Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor and professional martial artist, who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African-American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved as a teen to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he graduated from Central High School in 1988. White started martial arts training at the age of seven and is now an accomplished martial artist, holding seven legitimate black belts in Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, Kobudo, Goju Ryu, Tang Soo Do, Wushu and Kyokushin, with a specific focus in Kyokushin (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms). His first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson, as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. In 1997, he portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 movie Spawn. His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return. In 2001, he also starred opposite fellow martial artist Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds. In 2003, he starred in Busta Rhymes' and Mariah Carey's music video "I Know What You Want". Since 2003, in addition to his on screen roles, White has been doing voice work, including Static Shock, Justice League, and the Spawn animated series. White showcases his martial arts skills in the direct-to-DVD film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. He also appears in Michelle Yeoh's Silver Hawk in 2004. His film, Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007. White played the role of the mob boss Gambol in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. He also starred in the film Blood and Bone and the Blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite, both released in 2009. White wrote the scripts for both Black Dynamite and his upcoming 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine. White will make his directorial debut and star in Never Back Down 2, which is slated for a 2011 release. In August 2005 he wed his girlfriend of two years, Courtenay Chatman. The couple have a daughter named Morgan Michelle who was born on December 24, 2008. Michael has two sons from a previous relationship. He is an avid chess player, as seen in his movie Blood and Bone.
Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor and professional martial artist, who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African-American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved as a teen to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he graduated from Central High School in 1988. White started martial arts training at the age of seven and is now an accomplished martial artist, holding seven legitimate black belts in Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, Kobudo, Goju Ryu, Tang Soo Do, Wushu and Kyokushin, with a specific focus in Kyokushin (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms). His first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson, as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. In 1997, he portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 movie Spawn. His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return. In 2001, he also starred opposite fellow martial artist Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds. In 2003, he starred in Busta Rhymes' and Mariah Carey's music video "I Know What You Want". Since 2003, in addition to his on screen roles, White has been doing voice work, including Static Shock, Justice League, and the Spawn animated series. White showcases his martial arts skills in the direct-to-DVD film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. He also appears in Michelle Yeoh's Silver Hawk in 2004. His film, Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007. White played the role of the mob boss Gambol in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. He also starred in the film Blood and Bone and the Blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite, both released in 2009. White wrote the scripts for both Black Dynamite and his upcoming 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine. White will make his directorial debut and star in Never Back Down 2, which is slated for a 2011 release. In August 2005 he wed his girlfriend of two years, Courtenay Chatman. The couple have a daughter named Morgan Michelle who was born on December 24, 2008. Michael has two sons from a previous relationship. He is an avid chess player, as seen in his movie Blood and Bone.
External links
Filmography (Movies)
Oscar Shaw
Character:Oscar Shaw
Release Date:09/01/2026
Exit Protocol
Character:Isaac Florentine
Release Date:07/11/2025
Hostile Takeover
Character:Pete
Release Date:08/08/2025
Trouble Man
Character:Jaxen
Release Date:01/08/2025
Scream Before You Die
Character:Joe Washington
Release Date:01/12/2024
Don't Mess with Grandma
Character:JT
Release Date:20/09/2024
Chuck Zito: An American Story
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2024
One More Shot
Character:Robert Jackson
Release Date:09/01/2024
Outlaw Johnny Black
Character:Outlaw Johnny Black
Release Date:15/09/2023
MR-9: Do or Die
Character:Duke
Release Date:25/08/2023
The Island
Character:Mark
Release Date:21/07/2023
Come Out Fighting
Character:Sergeant AJ 'Red' McCarron
Release Date:19/05/2023
You're Not Alone
Character:Keith Mitchell
Release Date:24/03/2023
A Snowy Day in Oakland
Character:Reverend Carter
Release Date:17/03/2023
As Good as Dead
Character:Bryant
Release Date:16/12/2022
The Hit
Character:Brooke
Release Date:09/12/2022
Dead Zone
Character:Boss
Release Date:29/07/2022
The Commando
Character:James Baker
Release Date:07/01/2022
Black Friday
Character:Archie
Release Date:19/11/2021
Take Back
Character:Brian
Release Date:18/06/2021
Rogue Hostage
Character:Sparks
Release Date:11/06/2021
Send It!
