Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American stage, television and film actor. He has worked with film director John Sayles in The Brother from Another Planet (1984), City of Hope (1991) and Lone Star (1996). Other films he has appeared in include Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Of Mice and Men (1992), Speed (1994), Apt Pupil (1998), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), What Lies Beneath (2000), Ali (2001), Paycheck (2003), Stealth (2005), American Gangster (2007), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).[1]
Joe Morton | |
|---|---|
Morton in 2019 | |
| Born | Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. October 18, 1947 Harlem, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Hofstra University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Children | 3 |
His television work includes his role as Eli Pope, Olivia Pope's father, in Scandal, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2014,[2] and the role of Henry Deacon on the TV series Eureka.
Early life
Morton was born in Harlem, the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton Sr., a U.S. Army intelligence officer.[3][4] Because of his father's military service, he spent parts of his childhood in West Germany and Okinawa.[5] When Morton was 10 years old, his father died.[6]
Morton graduated from Andrew Jackson High School[7] and studied drama at Hofstra University.[8]
Career
Morton made his Broadway debut in Hair, appeared in Salvation, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Raisin. He has appeared in over 70 movies, including John Sayles' The Brother from Another Planet (as The Brother), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (as Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson) and Blues Brothers 2000 (as Cabel "Cab" Chamberlain, based upon the late Cab Calloway). He also played Police Lieutenant Herb "Mac" McMahon, in Speed. On daytime, Morton has had roles on Search for Tomorrow (Dr. James Foster, 1973–74), Another World (Dr. Abel Marsh and Leo Mars, 1983–84), and All My Children (Dr. Zeke McMillan, 2002).[9] In 2002, he appeared on the London stage in the play Art.
Morton has made many notable TV guest appearances, including his appearances as Dr. Steven Hamilton in the first two seasons of Smallville. He starred in the Sanford and Son spin-off Grady (1975–76), M*A*S*H* (battalion aid surgeon Capt. Nick Saunders, 1976), Under One Roof (1995) and E-Ring (2005). He portrayed the jack-of-all-trades scientist Henry Deacon as a regular on Syfy Channel's Eureka (2006–12). Morton played the role of Eli Pope on the hit drama Scandal, a role for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[9]
In 2016, Morton portrayed the activist and comedian Dick Gregory in the play Turn Me Loose at the Westside Theatre in Manhattan.[10] Morton portrayed Dr. Silas Stone, father of Victor Stone/Cyborg, in a cameo role in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, part of the DC Extended Universe. He reprised the character in the film Justice League (2017) and more extensively in its director's cut.[11]
From 2018 to 2020, Morton co-starred as Reverend Arthur Finer in the CBS series God Friended Me.[12] Morton directed three episodes of God Friended Me, and has directing credits for four other TV series.[9]
Filmography
Film and TV Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Between the Lines | Ahmed | |
| 1978 | Lawman Without a Gun | Louis | TV Movie |
| 1979 | ...And Justice for All | Prison Doctor | |
| 1980 | Death Penalty | William Terry | TV Movie |
| 1981 | We're Fighting Back | Elgin Jones | TV Movie |
| 1982 | The Clairvoyant | Detective Rich | |
| 1983 | Curse of the Pink Panther | Charlie | |
| 1984 | A Good Sport | - | TV Movie |
| The Brother from Another Planet | The Brother | ||
| 1985 | Trouble in Mind | Solo | |
| 1986 | Crossroads | Scratch's assistant | |
| 1987 | Stranded | Sheriff McMahon | |
| 1988 | Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami | Tandy | TV Movie |
| Alone in the Neon Jungle | Ken Fraker | TV Movie | |
| Zelly and Me | Earl | ||
| The Good Mother | Frank Williams | ||
| Police Story: Burnout | Sgt. Jeff Allen | TV Movie | |
| 1989 | Tap | Nicky | |
| Howard Beach: Making The Case for Murder | Cedric Sandiford | TV Movie | |
| 1990 | Challenger | Dr. Ronald McNair | TV Movie |
| The Lost Platoon | World War II Soldier | ||
| 1991 | City of Hope | Wynn | |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson | ||
| 1992 | Legacy of Lies | Samuel Flowers | TV Movie |
