MEKHI PHIFER
Date of Birth: December 12, 1975
Born and raised in New York with his twin brother, Mekhi (pronounced Meck-high) Phifer had never seriously pursued any acting ambitions until he and his cousin answered Spike Lee's open casting call for Clockers. Phifer's audition won him the part of Strike, a crack dealer suspected in a murder investigation in the projects of Brooklyn. Phifer's commanding performance marked a powerful debut and won him much critical praise as well as a host of other offers.
Following the success surrounding his debut, Phifer appeared in The Tuskegee Airmen, a powerful television drama starring Laurence Fishburne.
Movie audiences began to recognize Phifer for his roles in the moderately successful ensemble drama Soul Food and in the inevitable horror sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
His talent was recognized after completing the telefilm, A Lesson Before Dying. Based on the best-selling novel by Ernest J. Gaines, the film cast Phifer as Jefferson, a small town black youth wrongly accused of killing a white storeowner. For his powerful performance he was nominated by the Image awards for Outstanding Actor in a TV movie.
Phifer is also the chief adviser to a start-up talent agency and has appeared in a number of music videos including The Boy is Mine by Brandy and Monica; Don't let go from En Vogue; and Nobody for Keith Sweats. He is interested in rapping, and wants to work on his own albums.
At the start of the new millennium, Phifer appeared in a number of films including O, based on Shakespeare's Othello, starring Julia Stiles and Josh Hartnett; and the thriller, Head Games (2001). More recently, he has appeared in 8 Mile (2002) starring Eminem, Honey (2003) with Jessica Alba and Dawn of the Dead (2004) with Sarah Polley. In 2002 he accepted the regular role of Dr. Greg Pratt on the hit series ER, for which he received two more Image award nominations in 2003 and 2004.
He has a son with his ex-wife, actress Malinda Williams.
Filmography:
Slow Burn(2004)
Dawn of the Dead(2004)
Honey(2003)
8 Mile(2002)
Paid in Full(2002)
Impostor(2002)
Head Games (2001)
O(2001)
Shaft(2000)
An Invited Guest (1999)
Lover Man (1998)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer(1998)
Hell's Kitchen (1998)
Soul Food(1997)
Hav Plenty(1997)
High School High (1996)
Girl 6 (1996) (uncredited)
Clockers (1995)