Hill Harper
Frank Eugene "Hill" Harper (born May 17, 1966) is an American actor and author. He is known for his roles as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes in CSI: NY, Agent Spelman Boyle in Limitless and Dr. Marcus Andrews in The Good Doctor.[2]
Hill Harper | |
|---|---|
Harper with his book Letters to a Young Brother in St. Louis (2007) | |
| Born | Frank Eugene Harper[1] May 17, 1966 Iowa City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Other names | Frank Harper F. Hill Harper |
| Education | Brown University (BA) Harvard University (MPA, JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, author |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Children | 1 |
Harper is expected to announce his candidacy to represent Michigan in the United States Senate as a Democrat in the 2024 election.[3][4][5]
Early life and education
Harper was born in Iowa City, Iowa, the son of Dr. Harry D. Harper, II, a psychiatrist, and Dr. Marilyn Harper (née Hill), who was one of the first black practicing anesthesiologists in the United States and co-authored a book called Wearing Purple.[6][7][8][9] Born Frank Eugene Harper, he adopted the name "Hill" as a tribute to both his maternal and paternal ancestors.[1]
Harper has been acting since the age of 7. Harper graduated from Bella Vista High School in 1984.[citation needed]
Harper then graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1988, with a BA in economics and sociology and was valedictorian of his department. In 1992, he graduated with a JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He received his Master of Public Administration degree from John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University.[10] During his years at Harvard, he was a full-time member of Boston's Black Folks Theater Company, one of the oldest and most acclaimed black theater troupes in the country.[11]
While a student at Harvard, Harper befriended Barack Obama, with whom he played basketball.[12][13] In 2012, Harper was appointed to The President's Cancer Panel, the fully vetted three-member body assigned to work with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and make recommendations to the White House around cancer policy.[14][15][16]
He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He has received eight honorary degrees, including honorary doctorates from both Westfield State College and Howard University.[17]
Acting career
Harper's first roles in television began in 1993, in a recurring role on the Fox series Married... with Children, while also making his film debut in the short film Confessions of a Dog. He had his first acting role in a feature film with Spike Lee's Get on the Bus (1996), which cast him as a UCLA film student riding a bus to the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. He went on to further demonstrate his versatility in such films as Christopher Scott Cherot's Hav Plenty (1997) and Lee's He Got Game (1998), the former of which featured him as an egotistical pop-soul singer.[citation needed]
His profile subsequently rose on both the mainstream and independent film circuits, thanks to roles in films ranging from Beloved (1998) to the independent romantic comedy Loving Jezebel (1999) to The Skulls (2000). Harper did some of his most acclaimed work in Jordan Walker-Pearlman's The Visit (2000), an independent drama in which he starred as a prisoner dying of AIDS who tries to put his life back together.[18] He also portrayed Leshem in the 2010 Syfy original movie Stonehenge Apocalypse.[19]
Harper played coroner-turned-crime scene investigator Sheldon Hawkes on the CBS crime drama CSI: NY for nine seasons.[citation needed]
In February 2013, it was announced that CSI: NY would be ending and Harper would be joining the cast of Covert Affairs as a series regular.[20]
From April 21, 2015, to May 10, 2015, Harper starred as "Hard Rock" in the Off-Broadway play ToasT. The play (produced by Lemon Andersen and co-starred Keith David) is set in the Attica Prison around the time of its 1971 prison riot and tells of the lives of its prisoners using poetic prose.[21]
