Dorian Harewood

Harewood was born on August 6, 1950, in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Emerson Macaulay and Estelle Olivia Harewood.^[2] His father was a high school teacher^[3] and post office clerk.^[2] He graduated from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati^[4] in 1972.

Harewood got his start in musical theater. On Broadway, he performed in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Streamers,^[3] and The Mighty Gents.^[4] For his role in Don't Call Back, Harewood received a Theatre World Award for Most Promising Actor.^[3] While in a stage production with Bette Davis, she encouraged Harewood to continue acting in dramatic roles, and credits her as his mentor.^[5] He made his film debut in Foster and Laurie (1975).^[6]

Harewood portrayed Simon Haley (father of author Alex Haley) in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.^[2] He is known for starring as Jesse Owens in The Jesse Owens Story,^[7] and for his co-starring role as police psychologist Paul Strobber in the ABC Television series Strike Force (starring Robert Stack).^[8] He appeared regularly on Trauma Center alongside Wendie Malick and Lou Ferrigno,^[9] had a recurring role on China Beach^[10] and was Hank Mitchell in The Trials of Rosie O'Neill.^[11]

Some of his film work includes disaster film Gray Lady Down (1978),^[3] action drama Tank (1984),^[4] and sci-fi flick Solar Crisis (1990).^[10] In Against All Odds (1984), he appeared as a football player, and was Timothy Hutton's coworker in The Falcon and the Snowman (1985).^[12] Harewood then portrayed a combat veteran in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987).^[12] He appeared in two films in 2003: portraying Mackie Whitaker in Levity^[13] and Teddy Howard in Gothika.^[14]

In 1994, he was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie,^[15] for his recurring role as jazz/blues saxophonist Clarence "Cool Papa" Charleston on the NBC drama series I'll Fly Away.^[16] The following year, Harewood voiced Hank Aaron in Hank Aaron: Chasing a Dream, narrating the television film.^[17] He earned an Emmy Award nomination for the special.^[18]

He also played Dr. Julian Wilkes in the NBC (later syndicated) TV series Viper,^[19] and had a recurring role as Rev. Morgan Hamilton in 7th Heaven.^[20] Harewood appeared as Eliot Pierce in the Showtime series The Hoop Life.^[21] For his work on this series, Harewood received his second NAACP Image Award nomination, for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2000.^[22] He has also dabbled in music, having sung the national anthem at the 1994 Orange Bowl and releasing an album, Love Will Stop Calling, in 1988.^[23]

As a voice actor, Harewood began playing characters in animation during the 1980s. He voiced A.C. in The California Raisin Show,^[24] a guest role as Dan Riley in Batman: The Animated Series,^[25] Tombstone in Spider-Man,^[26] and Michael Jordan in the Saturday morning cartoon ProStars.^[27] He later returned to the Batman franchise as Jim Tate in Batman Beyond.^[28] When James Avery was unavailable, Harewood would voice Shredder on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.^[29] Harewood played Rhodey Rhodes / War Machine in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. He provided the voice of Modo in Biker Mice from Mars (1993−96),^[30] a role which he reprised in the revival of the same name (2006−08).

Having appeared in over 100 productions in film and television, Harewood has only publicly expressed regret with one: the miniseries Beulah Land, where he portrayed an overseer named Floyd. He was disgusted with the film's script,^[31] and claimed he was "unhappy" and "embarrassed" with the finished production.^[12] Harewood has stated he will only accept roles he feels present positive images for African-Americans.^[32]

Harewood is currently starring as Older Noah Calhoun in the Broadway adaptation of The Notebook, a role which he was nominated for the Tony award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.^[33]

Harewood married actress Nancy Ann McCurry^[34] on February 14, 1979.^[2] The couple have two children, Olivia Ruth^[35] and John Dorian.^[34]

• "Show Me (One More Time)" (recorded in the 1980s)
• Love Will Stop Calling (1988) (Emeric Records/Ichiban Records/EMI)
• Have A Little (2001) (USA Music Group)