Character:Coach
Release Date:11/05/2021
Assault on VA-33
Character:Chief Malone
Release Date:22/04/2021
Bisping
Character:Self
Release Date:06/02/2021
Batman: Soul of the Dragon
Character:Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger (voice)
Release Date:12/01/2021
Welcome to Sudden Death
Character:Jesse Freeman
Release Date:09/09/2020
Undercover Brother 2
Character:Undercover Brother / Narrator
Release Date:05/11/2019
In Search of the Last Action Heroes
Character:Himself
Release Date:01/09/2019
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Character:Self
Release Date:14/08/2019
Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare
Character:Self
Release Date:01/08/2019
Triple Threat
Character:Devereaux
Release Date:19/03/2019
The Hard Way
Character:Payne
Release Date:05/03/2019
Dragged Across Concrete
Character:'Biscuit'
Release Date:21/02/2019
Every Day Is Christmas
Character:Justin
Release Date:24/11/2018
Making a Killing
Character:Orlando Hudson
Release Date:10/08/2018
Accident Man
Character:Mick
Release Date:06/02/2018
Cops and Robbers
Character:Michael
Release Date:12/12/2017
S.W.A.T.: Under Siege
Character:Scorpion
Release Date:01/08/2017
The Crooked Man
Character:Milo
Release Date:01/10/2016
Vigilante Diaries
Character:Barrington
Release Date:01/09/2016
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip
Character:Princeton
Release Date:04/07/2016
Never Back Down: No Surrender
Character:Case Walker
Release Date:07/06/2016
The Asian Connection
Character:Greedy Greg
Release Date:13/05/2016
Chain of Command
Character:James Webster
Release Date:30/08/2015
Chocolate City
Character:Princeton
Release Date:22/05/2015
The Real Miyagi
Character:Self
Release Date:20/02/2015
Beyond the Game
Character:Himself
Release Date:31/12/2014
Skin Trade
Character:Reed
Release Date:07/11/2014
Falcon Rising
Character:John 'Falcon' Chapman
Release Date:05/09/2014
Android Cop
Character:Hammond
Release Date:04/02/2014
Generation Iron
Character:Self
Release Date:20/09/2013
Fedz
Character:Big D
Release Date:13/03/2013
Somebody's Child
Character:Douglas
Release Date:11/08/2012
The Philly Kid
Character:Arthur Letts
Release Date:11/05/2012
Freaky Deaky
Character:Donnell Lewis
Release Date:22/04/2012
We the Party
Character:Officer Davis
Release Date:06/04/2012
Tactical Force
Character:Hunt
Release Date:01/12/2011
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown
Character:Case Walker
Release Date:13/09/2011
One Angry Juror
Character:Derrick
Release Date:15/11/2010
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth
Character:Jackson Briggs
Release Date:08/06/2010
Why Did I Get Married Too?
Character:Marcus
Release Date:02/04/2010
Black Dynamite
Character:Black Dynamite
Release Date:16/10/2009
The Legend of Bruce Lee
Character:Ali
Release Date:30/04/2009
Blood and Bone
Character:Isaiah Bone
Release Date:07/02/2009
The Dark Knight
Character:Gambol
Release Date:16/07/2008
Why Did I Get Married?
Character:Marcus
Release Date:12/10/2007
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing
Character:George Chambers
Release Date:11/04/2006
Getting Played
Character:Actor
Release Date:10/12/2005
UnConventional
Character:Self
Release Date:01/10/2004
Silver Hawk
Character:Morris
Release Date:15/01/2004
Justice
Character:Tre
Release Date:08/05/2003
Pandora's Box
Character:Hampton Hines
Release Date:09/08/2002
The Making of Exit Wounds
Character:Self
Release Date:14/03/2002
Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes
Character:Spawn (archive footage)
Release Date:23/12/2001
Exit Wounds
Character:Lewis Strutt
Release Date:16/03/2001
Freedom Song
Character:Coleman Vaughnes
Release Date:27/02/2000
Universal Soldier: The Return
Character:SETH
Release Date:05/08/1999
Thick as Thieves
Character:Pointy
Release Date:09/04/1999
Breakfast of Champions
Character:Howell
Release Date:18/02/1999
Mutiny
Character:Ben Cooper
Release Date:01/01/1999
Ringmaster
Character:Demond
Release Date:25/11/1998
Spawn
Character:Al Simmons / Spawn
Release Date:31/07/1997
The Making of 'Spawn'
Character:Self
Release Date:15/07/1997
City of Industry
Character:Odell Williams
Release Date:14/03/1997
2 Days in the Valley
Character:Buck
Release Date:11/09/1996
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal
Character:Carpenter
Release Date:20/06/1996
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story
Character:Elroy
Release Date:14/04/1996
Tyson
Character:Mike Tyson
Release Date:29/04/1995
Ballistic
Character:Quint
Release Date:28/02/1995
Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike
Character:Silvio
Release Date:28/02/1995
On Deadly Ground
Character:Oil Worker (uncredited)
Release Date:18/02/1994
Full Contact
Character:Low-Ball
Release Date:04/05/1993
Universal Soldier
Character:Soldier
Release Date:10/07/1992
True Identity
Character:
Release Date:23/08/1991
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Character:Audience Man
Release Date:22/03/1991
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie
Character:Apocalypse, Inc. Executive
Release Date:24/11/1989
The Toxic Avenger Part II
Character:Apocalypse Inc. Executive
Release Date:15/07/1989
Television Appearances
Kingdom Business
Character:Julius “Caesar” Jones
The Art of Action
Character:Self
Carl Weber's The Family Business
Character:Vegas Duncan
Insecure
Character:Zeke
black-ish
Character:Vincent
Teen Titans Go!
Character:Don Jackson (voice)
Metal Hurlant Chronicles
Character:Teague
Metal Hurlant Chronicles
Character:Balt
Arrow
Character:Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger
Arrow
Character:Ben Turner
Black Dynamite
Character:Black Dynamite
Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse
Character:Marcus Williams
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Character:Major Jackson 'Jax' Briggs
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Character:Tattooed Man (voice)
The Legend of Bruce Lee
Character:Ali
Windfall
Character:Michael
Clubhouse
Character:Ellis Hayes
Justice League Unlimited
Character:Doomsday (voice)
CSI: Miami
Character:Roy Bailey
Justice League
Character:Doomsday (voice)
Boston Public
Character:Darren Schofield
Static Shock
Character:Osebo (voice)
Wonderland
Character:Derrick Hatcher
JAG
Character:Peter Quinn / Martin Payne
Living Single
Character:Steve
Renegade
Character:Luther - Dawn's boyfriend
Martin
Character:Valdez
Saved by the Bell
Character:Military Police Man #2 (uncredited)
Images