From May 1, 2018, to June 17, 2018, Harper starred as "Rooftop" in the Off-Broadway play Our Lady of 121st Street. This Dark Comedy (written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Phylicia Rashad) is about former students paying their respects to Sister Rose, only to find that Sister Rose's body has been stolen.[22]
Since 2017, Harper has portrayed Dr. Marcus Andrews on the ABC series The Good Doctor.[citation needed]
Hill Harper's acting career also includes voice-over work (or voice acting) with CSI:NY the Video Game, Breathe Bible, plus, podcasts called Legal Wars and 5-Factor Authentication.[23][24][25]
Writing career and political advocacy
Harper is the author of several books: Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny, published in 2006; Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny, published in 2008; and The Conversation: How (Black) Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships, published in 2010. His books, The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place and The Wiley Boys were both published in 2011. His book, Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones was published in 2013. Both Barack Obama and Michelle Obama contributed to the books.[26]
In January 2008, Harper participated in "Yes We Can", a music video produced by will.i.am supporting presidential candidate Barack Obama. Harper is a member of the Obama for America National Finance Committee.[27]
As of October 2009, Hill has made several contributions to political candidates, exclusively to Democrats. Harper endorsed the 10,000 Bookbags[28] back-to-school backpack campaign to help local disadvantaged children with Urban Change Ministries founder Pastor Jay Cameron of the Life Center, and R&B singer Ginuwine.[29]
On February 22, 2016, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announced that Harper would be their national spokesman.[30]
He is also the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, dedicated to empowering underserved youth through mentorship, scholarship, and grant programs.[31][32]
He is expected to announce his run for the US Senate in Michigan, in April, to replace the retiring Debbie Stabenow.[33]
Other endeavors
Be The Architect
After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Harper researched the effects skin care products can have on a person's system. This led to his creating an all-natural personal care line for men and women, called Be The Architect.[34][35][36]
The Black Wall Street
On May 31, 2021, Hill Harper & his partners launched The Black Wall Street, a web3 digital platform and financial literacy tool aimed at addressing the racial wealth gap.[37]
Annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day
In 2016, Harper was a keynote at the Annual Leadership Summit and Lobby Day.[38]
Awards and recognition
In the fall of 2008, Harper was initiated as a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity with his Co-Initiates (called "Line Brothers") Dr. Naim Akbar of Florida State University and former NFL player Leo LeMarcus Newman.[39]
Harper won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for three consecutive years (2008–2010) for his portrayal of Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY. Previously he had been nominated for the award for three consecutive years (2005–2007), for the same character. In 2000, he had also been nominated for the award, for his role in the medical drama City of Angels. On January 9, 2014, his book Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction. This book, along with his three other published works, make him a 4-time New York Times Bestselling Author.[citation needed]
He was also a recipient of the 2011 Freedom Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions in civil rights and who have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in the battle for human rights. The award was conferred upon Harper from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis for "his nonprofit foundation, [the] Manifest Your Destiny Foundation."[40]
