Quick Facts
Biography
Leland Gantt is an American actor and writer known for his roles in various television series and films. Gantt is also a theatre actor, and has appeared in a one-man show, Rhapsody in Black.
Early life and education
Gantt was born and raised in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. After graduating from McKeesport Area High School, he attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Point Park College. After struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, Gantt was inspired to pursue acting by a theatre teacher and moved to New York City in 1983.
Career
After moving to New York, Gantt appeared in Broadway productions of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Richard III, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Gem of the Ocean, Judas Iscariot, and The Fall of Heaven. In 1991, Gantt was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Let Me Live, losing to Kevin Spacey.
Gantt has also appeared in episodes of Law & Order and JAG. He portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1987 miniseries Hoover vs. The Kennedys. He also starred in The Affair.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Rockin' Road Trip | Curtis Smith | |
| 1990 | Presumed Innocent | Leon Wells | |
| 1991 | The Super | Male Tenant | |
| 1992 | Malcolm X | Wilbur Kinley | |
| 1998 | Pants on Fire | Allen | |
| 1998 | Out of the Past | Bayard Rustin | Documentary; voice |
| 2000 | Requiem for a Dream | Ward Attendant Penn | |
| 2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | Livingston | |
| 2020 | Another Year Together | Keith |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Hoover vs. The Kennedys | Martin Luther King Jr. | 2 episodes |
| 1993, 2001 | Law & Order | FBI Agent Jeff Washington / Jonas 'Skate' Stark | |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Jerome Willard | Episode: "All in the Family" |
| 1995 | The Affair | Barrett | Television film |
| 1995 | JAG | Briefing Officer | Episode: "Scimitar" |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Stew Matos | Episode: "Fallacy" |
| 2018 | Titans | Thurman | Episode: "Atlas Shrugged" |
| 2019 | The Good Fight | Partner Thomas | Episode: "The One with the Celebrity Divorce" |