| Of Mice and Men | Crooks | ||
| Forever Young | Cameron | ||
| 1994 | The Inkwell | Kenny Tate | |
| Speed | Lieutenant Herb "Mac" McMahon | ||
| 1995 | In the Shadow of Evil | Lt. Royce | TV Movie |
| The Walking Dead | Sergeant Barkley | ||
| 1996 | Lone Star | Delmore Payne | |
| Executive Decision | Sergeant Campbell "Cappy" Matheny | ||
| Jack Reed: Death and Vengeance | Gordon Thomas | TV Movie | |
| 1997 | The Pest | Mr. Kent | |
| Miss Evers' Boys | Dr. Sam Brodus | TV Movie | |
| Speed 2: Cruise Control | Captain Herb "Mac" McMahon | ||
| Trouble on the Corner | Detective Bill | ||
| 1998 | Blues Brothers 2000 | Cabel Chamberlain | |
| Apt Pupil | Dan Richler | ||
| When It Clicks | Cato Caldwell Douglass | Short | |
| 1999 | Mutiny | Thurgood Marshall | TV Movie |
| The Astronaut's Wife | Sherman Reese | ||
| Y2K | Martin Lowell | TV Movie | |
| 2000 | What Lies Beneath | Dr. Drayton | |
| Ali: An American Hero | Malcolm X | TV Movie | |
| Bounce | Jim Weller | ||
| 2001 | Ali | Chauncey Eskridge | |
| 2002 | Dragonfly | Hugh Campbell | |
| The Fritz Pollard Story | Host | TV Movie | |
| 2003 | Jasper, Texas | Walter Diggles | TV Movie |
| Crossing | Uncle Stan | Short | |
| Thoughtcrimes | John Harper | TV Movie | |
| Paycheck | Agent Dodge | ||
| 2004 | Breaking Dawn | Professor Simon | |
| 2005 | Gone But Not Forgotten | Reggie Stewart | TV Movie |
| Back in the Day | Rev. James Packer | ||
| Stealth | Dick Marshfield | ||
| Lenny the Wonder Dog | Dr. Island | ||
| 2006 | The Night Listener | Ashe | |
| 2007 | American Gangster | Charlie Williams | |
| Badland | Max Astin | ||
| 2008 | Wherever You Are | Dr. Livingston | |
| 2009 | La Linea | Hodges | |
| 2010 | The Mulberry Tree | Samuel R. Freeman | |
| 2013 | Home | Donald Hall | |
| 2015 | Cleveland Abduction | Agent Solano | TV Movie |
| 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Silas Stone | Cameo |
| All the Way | Roy Wilkins | TV Movie | |
| 2017 | Justice League | Silas Stone | |
| 2019 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Houston Brooks | |
| A Million Eyes | Fern | Short | |
| 2020 | Vita | Monsignor Heck | |
| 2021 | Zack Snyder's Justice League | Silas Stone | Director's cut of Justice League |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Bracken's World | Yule Buford | Episode: "Love It or Leave It, Change It or Lose It" |
| Mission: Impossible | Clerk | Episode: "Hunted" | |
| 1973–74 | Search for Tomorrow | Dr. James Foster | Regular Cast |
| 1975 | Sanford and Son | Hal Marshall | Episode: "The Family Man" |
| 1975–76 | Grady | Hal Marshall | Main Cast |
| 1976 | M*A*S*H | Captain Saunders | Episode: "Der Tag" |
| What's Happening!! | Department Store Manager | Episode: "The Birthday Present" | |
| 1978 | Watch Your Mouth | Raymond Geeter | Main Cast |
| 1979 | Guiding Light | Dan Stennis | Episode: "Episode #1.8295" |
| 1983 | American Playhouse | Carl Hatch | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| Another World | Dr. Abel Marsh | Regular Cast | |
| 1985 | Miami Vice | Lt. Jack Davis | Episode: "The Maze" |
| 1986 | Who's the Boss? | Limo Driver | Episode: "Mona's Limo" |
| 1987–89 | The Equalizer | Slate/Carter Brock | Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 4 |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Rev. Marvin Lewis | Episode: "Choice of Chance" |
| One Life to Live | Judge Romero | Episode: "Episode dated 22 May 1989" | |
| 1990–91 | Equal Justice | Mike James | Main Cast |
| 1992 | Law & Order | Roland Books | Episode: "Conspiracy" |
| A Different World | Byron Douglas III | Recurring Cast: Season 5 | |
| 1993 | TriBeCa | Carlton Thomas | Main Cast |
| 1994 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Sam Thorn | Episode: "A Model Citizen" & "Happy to Be Here" |
| New York Undercover | Dean/Dinah | Episode: "Blondes Have More Fun" | |
| 1995 | Under One Roof | Ron Langston | Main Cast |
| New York News | Mitch Cotter | Episode: "Fun City" | |
| 1996 | Nova | Narrator | Episode: "Shark Attack!" |
| Touched by an Angel | Jake Stone | Episode: "Jacob's Ladder" | |
| 1997 | Prince Street | Lieutenant Tom Warner | Main Cast |
| 1998 | Dellaventura | Councilman Caulder | Episode: "David & Goliath" |
| 1998–99 | Mercy Point | Dr. Grote Maxwell | Main Cast |
| 2000 | The X-Files | Martin Wells | Episode: "Redrum" |
| 2000–05 | Law & Order | Leon Chiles | Guest Cast: Season 10-11 & 14-15 |
| 2001–02 | Smallville | Dr. Steven Hamilton | Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 |
| 2002 | All My Children | Zeke McMillan | Episode: "#1.8387" |