In 2018, the Audience Development Committee, Inc. (AUDELCO) nominated Hill Harper for a Vivian Robinson Award; Lead Actor in a Play, for his role as Walter "Rooftop" Desmond in the Off-Broadway play: Our Lady of 121st Street.[41]
On Sunday, December 5, 2021, the Boston, Massachusetts' Museum of African American History honored Hill Harper with a Living Legends award - The Garrison Silver Cup.[42]
People magazine named Hill Harper as one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" for 2004, and again for 2014.[43][44]
Personal life
While writing his book The Wealth Cure: Putting Money In Its Place, Harper was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. After treatment, he was given a clean bill of health.[45]
In November 2015, Harper received a call to adopt a baby boy. He agreed, and by May 2017, the adoption of Pierce (named after Pierce Brosnan) Hill Harper was finalized.[46][47][48]
In 2018, Harper purchased and moved into the Charles T. Fisher Mansion in Detroit.[49]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings | Peter | |
| 1995 | Drifting School | Sam | |
| 1996 | Get on the Bus | Xavier | |
| 1997 | Steel | Slats | |
| 1997 | Hav Plenty | Michael Simmons | |
| 1997 | Hoover Park | ||
| 1998 | The Nephew | Chad Egan-Washington | |
| 1998 | He Got Game | Coleman 'Booger' Sykes | |
| 1998 | Park Day | Steve Johnson | |
| 1998 | Beloved | Halle | |
| 1999 | Slaves of Hollywood | Fisher Lovelace | Feature Film[50] |
| 1999 | Loving Jezebel | Theodorous | |
| 1999 | In Too Deep | Breezy T. | |
| 2000 | The Skulls | Will Beckford | |
| 2000 | The Visit | Alex Waters | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead |
| 2001 | Higher Ed | Craig | |
| 2002 | The Badge | Gizmo | |
| 2003 | Love, Sex and Eating the Bones | Michael Joseph | |
| 2004 | America Brown | John Cross | |
| 2005 | Constellation | Errol Hickman | |
| 2006 | Max and Josh | Max | Short film[51] |
| 2006 | Premium | Ed | |
| 2006 | The Breed | Noah | |
| 2006 | 30 Days | Donnell | |
| 2006 | Whitepaddy | Marshall Evans | |
| 2008 | A Good Man Is Hard to Find | Damion Marshall | |
| 2008 | This Is Not a Test | Carl | |
| 2010 | For Colored Girls | Donald Watkins | |
| 2011 | Mama, I Want to Sing! | Jeff Andrews | |
| 2011 | The Shanghai Hotel | Carlos | |
| 2013 | Miss Dial | Political Nutcase | |
| 2013 | The Volunteer | Phil | |
| 2013 | 1982 | Tim Brown | |
| 2014 | Parts per Billion | Rick | |
| 2015 | The Boy Next Door | Principal Edward Warren | |
| 2015 | Pearly Gates | Dave | |
| 2015 | Concussion | Christopher Jones | |
| 2016 | Destined | Mayor Jones | |
| 2017 | All Eyez on Me | Journalist | Biographical film debuted Friday, June 16, 2017; what would have been Tupac Shakur's 46th birthday.[52] |
| 2018 | An Interview with God | Gary | Theater Release Dates: August 20, 21 & 22, 2018 only. |
| 2019 | The Sun Is Also a Star | Lester Barnes | Film debuted Friday, May 17, 2019, on Hill Harper's 53rd birthday.[53] |
| 2020 | The Prison Within | Himself / narrator | Documentary |
| TBA | Shadowbox | Harper is also an Executive Producer. The film's Developmental Short is called "Butterfly Boxing".[54] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Life Goes On | Nurse No. 2 | Episode: "Incident on Main" |
| 1993–94 | Married... with Children | Aaron Mitchell | Recurring 5 episodes |
| 1994 | Renegade | Clarence 'Dex' Dexter | Episode: "South of 98" |
| M.A.N.T.I.S. | Episode: "Tango Blue" | ||
| Walker, Texas Ranger | B.J. Mays | Episode: "Badge of Honor" | |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Dana | Episode: "Will Steps Out" | |
| 1995 | The Client | J-Top | Episode: "Them That Has..." |
| Live Shot | Tommy Greer | Main 13 episodes | |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Bo-Bo Thomas | Episode: "The Blackboard Jungle" |
| Dangerous Minds | Darryl | Episode: "Family Ties" | |
| 1997 | Oddville, MTV | Episode No. 44 | |
| ER | Mr. Jackson | Episode: "Obstruction of Justice" | |
| 1998 | Cosby | Preston | Episode: "Men Are from Mars Women Are from Astoria" |
| Mama Flora's Family | Don | Television film | |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Dr. Wesley Williams | Main 24 episodes Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
