Lamman Rucker
{{short description|American actor (b. 1971)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lamman Rucker
| image = Lamman_Rucker.jpeg
| imagesize =
| caption = Rucker in 2009
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|10|6}}
| birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| height = 6 ft 3 in
| spouse = Kelly Davis Rucker
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1998–present
}}
Lamman Rucker (born October 6, 1971) is an American actor. Rucker began his career on the daytime soap operas As the World Turns and All My Children, before roles in The Temptations and Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?. He played Will Brown in the 2008 film Meet the Browns and its television adaptation. In 2016, he began starring as Jacob Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf. {{As of|2022}}, he stars in the BET+ drama series The Black Hamptons.
Early life
Rucker was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Malaya (née Ray) and Eric Rucker.{{Cite news|last=Jackson|first=Debbie|title=Opening Night at the first DC Black Theatre Festival|publisher=DC Theatre Scene|date=2010-08-02|url=http://dctheatrescene.com/2010/08/02/opening-night-at-the-first-dc-black-theatre-festival/|accessdate=2010-10-18}}{{Cite news|title=Lamman Rucker returns to Pittsburgh to take a 'Jitney' ride|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=April 26, 2016|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2016/04/26/Lamman-Rucker-returns-to-Pittsburgh-to-take-a-Jitney-ride/stories/201604260204|accessdate=September 20, 2018}} He has partial ancestry from Barbados.{{cite web |url=https://www.nationnews.com/2012/02/26/actor-tracing-his-bajan-roots/|title=Actor tracing his Bajan roots |author=NSH |date=February 26, 2012 |publisher=Nation Newspaper |accessdate=February 28, 2012 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.nationnews.com/2012/02/24/black-celebs-in-barbados/|title=Black celebs in Barbados |author=NSH |date=February 24, 2012 |publisher=Nation Newspaper |accessdate=February 28, 2012 }} Rucker spent his formative years in the greater Washington, DC, Maryland area. He developed an interest in acting after he was placed in several child pageants. His first acting role was a portrayal of Martin Luther King in the 4th grade. He joined the drama club in 7th grade and attended high school at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. Rucker then studied at Carnegie-Mellon University and Duquesne University.{{cite news|title=Ellington grad Lamman Rucker to host a fundraiser for the performing arts school|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ellington-grad-lamman-rucker-to-host-a-fundraiser-for-the-performing-arts-school/2017/08/27/083bb5f4-82a6-11e7-b359-15a3617c767b_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=July 6, 2018}}
Career
Rucker has appeared in a number of short films and television movies. His first major acting role came in 2002 when he assumed the role of attorney T. Marshall Travers on the CBS daytime soap opera As the World Turns opposite Tamara Tunie. He left the series the following year and portrayed Garret Williams on ABC soap opera All My Children in 2005. During this time, he also had recurring roles on the UPN sitcoms All of Us and Half & Half.
Rucker is best known for his co-starring roles in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? (2007) and Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010). He played Will Brown in Perry's 2008 film Meet The Browns, and later had a starring role on the television series of the same name, reprising his role as Will from 2009 to 2011. In 2012, Rucker was cast as the male lead opposite Anne Heche in the NBC comedy series Save Me, but left after the pilot episode.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2012/05/several-more-new-series-undergo-recasting-while-returning-series-addcut-regulars-277070/|title=Several More New Series In Recasting Mode; Returning Ones Add/Cut Regulars|work=Deadline|date=23 May 2012 |accessdate= September 11, 2015}} He later starred opposite Mena Suvari in the short-lived WE tv drama series, South of Hell.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/10/south-of-hell-thriller-drama-we-tv-858768/|title=Zachary Booth, Bill Irwin, Six More Round Out 'South Of Hell' Cast On WE TV - Deadline|author=The Deadline Team|work=Deadline|date=23 October 2014 |accessdate=September 11, 2015}}
In 2015, Rucker was cast as one of the leads in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf. For five seasons, he played Jacob Greenleaf, the only son of Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David) and his wife, First Lady Daisy Mae Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/own-megachurch-drama-series-greenleaf-cast-lamman-rucker-1201519681/|title=OWN Megachurch Drama Series 'Greenleaf' Rounds Out Cast - Deadline|author=Denise Petski|work=Deadline|date=9 September 2015 |accessdate= September 11, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/lamman-rucker-kim-hawthorne-and-deborah-joy-winans-join-owns-mega-church-drama-greenleaf-20150909|title=Lamman Rucker, Kim Hawthorne and Deborah Joy Winans Join - Shadow and Act|author=Tambay A. Obenson|date=September 9, 2015|work=Shadow and Act|accessdate= September 11, 2015}}
On August 29, 2019, he shared personal life experiences that he credits for his success with the Hampton University football team.{{Cite web|title=Actor Lamman Rucker Delivers Motivational Message to the Hampton University Football Team : Hampton University News|url=http://news.hamptonu.edu/release/Actor-Lamman-Rucker-Delivers-Motivational-Message-to-the-Hampton-University-Football-Team|access-date=2020-08-31|website=news.hamptonu.edu}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes |
|---|
| 2002
| Brown Sugar | Guy on Couch at Hot97 |
| 2003
| Making Revolution | Michael Suliman | |
| 2005
| Redirect | Bobby | Short |
| 2006
| Let's Talk | Maurice | Short |
| rowspan="3"| 2007
| The Commission | Judge Harold Couch | Short |
| I'm Through with White Girls
| Drake Moore | |
| Why Did I Get Married?
