Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an English-American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as a

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

, a Helen Hayes Award, a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, two

Critics' Choice Television Award The Critics' Choice Television Awards are accolades that are presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fourt ...

s, and three

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

. Lindo has played prominent roles in four

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

films: West Indian Archie in '' Malcolm X'' (1992), Woody Carmichael in ''

Crooklyn ''Crooklyn'' is a 1994 American semi-autobiographical film produced and directed by Spike Lee and co-written with his sister Joie and brother Cinqué. Occurring in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, during the summer ...

'' (1994), Rodney Little in '' Clockers'' (1995), and Paul in '' Da 5 Bloods'' (2020); he received universal acclaim for his performance in ''Da 5 Bloods'' as a

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

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), and Detective Castlebeck in '' Gone in 60 Seconds'' (2000). Lindo starred as Alderman Ronin Gibbons in the TV series '' The Chicago Code'' (2011), as Winter on the series ''

Believe Believe may refer to: *Belief, a psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true, with or without proof for such proposition *Faith, a belief in something which has not been proven Arts, entertainment, and me ...

'' (2014), and as Adrian Boseman in ''

The Good Fight ''The Good Fight'' is an American legal drama produced for CBS's streaming service CBS All Access (later Paramount+). It is the platform's first original scripted series. The series, created by Robert King, Michelle King, and Phil Alden Robinso ...

'' (2017–2021).

Early life

Delroy Lindo was born in 1952 in

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one ...

, south-east London, the son of Jamaican parents. His mother had immigrated to the UK in 1951 from Jamaica to work as a nurse, and his father worked in various jobs. Lindo grew up in nearby

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards o ...

and attended Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys. He became interested in acting as a child when he appeared in a nativity play at school. As a teenager, Lindo and his mother moved to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, Ontario. When he was 16, they moved to San Francisco. At the age of 24, Lindo began his studies in acting at the

American Conservatory Theater The American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is a nonprofit theater company in San Francisco, California, United States, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. It also has an attached acting school. History The Americ ...

, graduating in 1979.

Career

Lindo's film debut came in 1976 with the Canadian John Candy comedy '' Find the Lady'', followed by two other roles in films, including an army sergeant in '' More American Graffiti'' (1979). 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. In 1982 he debuted on Broadway in '' "Master Harold"...and the Boys,'' directed by the play's South African author

Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...

. By 1988, Lindo had earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Herald Loomis in August Wilson's ''

Joe Turner's Come and Gone ''Joe Turner's Come and Gone'' is a play by American playwright August Wilson. It is the second installment of his decade-by-decade chronicle of the African-American experience, ''The Pittsburgh Cycle''. The play was first staged 1984 at the Euge ...

''. 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

for a role in ''

Do the Right Thing ''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackso ...

'', Lee cast him as Woody Carmichael in the drama ''

'' (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 Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as ''The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family V ...

's '' Get Shorty'' (1995), Ron Howard's ''

Ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''re ...

'' (1996) and ''

Soul of the Game ''Soul of the Game'' (also known as ''Field of Honour'') is a 1996 television film about Negro league baseball. The film stars Blair Underwood as Jackie Robinson, Delroy Lindo as Satchel Paige, Mykelti Williamson as Josh Gibson, and Harvey Wil ...

'' (1996), as the baseball player

Satchel Paige Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...

. In 1998 Lindo co-starred as African-American explorer Matthew Henson, in the TV film ''

Glory & Honor ''Glory & Honor'' is a 1998 American docudrama television film directed by Kevin Hooks and written by Jeff Lewis and Susan Rhinehart, from a story by Robert Caputo. The film is based on the true story of Robert Peary (Henry Czerny) and Matth ...

'', 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 The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

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 Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Cam ...

''. Lindo had a small role in the 1995 film '' Congo'', playing the corrupt Captain Wanta. 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 ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' in the episode " Brawl in the Family", playing a character named Gabriel. In the British film ''

Wondrous Oblivion ''Wondrous Oblivion'' is a 2003 British film directed and written by Paul Morrison and produced by Jonny Persey. Set in suburban south London in 1960, several themes run through the film, though the main storyline concerns the friendship betwe ...

'' (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. In 2007, Lindo began an association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, when he directed

Tanya Barfield Tanya Barfield is an American playwright whose works have been presented both nationally and internationally.DeVoti, Emily"Blue Door: Painting within the lines of history with Tanya Barfield"brooklynrail.org, October 2006, Accessed 13 September 21 ...

's play ''The Blue Door''. In the autumn of 2008, Lindo revisited August Wilson's play ''Joe Turner's Come and Gone'', directing a production at the Berkeley Rep. In 2010, he played the role of elderly seer Bynum in David Lan's production of ''Joe Turner'' at the

Young Vic Theatre The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 2018 ...

in London. Lindo was in the main cast of the Fox crime drama '' The Chicago Code'' (2011), the NBC fantasy series ''

'', and the ABC soap '' Blood & Oil'' (2015). In 2017, Lindo began playing Adrian Boseman in the CBS legal drama ''

'', a role he would star in for the series' first four seasons and reprise as a guest star in its fifth season. Lindo appeared in the action film '' Point Break'' (2015), the horror film '' Malicious'' (2018), the drama ''

Battlecreek ''Battlecreek'' is a 2017 American romantic drama film starring Bill Skarsgård, Paula Malcomson and Claire van der Boom, and directed by Alison Eastwood. It is about a young man with a rare skin disease that forces him to avoid sunlight. He mee ...

'', '' Da 5 Bloods'' (2020), another collaboration with Spike Lee, and '' The Harder They Fall'' (2021) as Bass Reeves. For his role in ''Da 5 Bloods'', Lindo received critical acclaim and a number of accolades.

In development

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. Lindo was cast as the lead in an ABC drama pilot ''Harlem's Kitchen'' in March 2020. It was announced in July 2021 that Lindo would star as Mr Nancy in the British Amazon Prime miniseries adaptation of

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...

's '' Anansi Boys'' alongside Malachi Kirby. In November, Lindo officially joined the cast of the upcoming

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Ma ...

film '' Blade'' in an undisclosed role.

Personal life

Lindo married his wife Nashormeh Lindo in 1990. They settled down in

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...

, California, in 1996, having moved from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and preferring the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Their son Damiri was born in 2001. In 2014, Lindo graduated with a master's degree in fine arts from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

's Gallatin School. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Arts and Humanities from Virginia Union University. Lindo is a supporter of

Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd), or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * Mosi Secret
"The Long, Occasionally Dark, and Ultimately Triumphant Career of Delroy Lindo"
'' GQ'', 20 April 2021 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindo, Delroy 1952 births Living people 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors American Conservatory Theater alumni Black British male actors English expatriates in Canada English expatriates in the United States English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Jamaican descent Male actors from London Male actors from San Francisco People from Eltham People from Lewisham San Francisco State University alumni American people of Jamaican descent