Gary Dourdan
Dourdan in August 2023
Born
Gary Robert Durdin

(1966-12-11) December 11, 1966
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1991–present
Known forWarrick Brown on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1992; div. 1994)​
Partner(s)Cynthia Hadden
Jennifer Sutton (1995–2000)
Children2

Gary Dourdan (born Gary Robert Durdin: December 11, 1966) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Shazza Zulu on the television series A Different World and Mickey Monroe in crime thriller Righteous Villains.[1]

Early life

Dourdan was born Gary Robert Durdin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Sandy, a teacher and fashion designer, and Robert Durdin, an entrepreneur and agent for jazz musicians.[2] Dourdan is the fourth of five children. When he was six, his 21-year-old brother Darryl died after falling from a balcony in Haiti while "doing research on the family lineage." The case remains unsolved.[2][3] In his youth he moved with his family to Willingboro Township, New Jersey. During that time, his interests included acting, music, and martial arts. Later, Dourdan moved to New York City, and he worked as a doorman at a rehearsal studio.

Career

Dourdan played in several bands in New York City in the early 1990s and acted in regional theatre in the New York metropolitan area. He acted in music videos, including playing Janet Jackson's love interest in the video for her 1993 hit "Again," and had a cameo in the music video "Move the Crowd" by Eric B. & Rakim. Debbie Allen cast him as Shazza Zulu on A Different World, based on a tape of him in an avant-garde play. In 1996, Dourdan appeared in the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episode "Never on Sunday" playing Ziggy, an assistant to Baron Sunday. In 1997, he played Christie, the first mate and second in command of the spaceship Betty in the film Alien Resurrection. He also appeared in the films Playing God and Thursday, and on television, he starred in the Dick Wolf production Swift Justice and played a recurring role on the series Soul Food. Dourdan joined hip-hop artist DMC (of Run–D.M.C.) onstage at the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario, and sang alongside Macy Gray at the 2005 Emmy Awards. He is an alternative musician and a record producer.[4]

In 2007, he played the character Cameron, the boyfriend of Rowena Price (Halle Berry), in the film Perfect Stranger.

Dourdan's most popular role was as a cast member of the series CSI, which debuted on October 6, 2000. He played analyst Warrick Brown, who has a checkered past fraught with gambling problems. By working in Las Vegas, the character uses his personal experiences to help his career.

In 2008, there was media speculation surrounding Dourdan's CSI contract negotiations with CBS. The parties could not reach a resolution, and as a result, his contract was not renewed. It was reported on April 14, 2008 that Dourdan was leaving the show.[5] In the Season 8 finale, Dourdan's character was shot and left for dead at the episode's end. The Season 9 premiere revealed Dourdan's character dying in the arms of his colleague and friend Gil Grissom.[6]

After leaving CSI, he took recurring roles as Stephan in the series Christine and Sheldon DeWitt in the series Being Mary Jane.[7]

Personal life

Dourdan has African-American, Native American, Franco-Haitian (Haiti), Jewish, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.[2] He married model Roshumba Williams in 1992; they divorced two years later.[8] He has two children: a son, Lyric, with Cynthia Hadden, and a daughter, Nyla, with Jennifer Sutton, whom Dourdan dated from 1995 to 2000.[9]

Dourdan collects classic cars and was featured on Season 1, Episode 3, of Street Customs.

In 2008, Dourdan was arrested for possession of cocaine and ecstasy. A third charge, possession of heroin, was dropped.[10] Despite rumors, the drug charges had nothing to do with his departure from CSI, as the contract negotiations had already concluded and he had finished filming the last of his scenes before the incident. In July 2011, after crashing his car, Dourdan was arrested but charges were dropped for drug possession (oxycontin). He was, however, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.[11] In November 2011, he was arrested for felony battery after breaking his girlfriend's nose and placed on five years' probation. He was also ordered to attend weeks of domestic violence counseling and to stay away from the victim for five years.[12] Dourdan filed for bankruptcy in August 2012, owing roughly $1.7 million to creditors.[13]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1992 The Good Fight Elijah Television film
1993 Weekend at Bernie's II Cartel Man #2
1994 The Paper Copy Guy
Keys Loot Television film
1996 Sunset Park Dreadlock Guy
1997 Playing God Yates
Alien Resurrection Christie
Fool's Paradise Derek
Get That Number James Short
1998 Scar City Sergeant Dan Creedy
Thursday Ballpean
1999 The Weekend Theirry
New Jersey Turnpikes -
Rendezvous Jeff Nelson Television film
2000 King of the World Malcolm X Television film
Trois Jermaine Davis
Dancing in September -
2001 Impostor Captain Burke
2006 60 Seconds of Distance Dylan Short
2007 Perfect Stranger Cameron
Black August George L. Jackson
2008 Batman: Gotham Knight Crispus Allen Voice, direct-to-video
2009 Fire! Phil May
The Magnificent Cooly-T Dominick
2011 Jumping the Broom Chef
2012 The Woods Dylan Banks
2013 Five Thirteen Clyde
The Last Letter George
2014 Cobayas: Human Test Eric Short
With You Ruben Haze Short
2015 Mysterious Ways Mozart
For the Love of Ruth Braxton
Reversion Ayden
2016 Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story Augie
2017 Media Jabbar Randolph Television film
Guns Guitars and a Badge.. Romeo
2018 All She Wrote Aaron
Kinky Greenland
2020 Influence Perk
Righteous Villains Mickey Monroe
2021 Redemption Day Brad Paxton
2022 The Moderator Agent Richard Bourdeau
Rolling Into Christmas Joe Franks Television film
2023 Heaven Sent Jeff

