Carl Lumbly

Early life

Lumbly was born to Jamaican immigrants in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from South High School there and Macalester College in nearby St. Paul.

Lumbly's first career was as a journalist in Minnesota. While on assignment for a story about a workshop theatre, he was cast as an actor. He stayed with the improvisational company for two years and later moved to San Francisco where he discovered a newspaper ad seeking "two black actors for South African political plays." He went to the audition and landed one of the parts (along with then-unknown Danny Glover). Lumbly and Glover toured in productions of Athol Fugard's Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and The Island.

Career Lumbly's first major role was Detective Marcus Petrie on the television series Cagney & Lacey (1982–1988), where his character was paired with Detective Victor Isbecki (Martin Kove). In 1985, he appeared as Theseus in The Gospel At Colonus, an African-American musical iteration of the Oedipus legend on PBS's Great Performances series.

In 1987, he garnered positive reviews for his portrayal of Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale in the HBO television film Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8. From 1989 to 1990, he portrayed ongoing character Earl Williams (named for the prisoner in Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's story The Front Page), a teacher falsely accused of the rape/murder of a female student, in the series L.A. Law.

In 1990, he co-starred in Charles Burnett's critically acclaimed film To Sleep with Anger. From 1994 to 1995, Lumbly starred as the main character in the short-lived science fiction series M.A.N.T.I.S.. One of his most visible roles was as Marcus Dixon in the American television series Alias (2001–2006).

Other prominent roles include providing the voice for Martian Manhunter in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, as well as the character's father, M'yrnn J'onzz, in the series Supergirl. Lumbly also voiced minor or recurring characters in the DCAU - Alterus and the mayor of Metropolis in Superman: The Animated Series, Stalker in Batman Beyond, and Anansi in Static Shock.

In 2000, Lumbly portrayed activist and Congressman Ron Dellums in the Disney Channel original film The Color of Friendship. Although the film was focused on Dellums's daughter's friendship with a white South African girl, the film also discussed Dellums's role in ending apartheid in South Africa.

Also in 2000, Lumbly guest starred in the season one The West Wing episode "Six Meetings Before Lunch" as Jeff Breckenridge, a nominee for U.S. Assistant Attorney General who supports reparations for slavery. Lumbly appeared as Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek in the 2004 television series Battlestar Galactica. He also plays a role in the Kane's Wrath expansion pack for the video game Command and Conquer 3. More recently, he played police captain Joe Rucker on TNT's Southland.

In 2021, Lumbly guest starred in several episodes of the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) as Isaiah Bradley, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and reprised his role in the feature film Captain America: Brave New World (2025).

He was also cast as the father of Beth Pearson, Abraham Clarke, in the series, This Is Us.

In 2023, Lumbly portrayed C. Auguste Dupin, a major character in Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher.

Personal life Lumbly has been married twice and has one son. He was married to actress Vonetta McGee from 1987 until her death in 2010.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1979 Escape from Alcatraz Pete (Inmate) 1981 Caveman Bork Lifepod Keshah 1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension John Parker 1987 The Bedroom Window Detective Quirke 1988 Judgement in Berlin Edwin Palmer Everybody's All-American Narvel Blue 1990 To Sleep with Anger Junior Pacific Heights Lou Baker 1992 South Central Ali 1998 Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero Additional voices Direct-to-video How Stella Got Her Groove Back Judge Spencer Boyle 1999 Nightjohn Nightjohn 2000 Men of Honor Mac Brashear 9mm of Love Cue Short film 2002 Just a Dream J.M. Hoagland 2003 Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property Nat Turner – Gray Documentary 2007 Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation Sam Nujoma 2008 The Alphabet Killer Ellis Parks Immigrants Splits Jackson (voice) English dub 2010 Nominated Ray Cowan 2012 Justice League: Doom J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter, Ma'alefa'ak (voice) Direct-to-video 2022 I'm Charlie Walker Willie 2024 The Life of Chuck Sam Yarbrough 2025 Captain America: Brave New World Isaiah Bradley 2027 The Exorcist: Martyrs Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1979 Emergency! Beutel Episode: "What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing...?" Undercover with the KKK Reverend Lowell Television film 1980 Lou Grant Beutel Episode: "Hazard" Taxi Customer #2 Episode: "Fantasy Borough" 1981 The Jeffersons Jimmy Episode: "And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds" B. J. and the Bear Telephone Representative Episode: "Intercepted Pass" 1981–1988 Cagney & Lacey Marcus Petrie Main role 1985 Great Performances Theseus Episode: "The Gospel at Colonus" 1987 Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 Bobby Seale Television film 1989–1990 L.A. Law Earl Williams 6 episodes 1991 Eyes of a Witness Mambulu Television film Brother Future Denmark Vesey Television film American Experience Narrator Episode: "Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind" 1992 Back to the Streets of San Francisco Charlie Walker Television film 1992–1993 Going to Extremes Dr. Norris Main role 1993 Tribeca Ernest Episode: "The Box" 1994–1995 M.A.N.T.I.S. Miles Hawkins Main role 1994 Out of Darkness Addison Television film SeaQuest 2032 Lamm Episode: "The Last Lap of Luxury" On Promised Land Floyd Ween Television film 1994 Cagney & Lacey: The Return Marcus Petrie 1996 America's Dream Cal Television film; segment: "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black" Chicago Hope Michael Johnson Episode: "Life Lines" Nightjohn John Television film Touched by an Angel Willis Thompson Episode: "Sins of the Father" The X-Files Marcus Duff Episode: "Teliko" 1996–1997 EZ Streets Christian Davidson 9 episodes 1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest William Marcus (voice) Episode: "Other Space" 2023 Obliterated James Langdon 6 episodes

Theater Year Title 1980 Eden 1997 Macbeth 2013 The Motherfucker with the Hat Storefront Church 2015 Let There Be Love Between Riverside and Crazy 2016 Red Velvet

Video games

2004 Alias Agent Marcus Dixon 2008 Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Brother Marcion 2010 BioShock 2: Minerva's Den Charles Milton Porter 2012 Diablo III Witch Doctor Also Reaper of Souls DLC