Clark Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clark Johnson
Johnson at the 2009 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Born	(1954-09-10) September 10, 1954 (age 70) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names	Clark "Slappy" Jackson, Clarque Johnson, J. Clark Johnson
Alma mater	Eastern Michigan University University of Ottawa Concordia University OCAD University
Occupation	Actor, director
Years active	1981–present
Relatives	Molly Johnson (sister) Taborah Johnson (sister)

Clark Johnson (born September 10, 1954) is an American-Canadian actor and director. He has worked in both television and film for many years. He is well-known for his roles as David Jefferson in Night Heat (1985–1988) and Clark Roberts in E.N.G. (1989–1994). He also played Meldrick Lewis in Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999) and Augustus Haynes in The Wire (2008). He has been nominated for an Emmy Award and two Genie Awards.

Clark Johnson's Early Life

Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father was from Trinidad and Tobago and his mother was white. His family later moved to Canada. He has three siblings, including the jazz singer Molly Johnson and actress Taborah Johnson.

Johnson went to Eastern Michigan University on a scholarship for American football. He later attended other universities, including the University of Ottawa and Concordia University. He also studied film at the Ontario College of Art.

Clark Johnson's Career in Film and TV

Johnson started his career working on special effects for films. This work helped him during the early days of his acting career.

Starting as an Actor

He began acting in movies in 1981. Some of his early film roles were in Killing 'em Softly, Colors, and Adventures in Babysitting. He also appeared in several TV shows. These included The Littlest Hobo, Night Heat, and E.N.G.. In 1989, he starred in the first episode of The Women of Brewster Place.

Playing Detective Meldrick Lewis

In 1993, Johnson joined the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street. He played Detective Meldrick Lewis for all seven seasons. He also appeared in the reunion movie. Johnson often made up his own lines and jokes while filming. He was known for being very creative on set.

His character became even more important when he was paired with a new partner, Mike Kellerman. Johnson also started directing episodes of the show. He directed "Map of the Heart" and several other episodes. David Simon, who wrote the book the show was based on, said Johnson was great at directing. He kept the show's feeling consistent. In 2013, Johnson made a short appearance as Lewis in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Working on The Wire

Johnson worked with writer David Simon again on the TV series The Wire. Johnson directed the first episode, "The Target", and the series finale. He also played Augustus Haynes in the show. Haynes was a dedicated editor for The Baltimore Sun newspaper.

Starring in Alpha House

In 2013, Johnson starred in Alpha House on Amazon. This was a comedy about politics. He played Senator Robert Bettencourt. He was one of four Republican senators living together in a house in Washington D.C. Johnson also directed the final episode of the first season. He filmed the second season in 2014.

Clark Johnson's Directing Work

Johnson has directed several movies for the big screen. These include The Sentinel (2006) and S.W.A.T. (2003). He also directed episodes of TV shows like Third Watch. He directed the HBO movie Boycott (2001), where he also acted.

He directed the first episodes of the mini-series Sleeper Cell (2005). He also directed the first and last episodes of The Shield, along with other episodes of that series. Johnson directed the pilot episode of the FX drama Lights Out. This show was about a retired boxing champion.

Clark Johnson's Filmography

Actor Roles

Television

Film

Director Credits

TV Movies

• Boycott (2001)
• The Secret Service (2004)
• N.Y.-70 (2005)

Feature Films

• S.W.A.T. (2003)
• The Sentinel (2006)
• Juanita (2019)
• Percy (2020)

Television Series

Awards and Nominations

Clark Johnson has received several awards and nominations for his work.