Delroy Lindo

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Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is a British actor.[1] He is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Tony Award, two Critics' Choice Television Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

He moved with his mother to San Francisco when he was 16, after they had left London and lived in Canada for a few years. Here he completed his education and entered acting. Lindo has played prominent roles in four Spike Lee films: West Indian Archie in Malcolm X (1992), Woody Carmichael in Crooklyn (1994), Rodney Little in Clockers (1995), and Paul in Da 5 Bloods (2020). He was praised for his performance in Da 5 Bloods as a Vietnam War veteran, winning the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor.

Lindo also played Bo Catlett in Get Shorty (1995), Arthur Rose in The Cider House Rules (1999), Detective Castlebeck in Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Isaak O'Day in Romeo Must Die (2000), and Delta Slim in Sinners (2025). Lindo starred as Alderman Ronin Gibbons in the TV series The Chicago Code (2011), as Winter on the series Believe (2014), and as Adrian Boseman in The Good Fight (2017–2021).

Early life

Lindo was born on 18 November 1952 in Lewisham, London,[2] the son of Jamaican parents who were part of the Windrush generation. His mother had immigrated to the UK in 1951 to work as a nurse,[3] and his father worked in various jobs.[4] Lindo grew up in nearby Eltham and attended Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys. He became interested in acting as a child when he appeared in a nativity play at school.

When he was a teenager, Lindo moved with his mother to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When he was 16, they moved to the United States, to San Francisco.[5] At the age of 24, Lindo began his studies in acting at the American Conservatory Theater, graduating in 1979.[6]

Career

Lindo made his film debut in 1976 with the Canadian John Candy comedy Find the Lady. He played an army sergeant in More American Graffiti (1979).[7]

For a decade from the early 1980s, Lindo's career was more focused on theatre acting than film, although he has said this was not a conscious decision.[7] In 1982 he debuted on Broadway in "Master Harold"...and the Boys, directed by the play's South African author Athol Fugard. By 1988, Lindo had earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Herald Loomis in August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone.[8][9]

Lindo returned to film in the science fiction film Salute of the Jugger (1990), which has become a cult classic. Although he had turned down Spike Lee for a role in Do the Right Thing, Lee cast him as Woody Carmichael in the drama Crooklyn (1994), which brought Lindo notice. His other roles with Lee include West Indian Archie, a psychotic gangster, in Malcolm X, and a starring role as a neighborhood drug dealer in Clockers.

Other films in which he has starring roles are Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty (1995), Ron Howard's Ransom (1996), and Soul of the Game (1996), as the baseball player Satchel Paige.

In 1998 Lindo co-starred as African-American explorer Matthew Henson, in the TV film Glory & Honor, directed by Kevin Hooks. It portrayed Henson's nearly 20-year partnership with Commander Robert Peary in Arctic exploration, and their effort to find the Geographic North Pole in 1909. Lindo received a Satellite Award for best actor for his portrayal of Henson. Lindo has continued to work in television, and in 2006 was seen on the short-lived NBC drama Kidnapped.[10]

Lindo had a small role in the 1995 film Congo, playing the corrupt Captain Wanta.[11] Lindo was not credited for the role. He played an angel in the comedy film A Life Less Ordinary (1997).

He guest-starred on The Simpsons in the episode "Brawl in the Family", playing a character named Gabriel.

In the British film Wondrous Oblivion (2003), directed by Paul Morrison, Lindo starred as Dennis Samuels, the father of a Jamaican immigrant family in London in the 1950s. Lindo said he made the film in honor of his parents, who had similarly moved to London in those years.[5]

In 2007, Lindo began an association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California, when he directed Tanya Barfield's play The Blue Door. He played Joe Black in This Christmas in 2007.[12] In the autumn of 2008, Lindo revisited August Wilson's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone, directing a production at the Berkeley Rep.[13] In 2010, he played the role of elderly seer Bynum in David Lan's production of Joe Turner at the Young Vic Theatre in London.[14]

