Michael Warren (actor)

Warren was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, the son of Ellen and Grayson Warren.{{Cite news|url=http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2008-09-26/news/26872870_1_gang-situation-love-nicholson|title=Family, faith play a part Mike Warren credits parents|work=schurz-southbendtribune|access-date=2018-10-31|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015409/http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2008-09-26/news/26872870_1_gang-situation-love-nicholson|archive-date=2018-11-01|url-status=dead}} He attended Central High School, where as a senior he was class president.{{Cite web |url=http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2008-09-30/news/26853718_1_college-basketball-college-scholarship-warren-returns |title='UCLA was the ticket' for basketball star - South Bend Tribune |access-date=2014-04-29 |archive-date=2014-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429221257/http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2008-09-30/news/26853718_1_college-basketball-college-scholarship-warren-returns |url-status=dead }} He was twice named to the Indiana all-state team. He graduated in 1964 as Bears' career, season, and single-game scoring leader. In 1992, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.graduated in 1964 as Bears' career, season, and single-game scoring leader

File:Houston Cougars vs UCLA Bruins, Game of the Century, 1968.png in 1968]]

Warren played college basketball at UCLA, where he was a three-year varsity letterman and starting guard from 1966 to 1968. Led by Lew Alcindor, the Bruins posted records of 30–0 in 1967 and 29–1 in 1968. Both teams, coached by legendary coach John Wooden, captured the NCAA national championship. Warren, the smallest Bruins starter at {{height|ft=5|in=11}}, averaged 12.4 points as a junior in 1967. He was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and was an All-American in 1968, one of three on that UCLA team along with Alcindor and guard Lucius Allen. The team is considered one of the best in college basketball history. Warren also earned the award as the Bruins' best defender in 1966, and he won the award as the Bruins' best "team player" in 1967 and 1968.{{Cite web |url=http://www.uclabruins.com/fls/30500/old_site/pdf/m-baskbl/2011-12/misc_non_event/1112_MBB_MG_History.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30500 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-04-29 |archive-date=2014-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301203256/http://www.uclabruins.com/fls/30500/old_site/pdf/m-baskbl/2011-12/misc_non_event/1112_MBB_MG_History.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30500 |url-status=dead }} Warren was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=Mike Warren - Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame |url=https://hoopshall.com/inductees/mike-warren/ |website=hoopshall.com/}}

Warren was drafted in the 14th round (173rd overall) of the 1968 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.{{Cite web |title=Mike Warren Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/warremi01.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}} But he was released during the exhibition season. He later signed with the Los Angeles Stars of the ABA, but was again released in the pre-season.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-30 |title=UCLA Basketball: How Former NCAA Champ Parlayed NBA Flameout Into TV Stardom |url=https://www.si.com/college/ucla/mens-basketball/how-former-ncaa-champ-parlayed-nba-flameout-into-tv-stardom-ak1987#:~:text=Bob%20Williams%20of%20The%20Sun,eventually%20had%20to%20go%20through.%22 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=UCLA Bruins On SI |language=en-US}} Warren is quoted as saying "At 22 I was a washed-up ballplayer".{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Roy S. |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1982-07-14 |title=FROM A PRO REJECT TO A TELEVISION STAR |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/14/sports/from-a-pro-reject-to-a-television-star.html |access-date=2025-04-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

Warren would go on to work as an actor in television. In addition to his starring role on Hill Street Blues,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/showbiz/tv/hill-street-blues-oral-history/index.html|title='Hill Street Blues': The most influential TV show ever|author=Todd Leopold|date=April 29, 2014|website=CNN}} he had an earlier role on The White Shadow, a co-starring role on the CBS series City of Angels, a recurring role on the Showtime series Soul Food, and as a guest star as Jason on Marcus Welby, M.D.

He appeared as basketball player Easly in Drive, He Said (1971), directed by Jack Nicholson. In 1974, he played the role of park ranger P. J. Lewis on the NBC adventure series Sierra, and went on to play a rookie officer for a possible backdoor pilot during the final 1975 season of Adam-12. His film work includes Norman... Is That You? (1976) with Redd Foxx and Pearl Bailey. In 1979, he starred as police officer Willie Miller on the CBS crime drama Paris, the first effort by Hill Street Blues executive producer Steven Bochco.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

He guest starred in In the House opposite LL Cool J as Debbie Allen's ex-husband. He also guest starred on the Fox sitcom Living Single as Khadijah's father, and later portrayed Joan's father on the UPN/CW sitcom Girlfriends.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Warren played Darrin Dewitt Henson's boss on the Showtime show Soul Food, in which he played hustler-turned-entrepreneur Baron Marks. He had a recurring role on the ABC Family series Lincoln Heights as Spencer Sutton, Eddie's father.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

He played Pete Bancroft in the Tales from the Darkside episode, "Satanic Piano" (1985). Warren appeared as Virgil Tibbs' former longtime police partner and friend, Matthew Pogue on In the Heat of the Night episode "The Hammer and the Glove", which aired in 1988.

In 1996, he was on the Early Edition episode Hoops. He played Wells in the Sliders episode (5/8) "Java Jive" (1999).

In 2001, he played Officer William Henderson in an episode of TV series The District, entitled "The Project". In 2002, he appeared in "Normal Again", an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as a psychiatrist trying to convince Buffy Summers she is delusional.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

In 2010, Warren appeared in the independent film Anderson's Cross playing the father of the lead character Nick Anderson.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

In 1974, Warren married Sue Narramore, with whom he had a daughter, Kekoa Brianna "Koa" Warren, and a son, Cash Garner Warren. After his first marriage ended in divorce, Warren married Jenny Palacios, with whom he also had a daughter, Makayla, and a son, Grayson Andres.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} Through Cash, Warren was the father-in-law of American actress Jessica Alba{{cite web |url=https://people.com/celebrity/jessica-alba-gets-married-to-cash-warren/ |title=Jessica Alba Welcomes a Baby Girl|access-date=June 7, 2008 |work=People |date=June 7, 2008}} until they announced their divorce in early 2025. {{cite web |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/01/16/jessica-alba-husband-cash-warren-separation-breakup/77753592007/# |title= Jessica Alba reveals separation from husband Cash Warren after 16 years: 'A new chapter'|access-date=January 17, 2025 |work=USA Today |date=January 16, 2025}}

• USBWA first-team All-American (1968)
• First-team All-AAWU (1968)
• Second-team All-AAWU (1966, 1967)
• Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor inductee (2009)
• UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (1990)

{{Reflist|2}}

;Sources

• NCAA, NCAA March Madness: Cinderellas, Superstars, and Champions from the NCAA Men's Final Four. Chicago. Triumph Books, 2004. {{ISBN|1-57243-665-4}}

• {{basketballstats}}
• {{IMDb name|id=0912966|name=Michael Warren}}

{{1967 UCLA Bruins men's basketball navbox}}

{{1968 UCLA Bruins men's basketball navbox}}

{{1968 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warren, Michael}}

Category:Living people

Category:African-American male actors

Category:All-American college men's basketball players

Category:American male television actors

Category:Anaheim Amigos draft picks

Category:Basketball players from South Bend, Indiana

Category:Los Angeles Stars draft picks

Category:Male actors from Indiana

Category:Seattle SuperSonics draft picks

Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball players

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen

Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)