| The Practice | U.S. Attorney | Episode: "Fire Proof" | |
| Touched by an Angel | Martin | Episode: "The Impossible Dream" | |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ray Bevins | Episode: "Grief" |
| 2004 | Whoopi | Martin James | Episode: "Sins of the Sister" |
| The Jury | James Byron Milton | Episode: "Last Rites" | |
| 2005 | House | Senator Gary H. Wright | Episode: "Role Model" |
| JAG | Elroy Johnson | Episode: "Unknown Soldier" | |
| CSI: NY | Chief Dwight Hillborne | Episode: "Supply & Demand" & "On the Job" | |
| 2005–06 | E-Ring | Steve Algazi | Recurring Cast |
| 2006–12 | Eureka | Henry Deacon | Main Cast |
| 2007 | Numbers | Reporter | Episode: "Graphic" |
| 2008 | Boston Legal | Attorney Steve Duprey | Episode: "Indecent Proposals" |
| 2009 | Great Performances | Eugene Bullard | Episode: "Harlem in Montmartre: A Paris Jazz Story" |
| Warehouse 13 | Reverend John Hill | Episode: "Regrets" | |
| Brothers & Sisters | Peter Madsen | Episode: "Almost Normal" & "From France with Love" | |
| 2009–11 | The Good Wife | Daniel Golden | Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 3 |
| 2010 | White Collar | Kyle Bancroft | Episode: "Prisoner's Dilemma" |
| 2012 | Coma | Dr. Nelson | Episode: "Part One & Two" |
| 2013–18 | Scandal | Eli Rowan Pope | Recurring Cast: Season 2-4, Main Cast: Season 5-7 |
| 2015 | Proof | Dr. Charles Richmond | Main Cast |
| 2015–16 | Grace and Frankie | Jason | Episode: "The Credit Cards" & "The Chicken" |
| 2018–20 | God Friended Me | Rev. Arthur Finer | Main Cast |
| 2019–20 | The Politician | Marcus | Guest: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2021–22 | Our Kind of People | Teddy Franklin | Main Cast |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye | Ringmaster |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Ghost Hunter | Professor Richmond |
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Radio Commercial |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Raisin | Nominated |
| Theatre World Award | Honoree | |||
| 1991 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Nominated |
| 2008 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | American Gangster | Nominated |
| 2014 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series | Scandal | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| 2015 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won | |
| 2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won | |
| 2017 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards | Lead Performance in a Play[13] | Turn Me Loose | Won |
| 2020 | Audie Award | Literary Fiction and Classics[14] | The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Won |
References
- ^ . Yovideo. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ Sandberg, Bryn Elise; Goldberg, Leslie (16 August 2014). "Emmys: 'Scandal's' Joe Morton Takes Home Trophy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ Verel, Patrick (August 2012). . Fordham University (Press release). Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
- ^ . Yahoo Movies. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Maykuth, Andrew. "The avenging actor". maykuth.com. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Sheridan, Patricia (August 17, 2015). . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
- ^ . Hollywood.com. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Greenberg, Ginny (August 21, 2014). "Alum Joe Morton Wins Emmy for Scandal". Hofstra University. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Joe Morton - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ McCall, Tulis (31 May 2016). Carboni, Monique (ed.). . New York Theatre Guide. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ Meslow, Scott (16 November 2017). "Justice League's Biggest Sin: Wasting Its Great Actors". GQ. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ Gay, Verne. "Joe Morton talks 'God Friended Me,' 'Scandal' and dropping out of Hofstra". NewsDay.com. Newsday. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ Carras, Christi (19 March 2018). "'Hamilton,' 'Rotterdam' Tie for Top Award From L.A. Drama Critics". Variety. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ Maher, John (March 3, 2020). "A Buoyant 2020 Audie Awards Celebrates 'The Only Plane in the Sky,' Stephen King". Publishers Weekly.
External links
- Joe Morton at IMDb
- Joe Morton at TV Guide
- Joe Morton at the Internet Broadway Database
- Joe Morton at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Joe Morton sings "The Devil's Lonely Fire" from Badland.