Dominic Hoffman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dominic Hoffman
Hoffman at the LA Times Festival of Books in 2025.
Born	(1962-10-30) October 30, 1962 (age 62)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1985–present

Dominic Hoffman (born October 30, 1962) is an American actor, writer, and audiobook narrator. You might know him from his roles in TV shows like The Shield, A Different World, and Grey's Anatomy.

Besides acting on screen, Hoffman is a talented stage actor and playwright, which means he writes plays. He won awards for his one-man show called "Uncle Jacques' Symphony." In this play, he performed as many different characters all by himself.

Hoffman is also famous for narrating audiobooks. He won a major award, the Audie Award, for his reading of the novel Homegoing.

Early Life and Education

Dominic Hoffman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He also trained at several famous acting schools. These include the American Conservatory Theater, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Today, Hoffman lives in Venice, California, and also spends time in Paris, France.

Career on Stage and Screen

Acting on Television

Hoffman has appeared in many popular TV shows since 1985. He played Julian Day, the boyfriend of the character Whitley, in A Different World. He was also Louis Sperling on the police drama The Shield and Dr. Jeff Russell on the medical show Grey's Anatomy.

Some other shows he has guest-starred in include:

• Cheers
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
• Family Matters
• NYPD Blue
• 24
• The Mentalist
• S.W.A.T.

Writing and Acting for the Theater

Hoffman is also a successful playwright. His most famous work is a one-man show called Uncle Jacques’ Symphony. In the play, Hoffman acts out all the parts, showing many different characters who are young, old, and from various cultures. The play uses music to tell a story about life.

This play was a huge success and won several awards, including LA Ovation Awards for Best Actor, Best Writer, and Best World Premiere Play.

Award-Winning Audiobook Narrator

Dominic Hoffman is a celebrated audiobook narrator. His voice brings stories to life for listeners. In 2017, he won the Audie Award for Literary Fiction or Classics for his narration of the book Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

He has been a finalist for other Audie Awards and received an honor from the Odyssey Award committee. He has narrated many popular books, including:

• Sun is Also a Star, TheThe Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
• Deacon King Kong by James McBride
• When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
• Four Hundred Souls, edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

Selected Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Hoffman has won many awards for his work in theater and for his audiobook narrations.