Gary Dourdan: Difference between revisions

| image = Gary Robert Dourdan "Mr. Brown" Wet Plate Collodion by Shane Balkowitsch 8-3-2023.jpg

| caption = Dourdan in August 2023

| birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], United StatesU.S.

| known_for = [[List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters#Warrick Brown|Warrick Brown]] on ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]''

'''Gary Dourdan''' (born '''Gary Robert Durdin''': December 11, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for portraying [[List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters#Warrick Brown|Warrick Brown]] on the television series ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]],'' Shazza Zulu on the television series ''[[A Different World]]'' and Mickey Monroe in crime thriller ''Righteous Villains''.<ref>{{Citation|last=Michael|first=Savvas D.|title=Righteous Villains|date=2020-12-01|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10920190/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0|type=Crime, Thriller|others=Steven Berkoff, Gary Dourdan, Steven Brand, Gianni Calchetti|publisher=Saints and Savages|access-date=2020-12-07}}</ref>

Dourdan was born Gary Robert Durdin in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, the son of Sandy, a teacher and fashion designer, and Robert Durdin, an entrepreneur and agent for jazz musicians.<ref name="gd">{{cite webmagazine|url=http://thegarydourdanexperience.net/vanityfairmag.html |title=Gary Dourdan Experiences |last=Faillaci |first=Sara |access-date=October 10, 2008 |date=August 4, 2005 |workmagazine=Vanity Fair |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108101425/http://thegarydourdanexperience.net/vanityfairmag.html |archive-date=January 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> Dourdan is the fourth of five children. When he was six, his 21-year-old brother Darryl died after falling from a balcony in [[Haiti]] while "doing research on the family lineage." The case remains unsolved.<ref name="gd"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/person/gary-dourdan/biography.html|title=About Gary Dourdan|access-date=7 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812193851/https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/person/gary-dourdan/biography.html|archive-date=August 12, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In his youth he moved with his family to [[Willingboro Township, New Jersey|Willingboro]], [[New Jersey]]. During that time, his interests included acting, music, and [[martial arts]]. Later, Dourdan moved to [[New York City]], and he worked as a [[Bouncer (doorman)|doorman]] at a rehearsal studio, where he met some of [[Manhattan|Manhattan's]] promising young artists.

Dourdan played in several bands in New York City in the early 1990s and acted in regional theatre in the [[New York metropolitan area]]. He acted in music videos, including playing [[Janet Jackson]]'s love interest in the video for her 1993 hit "[[Again (Janet Jackson song)|Again]]," and had a cameo appearance in the music video "Move the Crowd" by [[Eric B. & Rakim]]. [[Debbie Allen]] cast him as Shazza Zulu on ''[[A Different World]]'', based on a tape of him in an [[avant-garde]] play. In 1996, Dourdan appeared in the ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' episode "Never Onon Sunday" playing Ziggy, an assistant to Baron Sunday. In 1997, he played Christie, the first mate and second in command of the spaceship ''Betty'', in the film ''[[Alien: Resurrection]]''. He also appeared in the films ''[[Playing God (1997 film)|Playing God]]'' and ''[[Thursday (film)|Thursday]]'', and on television, he starred in the [[Dick Wolf]] production ''[[Swift Justice]]'' and played a recurring role on the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] series ''[[Soul Food (TV series)|Soul Food]]''. Dourdan joined hip-hop artist [[Darryl McDaniels|DMC]] (of [[Run–D.M.C.]]) onstage at the [[Live 8]] concert in [[Barrie]], [[Ontario]], Canada, and sang alongside [[Macy Gray]] at the 2005 [[Emmy Award]]s. He is an [[Alternative rock|alternative]] musician and a record producer.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071121070000/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/19919/Gary-Dourdan "Gary Dourdan - About This Person"], ''NYTimes.com Movies & TV''.</ref>

Dourdan's most popular role was as a cast member of the originalseries ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|CSI]]'' series, which debuted on October 6, 2000. He played analyst [[List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters#Warrick Brown|Warrick Brown]], who, viewers find out, has a checkered past fraught with gambling problems. By working in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], the character is able to useuses his personal experiences from the street to help him throughout his career. Ultimately, he ends up battling his demons throughout the show instead of overcoming them.

