Dulé Hill

Karim Dulé Hill (/ˈduːleɪ/; born May 3, 1975) is an American actor and tap dancer. He played personal presidential aide and Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Charlie Young, on the NBC drama television series The West Wing, for which he received an Emmy nomination Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and pharmaceutical salesman-private detective Burton "Gus" Guster on the USA Network television comedy-drama Psych. He has also had minor roles in the movies The Guardian, Holes and She's All That and a recurring role on Ballers. In 2018, it was announced that Hill would join the regular cast of Suits for season 8, after a recurring role in season 7. Hill also serves as a member of the Screen Actors Guild Hollywood Board of Directors.

Early life

Hill was born in Orange, New Jersey to Jamaican parents and raised in Sayreville, New Jersey. He studied ballet at a young age, and appeared in the musical The Tap Dance Kid as Savion Glover's understudy on Broadway, a part he subsequently played on the show's national tour. Hill graduated in 1993 from Sayreville War Memorial High School, and studied business finance at Seton Hall University and acting at William Esper Studio. While at Seton Hall, he accepted a role on Jim Henson's CityKids.

Career

In 1985, 10-year-old Dulé performed a tap dance number on the MDA telethon. When the music could not be found for his routine, telethon host Jerry Lewis helped by having the orchestra play another song while Dulé performed. His first film role was in Sugar Hill in 1993 during his senior year of high school. While in college at Seton Hall, he was cast in a starring role in Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk on Broadway.

In 1999, Hill was cast on The West Wing as Charlie Young, the personal aide to President Josiah Bartlet, who was played by Martin Sheen. During the sixth season of the series, Charlie became a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Hill starred as Charlie for six seasons before he chose to leave the show at the beginning of the seventh season (September 2005) to star in the pilot for the new television show Psych for the USA Network, which premiered July 7, 2006. However, when the announcement was made that The West Wing would be ending in May 2006, Hill returned for the show's last episodes.

Hill also had roles in the 1999 film She's All That starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook, with whom he later reunited on Psych; as a Los Angeles doctor named Owen in the movie and series 10.5; the Disney movie Holes as Sam the Onion Man, in which the movie itself was referenced in the Psych episode 65 Million Years Off; and in The Guardian.

Hill also appeared on Broadway in Stick Fly from December 2011 to February 2012 and After Midnight in November 2013.

Personal life

Hill married actress Nicole Lyn in 2004. Hill filed for legal separation from her in 2012 citing irreconcilable differences. On April 14, 2017, Hill became engaged to girlfriend and Ballers co-star Jazmyn Simon. In early 2018, Hill married Simon. On May 31, 2019, Hill and his wife announced the birth of their son Levi Dulé Hill, who was born on May 10, 2019.

Theatre

Awards and honors

• Emmy Awards
  • 2002, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Nominated)
• Image Awards
  • 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Psych (Nominated)
  • 2008, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series - Psych (Nominated)
  • 2005, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special - 10.5 (Nominated)
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Nominated) 2001, 2002, 2004 & 2005
• Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • 2006, Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Nominated)
  • 2005, Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Nominated)
  • 2004, Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Nominated)
  • 2003, Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Nominated)
  • 2002, Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Won)
  • 2001, Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - The West Wing (Won)