Rocky Carroll facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rocky Carroll
Carroll in 2012
Born	Roscoe Carroll (1963-07-08) July 8, 1963 (age 62) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Education	School for Creative and Performing Arts Webster University
Occupation	Actor director
Years active	1984–present
Known for	Joey Emerson – Roc Director Leon Vance – NCIS
Spouse(s)	Gabrielle Bullock ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	1

Roscoe "Rocky" Carroll (born July 8, 1963) is an American actor and director. He is famous for playing Joey Emerson on the TV show Roc and Dr. Keith Wilkes on Chicago Hope. Many people know him as Leon Vance, the director of the NCIS, in the popular TV series NCIS and its spin-offs, Los Angeles and New Orleans. He also had a key role in the 1995 movie Crimson Tide.

Early Life and Education

Rocky Carroll was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His love for acting began in the theater. In 1981, he graduated from the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) in Cincinnati.

To learn even more about acting, he went to The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in St. Louis. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree. In 2009, the university gave him an honorary degree to celebrate his success.

After college, Carroll moved to New York City to start his career. There, he helped teach children about the plays of William Shakespeare in a special program.

Acting Career

Theater Beginnings

Carroll became known for his work in the New York Shakespeare Festival. He took on roles that were not usually given to Black actors at the time. This helped open doors for other actors of color in Shakespeare's plays.

In 1987, he began working with the famous playwright August Wilson. Carroll starred in the Broadway production of Wilson's play The Piano Lesson. The play won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Carroll was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance.

Television and Film Roles

From 1991 to 1994, Carroll played the fun-loving musician Joey Emerson in the TV show Roc. He later starred as Dr. Keith Wilkes in the medical drama Chicago Hope. He has also appeared as a guest star in many other shows, like The West Wing, ER, and Grey's Anatomy.

Carroll has also acted in several movies. Some of his film roles include Born on the Fourth of July, Crimson Tide, and the comedy Yes Man with Jim Carrey.

NCIS Director Leon Vance

In 2008, during the fifth season of the show NCIS, Carroll began playing Assistant Director Leon Vance. His character was later promoted to Director of NCIS. This role reunited him with his former Chicago Hope co-star, Mark Harmon.

As Director Vance, Carroll became a main character on the show. He has also appeared as Vance in the spin-off shows NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.

Besides acting, Carroll has also directed several episodes of NCIS, starting in 2015.

Personal Life

Carroll married Gabrielle Bullock in 1996. They have one daughter named Elissa.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

Director

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Rocky Carroll para niños