In 2008, there was media speculation surrounding Dourdan's ''CSI'' contract negotiations with [[CBS]]. The parties could not reach a resolution, and as a result, his contract was not renewed. It was reported on April 14, 2008, that Dourdan was leaving the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Gary/800037506|title=Exclusive: Gary Dourdan Leaving CSI|work=TV Guide|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507170644/http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Gary/800037506|archive-date=May 7, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In the Season 8 finale, Dourdan's character was shot and left for dead at the episode's end. The Season 9 premiere revealed Dourdan's character dying in the arms of his colleague and friend [[Gil Grissom]].<ref>[http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/recaps/?season=9 Episode Recap: "For Warrick"], CBS.</ref>

After leaving ''CSI'', he took recurring roles as Stephan in the series ''Christine'' and Sheldon DeWitt in the series ''Being Mary Jane''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theroot.com/gary-dourdan-the-man-behind-being-mary-jane-s-sexy-she-1790859394|title=Gary Dourdan: The Man Behind Being Mary Jane’sJane's Sexy Sheldon|access-date=November 12, 2017 |date=April 7, 2015}}</ref>

Dourdan has African-American, Native American, Franco-Haitian ([[Haiti]]), Jewish, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.<ref name="gd" /> He married model [[Roshumba Williams]] in 1992; they divorced two years later.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.nndb.com/people/463/000102157/ |title= Gary Dourdan| website= NNDB.com| access-date= April 28, 2008}}</ref> He has two children: a son, Lyric, with Cynthia Hadden, and a daughter, Nyla, with Jennifer Sutton, whom Dourdan dated from 1995 to 2000.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://television.aol.com/celebrity/gary-dourdan/19919/bio | title= Gary Dourdan biography| website= Television.AOL.com| access-date= May 5, 2008| archive-date= March 10, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090310045614/http://television.aol.com/celebrity/gary-dourdan/19919/bio| url-status= dead}}</ref>

In 2008, Dourdan was arrested for possession of [[cocaine]] and [[MDMA|ecstasy]]. A third charge, possession of [[heroin]], was dropped.<ref>{{cite news |title='CSI' Star Pleads Guilty to Possessing Cocaine, Ecstasy |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/zap-garydourdanguiltypleadrugs-story.html |access-date=June 3, 2020 |work= [[Baltimore Sun]] |date=May 28, 2008 |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605054153/https://www.baltimoresun.com/zap-garydourdanguiltypleadrugs-story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Despite rumors, the drug charges had nothing to do with his departure from ''CSI'', as the contract negotiations had already concluded and he had finished filming the last of his scenes before the incident. In July 2011, after crashing his car, Dourdan was arrested but charges were dropped for drug possession ([[oxycontin]]). He was, however, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former ‘CSI’'CSI' regular Gary Dourdan busted again for drugs |url= https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2011/07/08/former_csi_regular_gary_dourdan_busted_again_for_drugs.html |access-date=June 3, 2020 |work= [[Toronto Star]] |date=July 8, 2011}}</ref> In November 2011, he was arrested for felony battery after allegedly breaking his girlfriend's nose and placed on five years' probation. He was also ordered to attend weeks of [[domestic violence]] counseling and to stay away from the victim for five years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gary Dourdan accepts plea deal |url= https://www.intelligencer.ca/2012/11/30/gary-dourdan-accepts-plea-deal/wcm/4cfd25bd-980d-45e6-9185-47b673955576 |access-date=June 3, 2020 |work= [[Belleville Intelligencer]] |date= November 30, 2012}}</ref> Dourdan filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|bankruptcy]] in August 2012, owing roughly $1.7 million to creditors.<ref>{{cite web | first= Amanda Michelle |last= Steiner |title=Former CSI Star Gary Dourdan Is Bankrupt, Has Just $84.50 in Savings |url=https://people.com/tv/gary-dourdan-files-for-bankruptcy-for-a-second-time/ |website= [[People (magazine)|People.com]] |access-date=June 3, 2020 |date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>

== Filmography ==

=== Film ===

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

| ''[[Alien Resurrection|Alien: Resurrection]]''

| ''[[Scar City]]''

| Sergeant Dan Creedy

| [[Crispus Allen (voice)]]

| ''[[Love Under New Management|Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story]]''

| rowspan="2"| 2018

| ''[[Carl Weber's Influence|Influence]]''

! Year

! Title

! Role

!class=unsortable| Notes

| RecurringGuest: role (season 4, recurring cast: seasons 5-6)

| Main rolecast

| Episode: "[[List of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episodes|Never on Sunday]]"

| -

|rowspan="2"| 1999

| Episode: "[[List of Seven Days episodes|Daddy's Girl]]"

| Recurring rolecast: (season 1);, guest: role (season 2)

| [[List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters#Warrick Brown|Warrick Brown]]

| Main rolecast: (seasonseasons 1-8), guest: Season 9

| rowspan="2"| 2002

| Ken Fillmore (voice)

| EpisodeVoice, episode: "Cry, the Beloved Mascot"

| Dash DaMont (voice)

| EpisodeVoice, episode: "[[List of Kim Possible episodes|Team Impossible]]"

| Recurring rolecast

| -

| Recurring rolecast: ([[Mistresses (American season 1)|seasonSeason 1]])

| Recurring rolecast: (seasonSeason 2)

| Recurring rolecast: (seasonSeason 2)

! Year

! Title

! Year

! Title

! Voice role

| [[Warrick Brown]]

[[Category:21st-century African-American peoplemale actors]]

[[Category:20th21st-century African-American peoplemale actors]]