McKinley Belcher III facts for kids

McKinley Belcher III is an American actor and writer. He is well-known for his exciting roles in popular TV shows. For example, he played Detective Michael Ledroit in the Netflix series Eric. He was even nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for this role in 2025!

McKinley has also appeared in other big Netflix shows like Zero Day with Robert De Niro, and Ozark where he played Agent Trevor Evans. You might also know him as Samuel Diggs from the PBS series Mercy Street or Anthony Carter in The Passage.

Early Life and School

McKinley Belcher was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the first son of McKinley Belcher Jr. and Pamela McGhee Belcher.

His family later moved to Powder Springs, Georgia. There, he went to elementary and middle school. He graduated from Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia, in 2002. While in high school, he was part of the International Baccalaureate program and ran track and cross country.

After high school, McKinley attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated in 2006 with degrees in Communication Studies and Political Science. He was also on the Speech and Debate Team, winning awards for his debating and speaking skills. Later, he went to the USC School of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Acting in 2010.

Acting Career

McKinley Belcher III has had a busy career in both theater and on screen.

On Stage

McKinley started his theater career Off-Broadway. In 2013, he appeared in Romeo and Juliet. In 2016, he won a Drama Desk Award for his role as Fish in the play The Royale at Lincoln Center. He also acted alongside Kevin Bacon in Rear Window in 2015.

He won two awards, an Elliot Norton Award and an IRNE Award, for his roles in A Guide for the Homesick in 2017. In 2019, he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in The Light.

In 2020, McKinley made his big debut on Broadway in A Soldier's Play. He played Private Louis Henson. He also made history in the 2022-2023 Broadway production of Death of a Salesman. This was the first time an African-American Loman family was featured on Broadway.

In Movies and TV Shows

McKinley's first movie role was in the 2013 independent film Go for Sisters. He played Rodney, the son of Lisa Gay Hamilton's character.

In 2015, he was in the HBO mini-series Show Me a Hero. He then became a regular on the PBS Civil War drama Mercy Street. He played Samuel Diggs, a free man with secret medical knowledge.

In 2018, he joined the cast of Fox's drama The Passage. He played Anthony Carter. He also worked with director David Simon again in the 2022 HBO series We Own This City.

In 2022, McKinley joined the cast of Netflix's live-action One Piece as the character Arlong. In 2024, he took on a main role as police officer Michael Ledroit in the Netflix drama Eric. He also appeared in the limited series Zero Day in 2025.

Personal Life

McKinley Belcher III married artist Blake Fox on January 17, 2023. Their wedding took place in Hoboken, New Jersey. His Death of a Salesman co-star André De Shields officiated the ceremony.

Awards and Nominations

McKinley Belcher III has received several awards and nominations for his acting.

• In 2016, he won a Drama Desk Award for his part in The Royale.
• In 2019, he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for The Light.
• In 2021, the cast of Ozark was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
• In 2025, he was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award and a BAFTA Television Award for his role in Eric.

See also

In Spanish: McKinley Belcher III para niños