| 2002 | The Court | Christopher Bell | Unsold TV pilot |
| The Twilight Zone | Professor John Woodrell | Episode: "Shades of Guilt"[55] | |
| 2003–04 | The Handler | Darnell | Main 16 episodes Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series |
| 2004 | Soul Food | Kelvin Chadway | Recurring 2 episodes |
| The Sopranos | Stokley Davenport M.D. | Episode: "Irregular Around the Margins" | |
| CSI: Miami | Dr. Sheldon Hawkes | Episode: "MIA/NYC NonStop" | |
| 2004–13 | CSI: NY | Dr. Sheldon Hawkes | Main 197 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2008–10) Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (2005–07, 2011–13) |
| 2005 | I Love the '90s: Part Deux | Himself | Documentary miniseries |
| The 4400 | Edwin Mayuya | Episode: "Rebirth" | |
| Lackawanna Blues | Ruben, Jr. (Adult) | Television film | |
| 2009 | The Game | Himself | Episode: "Hill Street Blues" |
| 2010 | Stonehenge Apocalypse | Joseph Lesham | Television film |
| 2011 | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Himself | Episode: "Tour-Ture" |
| 2013–14 | Covert Affairs | Calder Michaels | Main 32 episodes |
| 2015 | Madam Secretary | Aiden Humphrey | Episode: "The Kill List" |
| 2015–16 | Limitless | Spelman Boyle | Main 22 episodes Character named after Spelman College. |
| 2016 | Braxton Family Values | Himself | Episode: "You Gotta Get Pelvic to Pelvic!" |
| Unsung Hollywood | Himself | Episode: "Hill Harper"[56] | |
| 2017 | The Real Housewives of Potomac | Himself | Episode: "Don't Let the Zip Code Fool Ya" |
| Homeland | Chief of Staff, Rob Emmons | Recurring 11 episodes[57] | |
| 2017–21 | How It Really Happened | Himself | Host and Narrator of 12-episode anthology reality series.[58] |
| 2017–present | The Good Doctor | Dr. Marcus Andrews | Main |
| 2018 | Black Love | Himself | Special Episode: "Motherly Love" |
| 2019 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Himself | Episode 409 (Season 4; Episode 9) |
| 2020 | Mentoring Kings | Himself | Docuseries |
| 2022 | Super Pumped | Eric Holder | Episode: "Delete Uber" |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Dogeaters | Joey Sands |
| 2001 | Blue | (Adult) Reuben Clark |
| 2015 | ToasT | Hard Rock |
| 2018 | Our Lady of 121st Street | Walter "Rooftop" Desmond |
Published works
- Harper, Hill (2007). Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592402496.
- Harper, Hill (2009). Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592404599.
- Harper, Hill (2010). The Conversation: How (Black) Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592405787.
- Harper, Hill (2011). The Wealth Cure: Putting Money in Its Place. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592406500.
- Harper, Hill (2011). The Wiley Boys. Harper Hill. ISBN 978-0974721873.
- Harper, Hill (2013). Letters to an Incarcerated Brother: Encouragement, Hope, and Healing for Inmates and Their Loved Ones. Gotham. ISBN 978-1592407248.
References
- ^ a b "8 Things You Didn't Know About Actor Hill Harper" HuffPost Retrieved July 3, 2016
- ^ The8App; Photos, ContributorShare; Rewarded, Videos With Friends Get (June 15, 2016). "8 Things You Didn't Know About Actor Hill Harper". HuffPost. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|first2=has generic name (help) - ^ Palmeri, Tara (March 7, 2023). "Hill Harper Against the Machine". Puck. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (March 3, 2023). "The Good Doctor's Hill Harper Eyes U.S. Senate Run — Is Dr. Andrews Scrubbing Out Ahead of Potential Season 7?". TVLine. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Schneider, Elena (March 5, 2023). "Ambitions collide as rising Democrats consider higher office". POLITICO. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Hill Harper: Biography, Latest News & Videos". TV Guide. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
- ^ Huntley, Kristine (January 25, 2006). "Hill Harper". CSI Files. Retrieved May 10, 2007.
- ^ Lynn (May 4, 2007). "Hill Harper is Much More Than Meets the Eye". EveryJoe.com. Retrieved May 10, 2007.