Lindo was in the main cast of the Fox crime drama The Chicago Code (2011), the NBC fantasy series Believe, and the ABC soap Blood & Oil (2015). In 2017, Lindo began playing Adrian Boseman in the CBS legal drama The Good Fight, a role he would star in for the series' first four seasons and reprise as a guest star in its fifth season.[15][16] Lindo was cast as the lead in an ABC drama pilot Harlem's Kitchen in March 2020.[17]

In 2015, Lindo was expected to play Marcus Garvey in a biopic of the black nationalist historical figure that had been in pre-production for several years.[18][19][20] In recent years Lindo has appeared in the action film Point Break (2015), the drama Battlecreek (2017), the horror film Malicious (2018), and The Harder They Fall (2021) as Bass Reeves. Lindo appeared in Da 5 Bloods (2020) in another collaboration with Spike Lee. For his role in Da 5 Bloods, Lindo received critical acclaim and a number of accolades.[21][22]

Entertainment Weekly said of Hulu's comedy series Unprisoned (2023), "Delroy Lindo is so good it should be illegal."[23]

In 2025, Lindo played the supporting role of Delta Slim in Ryan Coogler's critically acclaimed film Sinners.[24][25]

Upcoming

It was announced in July 2021 that Lindo would star as Mr Nancy in the British Amazon Prime miniseries adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys alongside Malachi Kirby.[26] In November, Lindo officially joined the cast of the upcoming Marvel Studios film Blade in an undisclosed role.[27]

As of 2020, Lindo was developing a screenplay for his directorial debut about the Windrush generation.[28]

Personal life

Lindo married his wife Nashormeh in 1990. They settled in Oakland, California, in 1996, having moved from New York City and preferring the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles. Their son Damiri was born in 2001.[29][30]

Lindo is a football fan and supports Manchester United.[31]

Upon learning more about the Windrush generation, both through his mother's account and his own role as a Jamaican immigrant in Wondrous Oblivion, Lindo became inspired to study the subject and history further. In 2014, he completed a master's thesis from New York University's Gallatin School.[28]

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in Arts and Humanities from Virginia Union University.[32]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Partners Drug Kingpin Film debut
Find the Lady Sam
1978 Voice of the Fugitive Prisoner Short film
1979 More American Graffiti Army Sergeant
1990 The Blood of Heroes Mbulu
Mountains of the Moon Mabruki
Bright Angel Harley
1991 The Hard Way Captain Brix
1992 Malcolm X West Indian Archie
1993 Blood In Blood Out "Bonafide"
Mr. Jones Howard
1994 L'exil du roi Behanzin Behanzin
Crooklyn Woody Carmichael
1995 Clockers Rodney Little
Congo Captain Wanta Uncredited
Get Shorty Bo Catlett
1996 Ransom FBI Special Agent Lonnie Hawkins
Broken Arrow Colonel Max Wilkins
Feeling Minnesota "Red"
The Winner Kingman
1997 A Life Less Ordinary Jackson
The Devil's Advocate Phillipe Moyez Uncredited
1999 Pros & Cons Kyle Pettibone
The Cider House Rules Arthur Rose
2000 The Book of Stars Professor
Gone in 60 Seconds Detective Roland Castlebeck
Romeo Must Die Isaak O'Day
2001 The One Agent Harry Roedecker / Arri
Heist Bobby Blane
The Last Castle Brigadier General Jim Wheeler
2003 The Core Dr. Ed "Braz" Brazzleton
Wondrous Oblivion Dennis Samuel
2005 Domino Claremont Williams
Sahara Carl
2007 This Christmas Joe Black
2009 Up Beta (voice)
Dug's Special Mission Short film
2011 The Big Bang Skeres
2014 Cymbeline Belarius
2015 Do You Believe? Malachi
Point Break FBI Instructor Hall
2017 Battlecreek Arthur
2018 Malicious Dr. Clark
2020 Da 5 Bloods Paul
LX 2048 Donald Stein
2021 The Harder They Fall Bass Reeves
2025 Sinners Delta Slim
2027 Godzilla x Kong: Supernova TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Beauty and the Beast Isaac Stubbs 2 episodes
1989 A Man Called Hawk Mark Slater Episode: "Vendetta"
Perfect Witness Berger Television film
1991 Against the Law Ben Episode: "Hoops"
1996 Soul of the Game Satchel Paige Television film
1997 First Time Felon Calhoun
1998 Glory & Honor Matthew Henson
1999 Strange Justice Clarence Thomas
2002 The Simpsons Gabriel Voice; episode: "Brawl in the Family"
2003 Profoundly Normal Ricardo Thornton Television film
2005 Lackawanna Blues Mr. Lucious
The Exonerated Delbert Tibbs
2006–2007 Kidnapped Latimer King Main cast; 13 episodes
2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Detective Victor Moran Episode: "Baggage"
Mercy Dr. Alfred Parks Episode: "Can We Get That Drink Now?"
2011 The Chicago Code Alderman Ronin Gibbons Main cast; 11 episodes
2013 Robot Chicken Dopey Smurf, Scorpion Cashier (voices) Episode: "Papercut to Aorta"
2014 Believe Dr. Milton Winter Main cast; 13 episodes
2015 Blood & Oil "Tip" Harrison Main cast; 10 episodes
2016 Marvel's Most Wanted Dominic Fortune Unaired pilot
2017–2021 The Good Fight Adrian Boseman Main cast; 40 episodes
2017 This Is Us Judge Ernest Bradley Episode: "The Most Disappointed Man"
2023–2024 Unprisoned Edwin Alexander Main cast; also executive producer
Template:TableTBA Anansi Boys Mr Nancy Filming

