Corey Hawkins

Corey Antonio Hawkins (born October 22, 1988) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his role in the TV series '' The Walking Dead'' (2015–2016), as well as his portrayal of Dr. Dre in the 2015 film '' Straight Outta Compton'', the latter of which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. He's also known for his performances on Broadway starring in '' Six Degrees of Separation'' (2017) and '' Topdog/Underdog'' (2022), both of which earned him nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

That same year, Hawkins starred in the Fox network series '' 24: Legacy'' (2017), along with Jordan Vogt-Roberts' monster film '' Kong: Skull Island''. In 2018, he was featured in Spike Lee's biographical crime-comedy '' BlacKkKlansman'', which earned him a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Hawkins received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award, for his portrayal of Paul in the Quibi series ''Survive'' (2020).

His other roles include Michael Bay's action-comedy '' 6 Underground'' (2019), Jon M. Chu's musical film '' In the Heights'' (2021), and Joel Coen's 2021 historical thriller film ''The Tragedy of Macbeth''. He starred in the 2023 film adaptation of '' The Color Purple.''

Life and career

Hawkins was born in Washington, D.C., where he was raised by his mother, a police officer. He attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City, a member of the drama division's "Group 40". While studying at Juilliard, Hawkins received the prestigious John Houseman Award for excellence in classical theatre. Upon graduation, he began a career starring Off-Broadway and guest-starring on television. Hawkins garnered a brief role in Marvel Studios' ''Iron Man 3'' and went on to star opposite Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore in Universal Pictures' action-thriller '' Non-Stop''.

In 2013, Hawkins made his Broadway debut as Tybalt in the revival of William Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'', acting alongside Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Owens. In 2015, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' announced that Hawkins would join the cast of AMC's '' The Walking Dead'' as Heath, a key character from Robert Kirkman's comic series. Hawkins played Dr. Dre in the biopic '' Straight Outta Compton'', from Universal Pictures, which was theatrically released on August 14, 2015, and grossed $201 million at the box office.

In 2017, Hawkins began playing a lead role in the '' 24'' reboot '' 24: Legacy'' on Fox. Also that year, he co-starred in the film '' Kong: Skull Island'', alongside Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston. In spring 2017, Hawkins played a limited-engagement run on Broadway in the play '' Six Degrees of Separation'' opposite Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey. He received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Hawkins performed " God Bless America" for the men's singles final at the 2017 U.S. Open. In January 2024, it was announced that Hawkins would replace Jonathan Majors for '' The Man In My Basement''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
*https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/corey-hawkins-494991

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Corey
1988 births
Living people
21st-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
Juilliard School alumni
Male actors from Washington, D.C.
21st-century African-American male actors
20th-century African-American male actors
20th-century American male actors