- ^ "Wearing Purple" book Retrieved August 29, 2018
- ^ "Hill Harper bio". Manifest Your Destiny Foundation. Retrieved November 15, 2010. July 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Miller, Kiley (December 15, 2007). "Actor returns to Iowa for Obama". The Hawk Eye. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ Dani, Sarika (October 24, 2008). . MSNBC. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ^ Berman, Jillian (July 20, 2015). . MarketWatch. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ Powell, Ronee (August 3, 2012). "Hill Harper To Join President Obama's Cancer Panel". Praise 94.5. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. December 19, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "Improving Cancer-Related Outcomes with CONNECTED HEALTH" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Hill Harper has received 7 honorary doctorate degrees." Manifest Your Destiny Foundation's web site Retrieved April 19, 2016
- ^ Scott, A. O. (December 15, 2000). "Overcoming Bitterness On the Way to Redemption". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ Foy, Scott (June 9, 2010). "Watch a Preview of the Stonehenge Apocalypse!". DreadCentral. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (February 22, 2013). "CSI: NY Star Hill Harper Joins Covert Affairs as Series Regular". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ^ ToasT Opens in Public Theatre September 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine BroadwayBlack.com Retrieved July 24, 2016
- ^ Our Lady of 121st Street, Directed by Tony Winner Phylicia Rashad, Begins Off-Broadway Playbill. Retrieved May 2, 2018
- ^ Hill Harper, The Voice of Mark BreatheBible.com Retrieved September 18, 2017
- ^ "Legal Wars" from Wonderly Podnews.net Retrieved October 12, 2018
- ^ Norton Security & Hill Harper Announce New "5-Factor Authentication" Podcast Retrieved August 25, 2022
- ^ Watkins, Grouchy Greg (June 12, 2008). "Hill Harper: Art Of Life – Barack, Kanye, Self-Esteem and Letters to a Young Sister". AllHipHop. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "Obama for America National Finance Committee". George Washington University. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
- ^ "Support Our 10,000 Bookbag Giveaway on 8.8.09". The Life Center – Urban Change. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ Pendleton, Tonya (August 12, 2009). "Ginuwine, Hill Harper Lead Back-to-School Effort" April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. BlackAmericaWeb.com. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Hill Harper Named as Lawyers' Committee's National Spokesperson" April 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 22, 2016
- ^ "MLK speaker Hill Harper reminds audience 'we have the power': The University Record". record.umich.edu. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "Then and Now: Hill Harper". NHS. February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ ""CSI" Actor Hill Harper Readying a Senate Run". Puck. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "Hill Harper Launches Men's and Women's Skin Care Line". Ebony. March 8, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ "How Hill Harper's H2L & JUA Men and Women Skin Care Line May Improve Organ Health". TheBlackMedia.org. March 3, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ Hill Harper Talks About His New Skin Care Line on The Steve Harvey Show on YouTube Retrieved April 28, 2017
- ^ Perkins, Njera (April 13, 2021). "Hill Harper Launches First Black-Owned Digital Wallet And Cryptocurrency Exchange App In U.S. History". AfroTech. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Cancer Survivor and Actor Hill Harper Offers Words of Encouragement to ACS CAN Volunteers". American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. October 6, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "Actor Hill Harper Is INDUCTED into the African American Fraternity ALPHA PHI ALPHA"[permanent dead link]. Media Take Out. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Freedom Award". National Civil Rights Museum.
{{cite web}}:|first1=missing|last1=(help) - ^ 2018 AUDELCO Nominations Retrieved May 12, 2019
- ^ Massachusetts' Museum of African American History's 2021 Living Legends Gala Retrieved December 6, 2021
- ^ "Sexiest Men Alive List 2004"People Retrieved July 4, 2016
- ^ "Sexiest Men Alive List 2014 : Sexy at Every Age"People Retrieved July 4, 2016
- ^ Rhone, Nedra (August 22, 2011). . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on September 10, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
- ^ "Hill Harper Reveals Adoption at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit 2017". blackenterprise.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ Hill Harper Reveals Name of Son on Good Morning America on YouTube Retrieved June 16, 2017
- ^ Hill Harper Reveals Son Is Named After Pierce Brosnan on Access Hollywood Live Retrieved April 5, 2018
- ^ Witsil, Frank. "Peek inside the Fisher Mansion gives glimpse of Detroit's past, future". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ "Slaves of Hollywood" Retrieved February 20, 2017
- ^ "Max and Josh Film Short" Retrieved February 11, 2017
- ^ "Tupac's Highly-Anticipated Biopic Receives Official Release Date". November 22, 2016.
- ^ The Sun Is Also A Star movie trailer Retrieved May 2, 2019
- ^ Rice, Lynette. "Joslyn Rose Lyons Makes Directorial Debut With 'Shadowbox' Starring Hill Harper, J. Alphonse Nicholson". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Shades of Guilt" Retrieved February 20, 2017
- ^ "Unsung Hollywood: Hill Harper" Retrieved November 10, 2017
- ^ "'Homeland' adds actors from 'The Flash,' 'Limitless'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
- ^ "HLN Launches New Original Series 'How It Really Happened with Hill Harper' on January 27". Retrieved January 13, 2017.
External links
- Manifest Your Destiny Foundation
- Hill Harper at IMDb
- The Wiley Boys book
- BeTheArchitect.com
- The Black Wall Street