Omar Epps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Omar Epps
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Epps in 2008
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| Born |
Omar Hashim Epps
July 20, 1973 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Keisha Epps (m. 2006)
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| Children | 3 |
Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is a talented American actor, rapper, and producer. You might know him from his roles in popular movies like Juice, Love & Basketball, and The Wood. He has also starred in many TV shows, including ER, Resurrection, and as Dr. Eric Foreman in the medical drama House. Omar Epps has won several awards for his acting, including nine NAACP Image Awards.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Omar Epps was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents separated when he was young, and his mother, Bonnie Maria Epps, who was an elementary school principal, raised him. He grew up in different neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
Before he became an actor, Omar was part of a rap group called Wolfpack, which he started with his cousin in 1991. He began writing poetry, short stories, and songs when he was just ten years old. He went to the famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which is a special school for students interested in arts.
Omar Epps' Acting Career
Omar Epps started his acting career in movies and TV shows. He has played many different kinds of characters, from athletes to doctors and detectives.
Early Film Roles
In 1992, Omar Epps made his first big movie appearance in Juice. He played a DJ alongside the famous rapper 2Pac. The next year, he played a running back in the college football movie The Program.
He continued to act in sports-related films, taking on the role of Willie Mays Hayes in Major League II in 1994. In 1995, he starred as a track and field athlete in Higher Learning, a movie that looked at college life and its challenges.
TV Shows and More Movies
Omar Epps made his first appearance on network television in the popular medical drama ER. He played Dr. Dennis Gant, a surgical intern, for several episodes in 1996 and 1997.
After ER, he returned to movies, including a role in the horror film Scream 2 in 1997. He also starred in the HBO movie First Time Felon, where he played a small-time criminal who becomes a hero. In 1999, he was in The Wood, a well-liked comedy about growing up. He also played an undercover detective in In Too Deep.
Becoming Dr. Foreman
In 2000, Omar Epps starred in the romantic sports movie Love & Basketball, where he played Quincy, an aspiring NBA player. He then appeared in movies like Dracula 2000 and Big Trouble.
A big role for him came in 2004 when he joined the cast of the hit TV show House. He played Dr. Eric Foreman, a smart neurologist who often challenged the main character, Dr. House. This role was very popular and earned him several NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2007, 2008, and 2013.
Recent Projects
From 2014 to 2015, Omar Epps starred in the ABC series Resurrection, playing agent J. Martin Bellamy. The show was about people who mysteriously returned from the dead.
More recently, in 2020, he starred in the Netflix thriller Fatal Affair. Since 2021, you can see him as Detective Malcolm Howard in the Starz crime drama Power Book III: Raising Kanan. In 2024, he also appeared in the supernatural horror film The Deliverance.
Personal Life
Omar Epps is married to singer Keisha Spivey, who was part of the R&B group Total. They got married in 2006 and have two children together, a daughter named K'mari Mae and a son named Amir. Omar also has another daughter, Aiyanna, from a previous relationship.
He is good friends with actor and comedian Marlon Wayans. They went to high school together at LaGuardia High. Omar Epps even helped produce the theme song for the sitcom The Wayans Brothers in the late 1990s.
In 2018, Omar Epps wrote a book about his life called From Fatherless to Fatherhood. He also helps with RepresentUs, an organization that works to pass anti-corruption laws in the United States.
Discography
- Omar Epps Presents... The Get Back (2004)
