Damon Gupton

Damon Jamal Gupton (born January 4, 1973) is an American actor and orchestral conductor, best known for his series regular roles as Charles Foster on Deadline, Evrard Velerio on Prime Suspect, Adam Page on The Divide, Detective Cal Brown on The Player, Deputy Chief Henderson on Black Lightning, and SSA Stephen Walker on Criminal Minds. He has also co-starred in the films The Last Airbender, Whiplash (2014), and La La Land (2016).

Early life and education Gupton was born in Detroit, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan, where he directed a musical ensemble, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in music education. He received the Emerging Artist Award from the University's School of Music, Theatre & Dance Alumni Society. He also graduated in drama from Juilliard School in New York. Gupton studied conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. He later attended the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C., studying with Leonard Slatkin.

Career Gupton's first film appearance was in the drama Unfaithful (2002).

In 2004, he was an American Conducting Fellow at the Houston Symphony, and was assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony in 2006. Gupton was a guest conductor with various orchestras, including the Cincinnati Pops, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, San Diego Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, as well as Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, and the Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM. He was the conductor of the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra during its national tour, including performances at Carnegie Hall. Gupton won Mexico City's third International Eduardo Mata Conducting Competition, the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize, and The Aspen Conducting Prize. He was named a Presidential Professor by the University of Michigan in January 2009.

In 2012, Gupton performed in the Broadway production of the play Clybourne Park, receiving an AUDELCO nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In September 2012, Gupton landed the lead role on the short-lived AMC drama series The Divide, playing District Attorney Adam Page. Gupton joined the cast of the NBC procedural drama series The Player in February 2015, co-starring as Detective Cal Brown alongside Wesley Snipes. On December 3, 2015, he was cast in the recurring role of psychiatrist Gregg Edwards on the fourth season of A&E's drama-thriller series Bates Motel.

On September 30, 2016, CBS announced that Gupton had joined Criminal Minds as a regular cast member, portraying Stephen Walker, a special agent in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He began appearing in the series' twelfth season. On June 11, 2017, it was announced that he would depart the show after one season. Gupton was subsequently cast as Inspector Henderson in the superhero drama series Black Lightning.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2002 Unfaithful Other Businessman 2006 Helen at Risk Pearson Short Drift Sal Bianca M.E. TV movie 2007 Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Doctor 2010 Clybourne Park Albert / Kevin Video The Last Airbender Monk Gyatso Strange Brew Lester Lewis III TV movie 2012 This Is 40 Colonoscopy Technician 2014 Whiplash Mr. Kramer 2015 Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story Leonard Herring 2016 La La Land Harry 2026 The Drama Roger Harwood Curran Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Law & Order Sammy Morris Episode: "Merger" 2000 The Wonderful World of Disney Sam Claiborne Episode: "The Loretta Claiborne Story" Third Watch Carter Episode: "Just Another Night at the Opera" 2000–2001 Deadline Charles Foster Main cast 2002 Hack Mark Simmons Episode: "Slippery Slope" 2006 Conviction Keith Watts Episode: "Indebted" 2009 The Unusuals Wiley Probst Episode: "Crime Slut" 2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Detective Gearhardt Episode: "Delicate" & "Love Sick" 2011–2012 Prime Suspect Evrard Velerio Main cast 2012 The Newsroom Sutton Wall Episode: "Bullies" 2014 Rake Marcus Barzmann Recurring cast Suits James Quelling Episode: "Know When to Fold 'Em" & "No Way Out" The Divide Adam Page Main cast 2015 Empire Detective Calvin Walker Recurring cast: season 1 The Player Detective Cal Brown Main cast 2016 Goliath Leonard Letts Recurring cast: season 1 2016–2017 Bates Motel Dr. Gregg Edwards Recurring cast: seasons 4–5 Criminal Minds SSA Stephen Walker Main cast: season 12 2018 Dirty John Detective Dennis Lukens Episode: "One Shoe" 2018–2020 Black Lightning Inspector Henderson Main cast: season 1–3 2020 The Comey Rule Jeh Johnson Episode: "Night One & Night Two" 2022 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Coydog Main cast Super Pumped David Drummond Recurring 2023–2024 The Big Door Prize Father Reuben Main role; 16 episodes 2025 Happy Face Elijah Recurring