| Sheriff Troy | |
| rowspan="2"| 2008
| Will Brown | |
| Ball Don't Lie
| Trey | |
| rowspan="3"| 2009
| Jump the Broom: A Musical | Shamar | Short |
| Words Unspoken
| Vaughn | |
| The Greatest Song
| Trent Major |Also producer |
| rowspan="2"| 2010
| Sheriff Troy | |
| N-Secure
| Isaac Roberts | |
| 2011
| The Bachelor Party | Lance | Video |
| rowspan="2"| 2012
| Sugar Mommas | Jason | TV movie |
| The Undershepherd
| Roland | |
| rowspan="3"| 2014
| Hill | |
| Where's the Love?
| Sebastian | TV movie |
| First Impression
| Vernon Richardson |Also producer |
| rowspan="2"| 2015
| Darryl Graham | |
| Love Won't Let Me Wait
| Roger | |
| rowspan="2"| 2016
| Dr. Johnson | |
| Plenty
| William Foster | TV movie |
| rowspan="4"| 2018
| Sinners Wanted | Elder Roberts | {{Citation|title=Sinners Wanted|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7364756/|access-date=2020-07-30}} |
| No More Mr Nice Guy
| Bruce Wright | |
| Falling in Love Again
| Lamont | |
| First Impression
| Vernon Richardson | TV movie and also producer |
| rowspan="2"| 2020
| The Sin Choice | - | |
| Cooking Up Christmas
| Donovon Jackson |Also co-executive producer |
| 2021
| Bad Dad Rehab: The Next Session | Mr. Arnold | TV movie |
| 2022
| Voices | Dr. Nero | Short |
| 2023
| Under His Influence | Ernest | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="2"| 1998
| Flight Agent #3 | Episode: "Episode #1.6295" |
| The Temptations
| Episode: "Episode #1.1 & #1.2" |
| 2002-03
| T. Marshall Travers | Regular Cast |
| 2004
| Rick Harris | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| rowspan="2"| 2005
| Reggie Uggams | Episode: "The Sixth Man" |
| All My Children
| Garret Williams | Regular Cast |
| 2005-06
| Chase | Recurring cast: season 4 |
| 2007
| William "Will" Brown | Episode: "Weeping May Endure for a Night" |
| 2009-11
| William "Will" Brown | Main cast |
| 2011
| Teddy | Episode: "Confidence Games" |
| 2013
| Save Me | Dr. John Wilkins | TV series |
| 2015
| Elijah Bledsoe | Main cast |
| 2016-20
| Pastor Jacob Greenleaf | Main cast |
| 2020
| Gerrod | Main cast: season 1 |
| rowspan="2"| 2022
| Anthony Johnson | Main cast |
| Queen Sugar
| Vince | Recurring cast: season 7 |
Award nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result |
|---|
| 2010
|rowspan="2"| NAACP Image Awards |rowspan="2"| NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series |rowspan="2"| "Meet the Browns" | {{Nom}} |
| 2011
| {{Nom}} |
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|748541|Lamman Rucker}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rucker, Lamman}}
Category:Male actors from Pennsylvania
Category:American people of Barbadian descent
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male soap opera actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:Carnegie Mellon University alumni
Category:Duquesne University alumni