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Quick Facts
Biography
Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951) is an American stage, film, and television actor and director, best known for his roles as "Fortune" in the film Rudy, "Dillon" in Alien 3, and the title role in the television sitcom Roc which originally ran on the Fox network from 1991 until 1994.
Early life and education
Dutton was born January 30, 1951, on the East side of Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a truck driver. In his youth, Dutton dropped out of school before finishing middle school. He had a short-lived stint as an amateur boxer with the nickname "Roc." When he was 17, he got into a fight which resulted in the death of a man Dutton claimed had attacked him. Dutton was charged and convicted of manslaughter, and he spent the next seven years in prison. Several months after being released from prison, Dutton was arrested for possession of a deadly weapon, and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Prison conviction
Several months into his second prison term, Dutton was sentenced to six days of solitary confinement, which allowed prisoners to take one book. By accident, he grabbed an anthology of black playwrights. He enjoyed the plays so much that, upon his release from confinement, he petitioned the warden to start a drama group for the Christmas talent show. The warden agreed on the condition that Dutton go back to school and get his GED. Dutton accomplished that and went on to eventually complete a two-year college program at Hagerstown Junior College (now Hagerstown Community College) in Hagerstown, Maryland, graduating with an Associate of Arts degree in 1976. Upon his release, he enrolled as a drama major at Towson State University (now known as Towson University) in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. After his time at Towson, Dutton earned a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama in 1983.
Career
In 1984, Dutton made his Broadway debut in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, winning a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1988, Dutton played a killer in the television miniseries The Murder of Mary Phagan opposite Jack Lemmon and Kevin Spacey. 1990 brought him a second Best Actor Tony nomination for his role in another Wilson play, The Piano Lesson. From 1991-1994, he starred in the Fox television series Roc. Dutton co-starred in Alien 3, the debut film of director David Fincher, then co-starred in 1993's Rudy. Other films he has appeared in include Get on the Bus; A Time to Kill; Cookie's Fortune; Crocodile Dundee II; Cry, the Beloved Country; Menace II Society; and Secret Window.
Dutton won Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2003 for his roles in The Practice and Without a Trace. He was previously nominated in 1999, for his guest-starring role as Alvah Case in the HBO prison drama Oz in its second-season premiere episode. For this role, he was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Also in 1999, he starred in an ensemble cast in Aftershock: Earthquake in New York in which he played the Mayor of New York City. Dutton gained acclaim for his comedy show Roc shown on FOX television (but produced by HBO) from 1991–1994, especially mid-run when the show was broadcast live. His work in this role won him an NAACP Image Award. He co-starred in the popular but short-lived 2005 CBS science fiction series, Threshold.
In 2000, Dutton directed the HBO miniseries The Corner. The miniseries was close to his heart for Dutton grew up on the streets of East Baltimore. It was adapted from The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (Broadway Books, 1997) by David Simon (a reporter for the Baltimore Sun) and Ed Burns (a retired Baltimore homicide detective). The Corner won several Emmys in 2000, including Best Miniseries. Dutton won for his direction of the miniseries. He worked with Simon previously in a 1996 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street.
He starred as Montgomery County, Maryland Police Chief Charles Moose in the 2003 made-for-TV movie D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear, and appears in Season 2 of The L Word. Dutton also appeared in "Another Toothpick," an episode of The Sopranos. He guest starred on House M.D. as the father of Doctor Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) and on Sleeper Cell: American Terror as the father of undercover FBI agent Darwyn Al-Sayeed. He also directed two episodes of Sleeper Cell.
On October 9, 2007, HBO announced that it had arranged a deal with Dutton where he would develop, direct and star in series and movies for the network. He also appeared in the 2007 film Honeydripper. On February 14, 2013 Dutton returned to TV in Zero Hour playing the role of a priest. In 2013, Dutton played Detective Margolis in the horror film The Monkey's Paw.