Theatre

Year Title Role Theatre
1975–76 Of Mice and Men Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
1979 Spell Number 7 Performer Negro Ensemble Company
1981–82 Macbeth Performer Cincinnati Playhouse
1982–83 "Master Harold"...and the Boys Willie Lyceum Theatre
1983–84 Home Cephus Miles Hartford Stage Company
A Lesson from Aloes Performer Virginia Stage Company
1983–86 A Raisin in the Sun Walter Lee Younger Yale Repertory Theatre[33]
Roundabout Theatre Company[34]
1984–85 The Black Branch Eli Crooner Actors Theatre of Louisville
Advice to the Players Robert Obosa
1985 Much Ado About Nothing Friar Francis Shakespeare & Company
1985–86 Union Boys Performer Yale Repertory Theatre
1986–88 Joe Turner's Come and Gone Herald Loomis Huntington Theatre Company, Old Globe Theatre, Ethel Barrymore Theatre
1988–89 Cobb Oscar Charleston Yale Repertory Theatre
1989–90 Miss Evers' Boys Caleb Humphries Center Stage
1990–91 Julius Caesar Gaius Cassius Center Theatre Group
1992–93 Othello Othello Great Lakes Theater
1993 The Heliotrope Bouqet by Scott Joplin & Louis Chauvin Scott Joplin Playwrights Horizons' Theatre
1998 Othello Othello Actors Theatre of Louisville
2008 Agamemnon Agamemnon Getty Villa
2009 Things of Dry Hours Tice Hogan New York Theatre Workshop
2012 The Exonerated Delbert Tibbs Bleecker Street Theater

Video games

Year Title Role
2009 Up Beta (voice)

