Clarke Peters

Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American actor, writer, and director, who has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom. He graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in 1970.

Career In 1971, Peters' older brother enabled him to work as a costume designer for a production in Paris, France, of the musical Hair, in which Peters later starred. While in London, he formed a soul band, The Majestics, and worked as a backup singer on such hits as "Love and Affection" by Joan Armatrading, "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave, and some David Essex songs. However, music was not Peters' main ambition, and he preferred to work in the theater. In the 2014 New York Shakespeare in the Park festival, Peters played Gloucester in King Lear.

Peters is familiar to television viewers as Detective Lester Freamon in the HBO series The Wire. Peters also starred in the HBO mini-series The Corner, portraying a drug addict named Fat Curt, as well as the FX series Damages, as Dave Pell. Both The Wire and The Corner were created by writer and former The Baltimore Sun journalist David Simon. Peters also stars in Simon's HBO series Treme, in the role of Mardi Gras Indian chief Albert Lambreaux. Peters appeared in two episodes of the American time-travel/detective TV series Life on Mars (2008) as NYPD Captain Fletcher Bellow.

He also appeared in the British show Holby City, as Derek Newman, the father of nurse Donna Jackson. He voiced a part in the Doctor Who animated episode Dreamland, and in the In Plain Sight episode "Duplicate Bridge" as a man in Witness Protection named Norman Baker/Norman Danzer. In 2010, Peters read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption for BBC 7. In that year, he also had a guest appearance as Professor Mark Ramsay in the pilot episode of the USA Network TV series Covert Affairs. From 2012 to 2013, Peters had a recurring role as Alonzo D. Quinn in the CBS TV series Person of Interest.

Peters' movie credits include Mona Lisa (1986), Notting Hill (1999), K-PAX (2001), Freedomland (2006), Marley & Me (2008), Endgame (2009; in which he played Nelson Mandela), Nativity! (2009), the Spike Lee film Red Hook Summer (2012; in which he played Bishop Enoch), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

Peters played Easy Rawlins in a 1997 BBC Radio 4 dramatization of Walter Mosley's Black Betty. He also narrated the BBC radio series Black Music in Europe: A Hidden History, as well as the audiobook version of Michael Chabon's novel Telegraph Avenue, released in September 2012 by HarperAudio.

Peters played Art Daniels in the Netflix series The Boroughs (2026).

Personal life Peters was politicized by the Vietnam War. Shortly before he left for Paris, he was arrested for obstructing police lines after an anti-Vietnam War demonstration but was cleared. He later said of this experience: "It made me more angry than anything else, because what I experienced was how impotent you could be as an American citizen." He has a son, Max, with his second wife, Penny Ephson; Max played the young Michael Jackson in the West End production of the musical Thriller – Live.

He is a follower of the Brahma Kumaris. 2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Rex da Silva Episode: "Pattern of Conduct" 2007 Meadowlands Professor / Samantha's Father Episode #1.6 2008 Life on Mars Captain Bellow 2 episodes

Damages Dave Pell 8 episodes In Plain Sight Norman Baker / Norman Danzer Episode: "Duplicate Bridge" Great Performances Walter de Courcy Episode: "Chess in Concert" Holby City Derek Newman 5 episodes Doctor Who: Dreamland Night Eagle (voice) 4 episodes 2010 Covert Affairs Dr. Mark Ramsay Episode: "Pilot" 2010–2013 Treme Albert Lambreaux Main cast; 35 episodes

Archer Popeye (voice) 2 episodes Memphis Beat Fred Episode: "The Feud" 2012–2013 Person of Interest Alonzo Quinn 11 episodes 2013 Blue Bloods Nathan Anderson Episode: "Quid Pro Quo"

True Detective Minister Episode: "The Long Bright Dark" Death in Paradise Marlon Croft Episode: "Political Suicide" The Divide Isaiah Page 8 episodes

Forever Jerry Charters Episode: "The Wolves of Deep Brooklyn" Midsomer Murders Frank Wainwright Episode: "The Ballad of Midsomer County" Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime Julius Hersheimmer 3 episodes Show Me a Hero Robert Mayhawk 2 episodes London Spy The American Episode: "Strangers" Jessica Jones Det. Oscar Clemons 4 episodes

Jericho Ralph Coates 8 episodes Underground Jay 3 episodes The Tunnel Sonny Persaud 4 episodes People of Earth Ronald Episode: "Lost and Found" 2016–2017 Chance Carl Allan 9 episodes

The Blacklist: Redemption Richard Whitehall 2 episodes The Deuce Melvin "Ace" Episode: "My Name Is Ruby"

Bulletproof Director-General Ronald Pike Sr 6 episodes Love Is Present-day Yasir 10 episodes

His Dark Materials The Master of Jordan College 3 episodes (series 1) Christmas Under the Stars Clem Television film (Hallmark) 2020 Bumps Charles Television pilot

The Irregulars The Linen Man 7 episodes Foundation Abbas 6 episodes La Fortuna Jonas Pierce 6 episodes 2022 The Man Who Fell to Earth Josiah Falls Main role

Truelove Ken Miniseries, 6 episodes Testament: The Story of Moses Voice of God Miniseries, 3 episodes Eric George Miniseries

Towards Zero Mr Treves Three-part miniseries Watson Hamish Watson Episode: "Giant Steps" 2026 The Boroughs Art Daniels Theatre Source:

Audio dramas

Awards and nominations