Mike Colter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Colter
Mike Colter at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1976-08-26) August 26, 1976 (age 48)
Education	Benedict College University of South Carolina, Columbia (BA) Rutgers University, New Brunswick (MFA)
Years active	2002–present
Spouse(s)	Iva Colter ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	2
Relatives	Viola Davis (second cousin)

Mike Colter (born August 26, 1976) is an American actor. He is well known for playing Luke Cage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You might have seen him in the TV shows Luke Cage (2016–2018), The Defenders (2017), and Jessica Jones (2015; 2019).

Colter also played Lemond Bishop in The Good Wife (2010–2015) and The Good Fight (2018–2019). He was Malcolm Ward in Ringer (2011–2012). Gamers might know him as Jameson Locke from the Halo video game series (2014–2015). He also appeared as Agent J's father in the movie Men in Black 3. More recently, he starred as David Acosta in the TV series Evil (2019–2024).

Early life and education

Mike Colter was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He is the youngest of four children. He grew up in St. Matthews, South Carolina. Colter went to Calhoun County High School. His classmates voted him "most ambitious" in his senior year.

After high school, he spent a year at Benedict College. Then, he moved to the University of South Carolina. He earned a bachelor's degree in theater in 1999. Later, he got a master's degree in acting from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Acting career highlights

Colter's first acting job was in the 2004 movie Million Dollar Baby. He played a boxer named Big Willie Little. He also appeared in many TV shows. These include Law & Order: Trial By Jury, ER, and The Good Wife.

In 2012, Colter was in the movie Men in Black 3. He played the father of Agent J, but in the past, in 1969.

A big role for Colter came in 2014. He started playing Agent Jameson Locke in the Halo video game world. Colter starred in the series Halo: Nightfall. He also did the body movements for Agent Locke in Halo 5: Guardians. Another actor, Ike Amadi, did the voice for the character.

In 2015, Colter joined the Marvel universe. He played Luke Cage in the Netflix show Jessica Jones. His character was so popular that he got his own show, Luke Cage. The first season came out in 2016, and the second in 2018. He also played Luke Cage in The Defenders.

In 2018, he starred in the alien invasion movie Extinction. Colter later became the main actor in the CBS drama Evil. He plays David Acosta, a former journalist. David studies strange events to see if they are supernatural or have a scientific reason. In 2023, Colter starred with Gerard Butler in the movie Plane.

Personal life

Mike Colter met his wife, Iva, at Rutgers University. They were both studying there. They got married in 2002 and have two daughters. Mike Colter is also a second cousin to the famous actress Viola Davis. He lives in Los Angeles.

In 2019, Colter played in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. This game was in Charlotte, North Carolina. He played for the team made up of celebrities who have roots in the Carolinas.

Filmography

Film roles

Television roles

Video game roles

Awards and nominations

Mike Colter has been nominated for several awards for his acting:

See also

In Spanish: Mike Colter para niños