Malik Yoba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malik Yoba
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| Born |
Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba
September 17, 1967 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for |
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Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Detective J. C. Williams on the TV show New York Undercover. He also played Yul Brenner in the movie Cool Runnings. Malik Yoba has appeared in many other popular TV shows and films. These include Alphas, Revolution, Empire, and Designated Survivor. He also joined the Netflix show Seven Seconds and the comedy The Last O.G..
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Early Life
Malik Yoba was born in the Bronx, New York. He was the fourth of six children in his family. His parents are Mahmoudah Young and Abdullah Yoba.
Acting Career
In 1994, Malik Yoba began his role on the popular TV show New York Undercover. He starred alongside Michael DeLorenzo. This show made TV history. It was the first police drama in America to have two main characters who were people of color. Malik Yoba won three NAACP Image Awards for his work on New York Undercover. He won these awards in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
TV Shows and Movies
Malik Yoba has appeared in many films. These include Cool Runnings and Criminal. He also played Ice, a bounty hunter, on the TV show Arrested Development. He had a regular role as Brock Harris on the sitcom Girlfriends.
He also appeared in the crime dramas Thief and Raines. Malik Yoba was in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? (2007) and its sequel Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010). In 2009, he played astronaut Ted Shaw in the ABC drama Defying Gravity.
From 2011 to 2012, Yoba played Bill Harken on Alphas. This science fiction show was about people with special abilities. In 2013, he joined Revolution as Jim Hudson. In 2015, he became part of the cast of Empire. He played Vernon Turner, a business partner at Empire Entertainment.
Stage Acting
Malik Yoba is also a talented singer and stage actor. He had the main role in the play His Woman His Wife. In 2019, Yoba performed his own one-man show called Harlem to Hollywood. This show took place at New York's Apollo Theater. In it, Yoba performed his own music and played twenty different characters.
Other Interests
In 2017, Malik Yoba started his company called Yoba Development. He hopes to help young people of color get involved in the real estate business. Yoba Development has projects in Baltimore and New York City. In 2019, he was a producer and director for The Real Estate Mixtape: Volume 1, I Build NY. This show followed Yoba as he worked on his first big real estate deal in New York City.
Personal Well-being
In 2021, Malik Yoba had heart surgery. This was due to a heart condition that runs in his family. He believes in eating plant-based foods and walking to stay healthy. In 2022, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Livingstone College.
Film and TV Roles
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Cool Runnings | Yul Brenner | |
| 1995 | Smoke | The Creeper | |
| Blue in the Face | Watch Man | ||
| 1997 | Cop Land | Detective Carson | |
| Soul Food | Studio Engineer | ||
| 1998 | Ride | Poppa | |
| 2001 | Night Class | Tommy Reed | a.k.a. ... by a Thief |
| 2003 | Playas Ball | Himself | |
| 2004 | Criminal | Frank Hill | |
| 2005 | Kids in America | Will Drucker | |
| 2007 | Why Did I Get Married? | Gavin | |
| Feel the Noise | The Mayor | ||
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Gavin | |
| 2016 | Paradox | Mr. Landau | |
| 2017 | 'Til Death Do Us Part | Rob | |
| 2018 | Take Point | Gerald | |
| 2019 | Awake | Frank Ward | |
| 2022 | The Good Nurse | Sam Johnson |
TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Where I Live | Fisher | 1 episode |
| 1994 | Law & Order | Pat Williams | |
| 1994–1999 | New York Undercover | Detective Julius Clarence "J.C." Williams | Main role |
| 1998 | For Your Love | Keith | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Trinity | Sam Davis | 2 episodes |
| 2000–2001 | Bull | Corey Granville | Main role |
| 2003 | Kingpin | Bobby Curtis | 3 episodes |
| The Twilight Zone | Shawn | Episode: "Developing" | |
| 2003–2007 | Girlfriends | Brock Harris | Recurring role |
| 2004 | The Days | Gib Taylor | 4 episodes |
| Arrested Development | Ice | 2 episodes | |
| 2006 | Thief | Elmo "Mo" Jones | Miniseries |
| That's So Raven | Judge | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | Raines | Charlie Lincoln | Main role |
| 2008 | CSI: Miami | Reggie Mastow | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Defying Gravity | Ted Shaw | Main role |
| 2010 | Justified | Toby Griffin | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Nikita | Wallace | |
| 2011–2012 | Alphas | Bill Harken | Main role |
| 2012 | Person of Interest | Andre Wilcox | Episode: "Wolf and Cub" |
| NYC 22 | Ray-Ray Burnell | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Revolution | Jim Hudson | 4 episodes |
| The Glades | Landon Givens | 1 episode | |
| The Good Wife | Eddie Fornum | ||
| Betty & Coretta | Martin Luther King Jr. | TV movie | |
| 2014 | Turks & Caicos | Jim Carroll | |
| 2015 | Empire | Vernon Turner | Main role |
| Limitless | Rooney / John Kellerman | 1 episode | |
| 2015 & 2024 | Blue Bloods | Det. Darryl Reid | Episodes: "Flags of Our Fathers" & "Loyalty Part 1" |
| 2016 | Justice By Any Means | Him | 1 episode |
| 2016–2017 | Designated Survivor | Jason Atwood | Recurring role |
| 2018 | Seven Seconds | Wes | 1 episode |
| Gotham | Major Rodney Harlan | ||
| The Last O.G. | Wavy | Recurring role | |
| God Friended Me | Terrance | 3 episodes | |
| 2019 | First Wives Club | Derek Ellsworth | Main role |
| Carl Weber's The Family Business | Randy Moss | Episodes: "The Heat Is On" & "Home Coming" | |
| 2022 | East New York | Lamonte Jacobs | 1 episode |
| 2022-2023 | The Equalizer | Manny | 3 episodes |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Walking Dead: Michonne | Pete (voice) | (Video game) |
Awards and Achievements
Malik Yoba has received several awards for his work.
- American Black Film Festival - Winner, Best Documentary, 2016
- NAACP Image Award - Winner, 1996, 1997, 1998
