odin a.k.a. O), and the thriller Uninvited Guest (as Silk). He appeared in Impostor as well as Paid in Full, 8 Mile, opposite Eminem and Dawn of the Dead. Phifer has a son, Omikaye, with his ex-wife, actress Malinda Williams. His second son, Mekhi Thira Phifer Jr., was born to his girlfriend Oni Souratha in Los Angeles on October 30, 2007.

Known for

Filmography

  1. TBAMarxFilm: Axel Marx
  2. TBAHollow MoonFilm: Captain Josh Briley
  3. 2026Be HappyFilm: Peter Mosley
  4. 2026Mary J. Blige Presents Be HappyFilm: Peter Mosley
  5. 2025LabyrinthFilm
  6. 2024The Silent HourFilm: Mason Lynch
  7. 2024High PotentialSeries: Arthur Ellis (8 episodes)
  8. 2024Long Gone HeroesFilm: Moreao
  9. 2024The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-EatFilm: James Henry
  10. 2024Lights OutFilm: Max Bomer
  11. 2020Love, VictorSeries: Harold Brooks (9 episodes)
  12. 2019Truth Be ToldSeries: Markus Killebrew (28 episodes)
  13. 2019ObsessionFilm: Sonny
  14. 2019Canal StreetFilm: Prosecutor A.J. Canton
  15. 2018The Bobby Brown StorySeries: Tommy Brown (2 episodes)
  16. 2018A Talent For TroubleFilm: Mekhi Phifer
  17. 2016FrequencySeries: Satch Reyna (13 episodes)
  18. 2016Chocolate City: Vegas StripFilm: Best Valentine
  19. 2016Secret CitySeries: Ambassador Moreton (5 episodes)
  20. 2016RootsSeries: Jerusalem (1 episode)
  21. 2016AllegiantFilm: Max
  22. 2016PandemicFilm: Gunner
  23. 2015InsurgentFilm: Max
  24. 2014A Day Late and a Dollar ShortFilm: Lewis
  25. 2014DivergentFilm: Max
  26. 2014Chicago P.D.Series: Joe Baker (1 episode)
  27. 2013The Love SectionFilm: James Johnson
  28. 2013The SuspectFilm: The Suspect
  29. 2012Key & PeeleSeries: Cousin (1 episode)
  30. 2012House of LiesSeries: Dre Collins (7 episodes)
  31. 2011FlypaperFilm: Darrien
  32. 2011Last Man StandingFilm: Jeremy Davis
  33. 2009White CollarSeries: Kyle Collins (2 episodes)
  34. 2009A Day in the LifeFilm: King Khi
  35. 2009Lie to MeSeries: Ben Reynolds (24 episodes)
  36. 2008Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut AboveFilm: Maxwell Terry
  37. 2007This ChristmasFilm: Gerald
  38. 2006TorchwoodSeries: Rex Matheson (10 episodes)
  39. 2006PsychSeries: Drake (1 episode)
  40. 2006Puff, Puff, PassFilm: Big Daddy, Director
  41. 2005Slow BurnFilm: Isaac Duperde
  42. 2004Dawn of the DeadFilm: Andre
  43. 2003HoneyFilm: Chaz
  44. 20028 MileFilm: Future
  45. 2002Paid in FullFilm: Mitch
  46. 2002The Other BrotherFilm: Martin
  47. 2001ImpostorFilm: Cale
  48. 2001Brian's SongFilm: Gale Sayers
  49. 2001OFilm: Odin James
  50. 2001Carmen: A Hip HoperaFilm: Hill
  51. 2000Curb Your EnthusiasmSeries: Omar Jones (4 episodes)
  52. 2000ShaftFilm: Trey Howard
  53. 1999Uninvited GuestFilm: Silk
  54. 1999A Lesson Before DyingFilm: Jefferson
  55. 1998I Still Know What You Did Last SummerFilm: Tyrell
  56. 1998Hell's KitchenFilm: Johnny Miles
  57. 1997Soul FoodFilm: Lem
  58. 1997Hav PlentyFilm: Harold
  59. 1997Subway StoriesFilm: Man in Hallway (segment "Fern's Heart of Darkness")
  60. 1996High School HighFilm: Griff McReynolds
  61. 1995ClockersFilm: Ronald 'Strike' Dunham
  62. 1995The Tuskegee AirmenFilm: Lewis Johns
  63. 1994ERSeries: Greg Pratt (133 episodes)
  64. 1994New York UndercoverSeries: Sekou (2 episodes)
  65. 1993Homicide: Life on the StreetSeries: Nathaniel Lee 'Junior Bunk' Mahoney (3 episodes)
  66. 1990Law & OrderSeries: Lyman Ross (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.