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1991–1992 A Different World Shazza Zulu Guest: season 4, recurring cast: seasons 5-6
1993 Laurel Avenue Anthony Episode: "Part I & II"
1994 New York Undercover Trey King Episode: "To Protect and Serve"
1995 The Office Bobby Harold Main cast
1996 Lois & Clark: New Adventures of Superman Ziggy Episode: "Never on Sunday"
Swift Justice Randall Patterson Main cast
1998 Sins of the City - Episode: "Sins of the City"
1999 Seven Days Sergeant Mohmand Episode: "Daddy's Girl"
1999–2000 Beggars and Choosers Julius Henry 2 episodes
2000–2001 Soul Food Jack Van Adams Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2
2000–2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Warrick Brown Main cast: seasons 1-8, guest: Season 9
2002 Fillmore! Ken Fillmore Voice, episode: "Cry, the Beloved Mascot"
Lyric Cafe Himself Host
2005 Kim Possible Dash DaMont Voice, episode: "Team Impossible"
2012 Christine Stephan Recurring cast
2013 Belle's - Episode: "Runaway Bride"
Mistresses Anthony Newsome Recurring cast: Season 1
2014 Glee D'Shawn Episode: "The Back-Up Plan"
2015 Being Mary Jane Sheldon Recurring cast: Season 2
2018 Power Charles Hamilton Episode: "When This Is Over"
2019 The Family Business Trent 2 episodes
2021 First Wives Club Dr. Malcolm Reynard Recurring cast: Season 2
The Last O.G. Bricks Episode: "The First Hump is the Hardest"
2023 And Just Like That... Toussaint 2 episodes

Music videos

Year Title Artist
1987 "Move the Crowd" Eric B. & Rakim
1993 "Judgment Night" Biohazard & Onyx
"Again" Janet Jackson
2002 "Soulful Energy Xchange" Wanted
2004 "What's Your Number?" Cypress Hill featuring Tim Armstrong

Video games

Year Title Voice role
2000 Alien: Resurrection Christie
2003 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Warrick Brown
2004 CSI: Dark Motives Warrick Brown
2006 CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder Warrick Brown
2007 CSI: Hard Evidence Warrick Brown

Awards and nominations

Association Year Category Title Result
NAACP Image Awards 2003 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Won
2004 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nominated
2005 Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nominated
2006 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Won
2007 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2002 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nominated
2003 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nominated
2004 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Nominated
2005 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Won
Seattle International Film Festival 2000 Citation of Excellence for Ensemble Cast Performance The Weekend Won
South East European Film Festival 2018 Best Actor All She Wrote Won

References

  1. ↑ Michael, Savvas D. (December 1, 2020), Righteous Villains (Crime, Thriller), Steven Berkoff, Gary Dourdan, Steven Brand, Gianni Calchetti, Saints and Savages, retrieved December 7, 2020
  2. 1 2 3 Faillaci, Sara (August 4, 2005). "Gary Dourdan Experiences". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on January 8, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  3. ↑ "About Gary Dourdan". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Gary Dourdan - About This Person", NYTimes.com Movies & TV.
  5. ↑ "Exclusive: Gary Dourdan Leaving CSI". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008.
  6. ↑ Episode Recap: "For Warrick", CBS.
  7. ↑ "Gary Dourdan: The Man Behind Being Mary Jane's Sexy Sheldon". April 7, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Gary Dourdan". NNDB.com. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Gary Dourdan biography". Television.AOL.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  10. ↑ "'CSI' Star Pleads Guilty to Possessing Cocaine, Ecstasy". Baltimore Sun. May 28, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Former 'CSI' regular Gary Dourdan busted again for drugs". Toronto Star. July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Gary Dourdan accepts plea deal". Belleville Intelligencer. November 30, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  13. ↑ Steiner, Amanda Michelle (January 29, 2015). "Former CSI Star Gary Dourdan Is Bankrupt, Has Just $84.50 in Savings". People.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
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