Awards and nominations

Award YearTemplate:Efn Category Nominee(s) Result Template:Ref heading
African-American Film Critics Association 2022 Best Ensemble The Harder They Fall Won [35]
AARP Movies for Grownups 2026 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Template:Pending [36]
Austin Film Critics Association 2022 Best Ensemble The Harder They Fall Nominated [37]
Astra Film Awards 2026 Best Supporting Actor - Drama Sinners Template:Pending [38]
Black Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Supporting Actor Won [39]
Black Reel Awards 2000 Outstanding Supporting Actor The Cider House Rules Nominated
Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series Strange Justice Nominated
2006 The Exonerated Nominated
2010 Best Voice Performance Up Nominated
2021 Outstanding Actor Da 5 Bloods Nominated
2026 Outstanding Supporting Performance Sinners Template:Pending [40]
Celebration of Black Cinema and Television 2021 Ensemble Award The Harder They Fall Won [41]
Chicago Film Critics Association 1995 Best Supporting Actor Clockers Nominated
2020 Best Actor Da 5 Bloods Nominated
2025 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Nominated [42]
Critics' Choice Super Awards 2020 Best Actor in an Action Movie Da 5 Bloods Won
Critics' Choice Award 2018 Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series The Good Fight Nominated
2020 Nominated
2021 Best Actor Da 5 Bloods Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society 2021 Best Ensemble The Harder They Fall Nominated [43]
Drama Desk Award 1988 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Nominated [44]
Gotham Awards 2021 Ensemble Tribute Award The Harder They Fall Won [45]
2026 Sinners Won [46]
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association 2026 Best Supporting Actor Template:Pending [47]
Hollywood Critics Association Awards 2022 Best Cast Ensemble The Harder They Fall Nominated [48]
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Award 2020 Best Actor Da 5 Bloods Won
Kansas City Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Nominated [49]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society 1999 The Cider House Rules Nominated
2025 Sinners Template:Pending [50]
London Film Critics' Circle 2026 Supporting Actor of the Year Template:Pending [51]
NAACP Image Award 1992 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Malcolm X Nominated
1996 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Ransom Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie Soul of the Game Nominated
2009 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Won
2022 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture The Harder They Fall Nominated [52]
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Won
National Board of Review Awards 2021 Best Cast The Harder They Fall Won
National Society of Film Critics 1992 Best Supporting Actor Malcolm X Nominated
1995 Best Supporting Actor Clockers Nominated
Get Shorty Nominated
2020 Best Actor Da 5 Bloods Won
New Jersey Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Template:Pending [53]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2020 Best Actor Da 5 Bloods Won
New York Film Critics Online 2025 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Nominated [54]
North Texas Film Critics Association 2025 Best Supporting Actor Template:Pending [55]
Philadelphia Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Supporting Actor Template:Runner-up [56]
Phoenix Critics Circle 2025 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated [57]
Portland Critics Association 2025 Best Supporting Performance Template:Pending [58]
Puerto Rico Critics Association 2026 Best Supporting Actor Template:Pending [59]
San Diego Film Critics Society 2022 Best Performance by an Ensemble The Harder They Fall Nominated [60]
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2021 American Riviera Award Himself Won
Satellite Award 1999 Best Actor - Miniseries of Television Movie Glory & Honor Won
2000 Strange Justice Nominated
2020 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Da 5 Bloods Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award 1995 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Get Shorty Nominated
1999 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture The Cider House Rules Nominated
2020 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Da 5 Bloods Nominated
Tony Award 1988 Best Featured Actor in a Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone Nominated
Utah Film Critics Association 2026 Best Supporting Performance – Male Sinners Template:Pending [61]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2021 Best Ensemble The Harder They Fall Nominated [62]
2025 Best Supporting Actor Sinners Nominated [63]
Best Ensemble Won

Notes

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References

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  4. Zondra Hughes (August 2002), "Are these the 5 best actors in America? - under rated - Entertainment - Don Cheadle, Delroy Lindo, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ving Rhames And Jeffrey Wright", Ebony.
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  6. "Delroy Lindo Biography", TV Guide.
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  19. "MARCUS GARVEY BIOPIC SET TO BE RELEASED IN 2017", The Source, 7 March 2016.
  20. "Popular US actor Delroy Lindo to star as Marcus Garvey in a new biopic", The Jamaica Star, 4 December 2015.
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External links

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