Personal life
Dutton owns a farm in Ellicott City, Maryland. Dutton was married once to American actress Debbi Morgan in 1989, but the couple later divorced in 1994.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Cat's Eye | Dom | |
1988 | No Mercy | Sergeant Sandy | |
Crocodile Dundee II | Leroy Brown | ||
1989 | Jacknife | Jake | |
1990 | Q&A | Detective Sam Chapman | |
1991 | Mississippi Masala | Tyrone Williams | |
1992 | Alien 3 | Dillon | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor |
The Distinguished Gentleman | Elijah Hawkins | ||
1993 | Menace II Society | Mr. Butler | |
Rudy | Fortune | ||
1994 | Surviving the Game | Walter Cole | |
Foreign Student | Howlin' Wolf | ||
A Low Down Dirty Shame | Sonny Rothmiller | ||
1995 | Cry, the Beloved Country | John Kumalo | |
Seven | Cop | Uncredited | |
Nick of Time | Huey | ||
1996 | A Time to Kill | Sheriff Ozzie Walls | |
Get on the Bus | George | ||
1997 | Mimic | Leonard | |
1998 | Black Dog | Ford | |
1999 | Cookie's Fortune | Willis Richland | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male |
Random Hearts | Alcee | ||
2002 | D-Tox | FBI Agent Chuck Hendricks | |
2003 | Gothika | Dr. Douglas Grey | |
2004 | Against the Ropes | Felix Reynolds | |
Secret Window | Ken Karsch | ||
2005 | The L.A. Riot Spectacular | The Mayor | |
2007 | Honeydripper | Maceo | |
2008 | The Third Nail | Sydney | |
American Violet | Reverend Sanders | ||
The Express | Willie Davis | ||
2009 | Fame | Mr. James Dowd | |
2010 | Legion | Percy Walker | |
2012 | Bad Ass | Panther | |
Least Among Saints | George | ||
The Obama Effect | John Thomas | ||
LUV | Cofield | ||
2013 | The Monkey's Paw | Detective Margolis | |
2014 | Android Cop | Mayor Jacobs | |
Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery | Cookie | ||
2015 | The Perfect Guy | Roger Vaughn |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Miami Vice | Lieutenant Pearson | Episode: "The Prodigal Son" |
1985 | The Equalizer | Abmennet | Episode: "Bump and Run" |
1986 | Miami Vice | Ed McCain | Episode: "The Good Collar" |
1986 | Cagney & Lacey | Mr. Johnson | Episode: "The Marathon" |
1986 | Apology | Asst. District Attorney | Television movie |
1988 | The Murder of Mary Phagan | Jim Conley | Television movie |
1991–1994 | Roc | Roc Emerson | 72 episodes |
1993 | Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Captain Jonas Cutter | 2 episodes |
1995 | The Piano Lesson | Boy Willie | Television movie Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
1995 | Zooman | Emmett | Television movie |
1996 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Elijah Sanborn | Episode: "Prison Riot" |
1998 | Oz | Professor Alva Case | Episode: "The Tip" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
1998 | Blind Faith | Charles Williams | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
1999 | Aftershock: Earthquake in New York | Mayor Bruce Lincoln | Television movie |
1999 | The 60's | Reverend Willie Taylor | Television movie |
2000 | Deadlocked | Jacob Doyle | Television movie |
2000 | For Love or Country | Dizzy Gillepsie | Television movie |
2000 | The Corner | N/A | Television movie Director Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Director for a Movie |
2001 | Ed | Reverend Carver | Episode: "Valentine's Day" |
2001 | The Sopranos | Officer Wilmore | Episode: "Another Toothpick" |
2001 | The Practice | Leonard Marshall | Episode: "Killing Time" Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
2002 | 10,000 Black Men Named George | Milton Webster | Television movie |
2002–2003 | Without a Trace | Chet Collins | 2 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
2003 | D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear | Chief Charles Moose | Television movie |
2004 | Something the Lord Made | William Thomas | Television movie |
2005 | Mayday | Admiral Randolf Hennings | Television movie |
2005 | The L Word | Dr. Benjamin Bradshaw | 4 episodes |
2005–2006 | Threshold | J.T. Baylock | 13 episodes |
2006–2007 | House | Rodney Foreman | 2 episodes |
2007 | My Name Is Earl | Reggie | Episode: "Get a Real Job" |
2008 | Racing for Time | Lt. Stack | Television movie |
2009 | CSI: NY | Talmadge Neville | Episode: "Greater Good" |
2010 | Dark Blue | Walter Shell | Episode: "Shell Game" |
2011 | Law & Order: LA | Reverend Davidson | Episode: "Carthay Circle" |
2011 | Criminal Minds | Tony Cole | Episode: "The Bittersweet Science" |
2011 | American Horror Story: Murder House | Detective Granger | 2 episodes |
2012 | The Good Wife | Pastor Damon | Episode: "Blue Ribbon Panel" |
2012–2013 | Longmire | Detective Fales | 5 episodes |
2013 | Zero Hour | Father Mickle | 6 episodes |
2014 | The Following | FBI Director Tom Franklin | Episode: "The Messenger" |
2015 | Bessie | William 'Pa' Rainey | Television movie |