Michael Potts (actor)
American actor (born 1962)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Potts (born September 21, 1962) is an American actor. He has appeared on stage, on television and in motion pictures.[1]
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Michael Potts | |
|---|---|
Potts in 2018 | |
| Born | September 21, 1962 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale School of Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Brother Mouzone in The Wire Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon |
Early years
Potts, who is of African American heritage, was born on September 21, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York City and grew up in South Carolina. He got his start participating in church and local plays. His inspiration to attend the School of Drama at Yale University[2] came from watching a clip of the 1985 production of August Wilson's play Fences, starring James Earl Jones and Courtney B. Vance.
Acting career
Potts is best known for playing the roles of Brother Mouzone in the HBO hit show The Wire, Mafala Hatimbi in the musical The Book of Mormon, and Slow Drag in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.[3] He also played Detective Gilbough in the first season of True Detective.[4]
Potts appeared in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Piano Lesson,[5][6] in a performance which The Hollywood Reporter called one of the highlights of the production.[7]
Potts has appeared on the NBC crime series Law & Order several times, most recently in 2025.[8]
From January 23 to February 8, 2026, Potts played the title role in the play King Lear at the Ellen Stewart Theater.[9] Other cast members included Tony Torn, in a work directed by Karin Coonrod with collaborators Frank London and Oana Botez. [10]
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Halloween Night | Bill | Also known as The Damning, DeathMask, and Hack-o-Lantern |
| 1995 | Hackers | Tow Truck Driver | |
| 1997 | The Peacemaker | DOE Haz-mat Tech #1 | |
| Conspiracy Theory | Justice Guard | ||
| 2000 | Black People Hate Me and They Hate My Glasses |
Short film | |
| 2006 | Diggers | South Shell Pot Buyer | |
| 2008 | Jocasta | Oedipus | |
| 2013 | Mom | Andy | |
| 2016 | 37 | Archibald Smith | |
| 2017 | Let Me Make You a Martyr | Charon | |
| 2018 | Here and Now | Ray | |
| Change in the Air | Professor Hoffman | ||
| 2020 | Cicada | Francis | |
| Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Slow Drag | ||
| 2022 | Measure of Revenge | Detective Eaton | |
| Rounding | Dr. Emil Harrison | ||
| 2023 | Rustin | Cleveland Robinson | |
| 2024 | The Piano Lesson | Wining Boy | |
| 2025 | Highest 2 Lowest | Patrick Bethea | |
| Out of Order | Jerry |
Television
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The West | Voice | TV miniseries |
| NYPD Blue | Mel | Episode: "Yes, We Have No Cannolis" | |
| 1997 | Thomas Jefferson | Isaac (voice) | TV special[11] |
| 1997–2010, 2025 | Law & Order | Reggie Dobbs / Lester Wilkes / Malcolm Young / Stokes's Attorney / Defense Attorney Kenneth Lowell |
5 episodes |
| 1998 | Trinity | Detective Jackson | Episode: "No Secrets" |
| 1999 | Cosby | Floyd | Episode: "The Wedding" |
| 2001 | Oz | Reinhardt | Episode: "Medium Rare" |
| 2003–2004 | The Wire | Brother Mouzone | 7 episodes |
| 2004 | The Jury | Dr. Bertand | Episode: "Three Boys and a Gun" |
| 2009 | Flight of the Conchords | Nigel Saladu | Episode: "New Cup" |
| Bored to Death | Yusef | Episode: "The Alanon Case" | |
| 2010 | Damages | Horatio Emanuel | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Royal Pains | Mr. Burman | Episode: "After the Fireworks" |
| 2012–2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | IAB Sergeant Cole Draper | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Nurse Jackie | Mediator | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Blue Bloods | Thorton Mead | Episode: "Manhattan Queens" |
| True Detective | Detective Maynard Gilbough | 8 episodes | |
| Matador | Moktar Zola | Episode: "Code Red Card" | |
| White Collar | David | Episode: "Return to Sender" | |
| 2015 | Allegiance | Unknown | 2 episodes |
| Gotham | Sid Bunderslaw | 3 episodes | |
| Show Me a Hero | Walt Henderson | 5 episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | Person of Interest | Travers | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | BrainDead | Dr. Daudier | Episode: "The Insanity Principle: How Extremism in Politics Is Threatening Democracy in the 21st Century" |
| Madam Secretary | Senator Fred Reynolds | 3 episodes | |
| 2017 | The Blacklist | Iniko | Episode: "The Forecaster (No. 163)" |
| 2018 | Taken | Hanson | Episode: "Password" |
| Elementary | Doctor Peter Hanson | Episode: "Pushing Buttons" | |
| Random Acts of Flyness | Director | Episode: "What are your thoughts on raising free black children?" | |
| 2019 | She's Gotta Have It | Joseph Petiport | Episode: "#NationTime" |
| 2020 | Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector | Dr. Arthur Wasden | Episode: "What Lies Beneath" |
| God Friended Me | King Omari | Episode: "The Princess and the Hacker" | |
| 2021 | Prodigal Son | Dr. Brandon Marsh | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Bull | Judge Nolan | Episode: "The Other Shoe" |
| The First Lady | Fraser C. Robinson III | 6 episodes[12] | |
| The Good Fight | Bill Goate | Episode: "The End of Football" | |
| 2022–2023 | East New York | Goody Gaines | 4 episodes |
| 2023 | FBI | Agent Bruce Ellis | Episode: "Imminent Threat: Part Two" |
| 2025 | The Irrational | Nnamdi Adesina | Episode: "Another Man's Treasure" |
| 2026 | Best Medicine | Gilbert Carlisle | 5 episodes |
| Nemesis | James Sealey | 8 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Warriors | Cyrus | Voice |
