Harry Lennix

The youngest of four siblings, Lennix was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Lillian C. (née Vines), a laundry worker, and Harry Lennix Jr., a machinist.{{cite news |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB373453B75270B&p_field_direct-0=document_id |title=Harry J. Lennix | date=April 16, 1991 | work=Chicago Sun-Times | first=Bob | last=Herguth}}[http://www.filmreference.com/film/23/Harry-J-Lennix.html Harry J. Lennix Biography (1965?–)] His mother was African-American and his father was Creole from Louisiana.{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/47966160.html?dids=47966160:47966160&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130926034241/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/47966160.html?dids=47966160:47966160&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 26, 2013 | title=In Titus, He's the Face of Pure Evil; Movies * Harry J. Lennix's role in Julie Taymor's film should bring him more opportunities—and recognition | first=Eric | last=Harrison | date=January 14, 2000 |work=Los Angeles Times}} Lennix attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South and Northwestern University, where he majored in Acting and Direction. In his senior year at Northwestern, he was the coordinator of the African-American student organization, For Members Only.{{cite web|url=http://speakingofstories.org/Actors/Harry%20Lennix.html|website=SpeakingOfStories.org|title=Harry Lennix|access-date=September 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214163749/http://speakingofstories.org/Actors/Harry%20Lennix.html|archive-date=February 14, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Lennix starred in the Showtime Networks television film Keep the Faith, Baby (2002) as reverend and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr.; in the film Titus (1999), based on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, as Aaron the Moor; and in the ABC television series Commander in Chief. For ten seasons, Lennix co-starred in the role of Harold Cooper, assistant director of the FBI Counterterrorism Division, on the NBC drama The Blacklist (2013-2023).

In film, Lennix has had supporting roles such as The Five Heartbeats (1991), Comfortably Numb (1995), Get on the Bus (1996), Love & Basketball (2000), The Matrix series (1999–2004), Ray (2004), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Stomp the Yard (2007), and State of Play (2009).

In television, he had a recurring role in Diagnosis: Murder as Agent Ron Wagner as well as a guest voice role in the Legion of Super Heroes episode "Timber Wolf" as the titular character's villainous father Mar Londo, being replaced by Dorian Harewood in the character's later appearance in the episode "Cry Wolf". He also had a recurring role in the sixth season of 24 as Muslim civil rights activist Walid Al-Rezani. He appeared on the series House M.D. as a paralyzed jazz trumpet player, and in six episodes of ER as Dr. Greg Fischer.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} He also appeared in the episode "The Blame Game" of the first season of Ally McBeal. He played the parts of Boyd Langton in Joss Whedon's series Dollhouse{{cite web |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/4254/exclusive-pilot-details-welcome-to-the-dollhouse |title=Exclusive Pilot Details: Welcome to the Dollhouse! |access-date=April 16, 2008 |last=Dos Santos |first=Kristin |author-link=Kristin dos Santos |author2=Jennifer Godwin |date=April 15, 2008 |publisher=E! Online}} and U.S. president Barack Obama in the comedy sketch show Little Britain USA.

In 2007, he was an official festival judge at the first annual Noor Iranian Film Festival.

In July 2014, Lennix formed his own production company Exponent Media Group (EMG) along with long time business partner Steve Harris.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aefpr.com/portfolio/harry-lennix/|title=Harry Lennix – Andrew E. Freedman Public Relations|website=www.aefpr.com|access-date=January 7, 2018}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} EMG had a distribution deal with NEHST studios for three of the company's titles Mr. Sophistication, H4 (a street version of William Shakespeare's Henry IV, which he also starred in), and Revival!

In 2015, Lennix appeared in Chi-Raq, directed by Spike Lee. Lennix called the film "brave and bold", as it addresses "the violence that’s happening right now in Chicago".{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Mike |date=3 December 2015 |title=Harry Lennix: 'Chi-Raq' movie stirs his boyhood memories |url=https://eu.lansingstatejournal.com/story/entertainment/television/2015/12/03/harry-lennix-chi-raq-movie-stirs-boyhood-memories/76664348/ |work=Lansing State Journal |location= |access-date=}} Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016 was Lennix' first appearance in a film directed by Zack Snyder, where he played the character Calvin Swanwick. Lennix made an additional appearance as the same character in Snyder's version of Justice League, released in 2021.

During the Chicago Goodman Theater's 2024-2025 season, he will play the role of Henry Drummond in the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee play Inherit the Wind.https://playbill.com/article/alexander-gemignani-harry-lennix-will-inherit-the-wind-at-the-goodman-ian-barford-helen-hunt-to-explore-betrayal

In 2009, Lennix married business executive Djena Graves.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/fashion/weddings/28graves.html|title=Djena Graves and Harry Lennix III|date=June 26, 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 7, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=23709349&privcapId=10998531|title=Djena Graves Lennix: Executive Profile & Biography|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=January 7, 2018}}

Lennix is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He was initiated into the fraternity in November 2012 via the Theta Kappa Kappa graduate chapter in Evanston, Illinois.{{cite web | last=Slater | first=Elias | title=Actor Harry Lennix, National Black Church Initiative, And Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Partner With The Prostate Cancer Foundation To Raise Awareness Of Health Care Disparities | website=Prostate Cancer Foundation | date=2022-03-30 | url=https://www.pcf.org/news/actor-harry-lennix-national-black-church-initiative-and-omega-psi-phi-fraternity-inc-partner-with-the-prostate-cancer-foundation-to-raise-awareness-of-health-care-disparities/ | access-date=2024-05-14}}

Lennix is Catholic.{{cite news|last=Hume|first=Ashley|title='Matrix' star Harry Lennix on how studying to be a priest improved his acting|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/matrix-star-harry-lennix-how-studying-be-priest-improved-acting|work=Fox News|date=26 October 2022}}

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{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|502015|Harry Lennix}}
• {{iobdb name|37810}}
• {{IBDB name|456786}}

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{{Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series}}

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Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:Male actors from Chicago

Category:American male film actors

Category:Louisiana Creole people

Category:Northwestern University School of Communication alumni

Category:American male television actors

Category:African-American Catholics

Category:20th-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century African-American male actors

Category:American people of French descent