Dennis Haysbert

Dennis Dexter Haysbert (born June 2, 1954) is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles as President David Palmer on the first five seasons of 24, baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, Secret Service agent Tim Collin in the political thriller film Absolute Power, Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the CBS military action drama series The Unit, and God on the Netflix show Lucifer. He has also appeared in the films Love Field, Navy SEALS, Heat, Waiting to Exhale, and Far from Heaven, as well as the science fiction series Incorporated. He is currently the narrator for the A&E Network's American Justice television series.

Early life Haysbert, who is of African American heritage, was born in San Mateo, California, the son of Gladys (née Minor), a homemaker and house cleaner, and Charles Whitney Haysbert Sr., a deputy sheriff and airline security guard. He is the eighth of nine children, having two sisters and six brothers. His parents were from Louisiana. Haysbert was raised Baptist. After high school, being 6 ft 5 in height, he was offered athletic scholarships but instead chose to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Career

Television Haysbert has been acting in film and television since 1978, starting with a guest role in The White Shadow. His television guest starring roles include Lou Grant, Growing Pains, Laverne & Shirley, The A-Team, Night Court, Dallas, The Incredible Hulk, Magnum, P.I., Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Duckman. In 1993, he had a featured role in Return to Lonesome Dove as outlaw Cherokee Jack Jackson. In 1999, Haysbert starred with Eric Close in Now and Again, which was cancelled after one season.

In 2001, Haysbert rose to prominence when he was cast in 24 as U.S. Senator David Palmer, who served as the first black U.S. President (in the context of the show) during the second and third seasons. He also returned as a guest star in the last six episodes of season 4 and the first episode of season 5. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and for a Golden Satellite Award in 2002 for this role. Haysbert stated in an interview for the show that the three men he admires most—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Colin Powell—collectively embody his idea of what a President should be. Haysbert believes that his playing of David Palmer on 24 helped Barack Obama—whom Haysbert supported—to win the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Haysbert was the first actor to portray DC Comics character Kilowog, a member of the Green Lantern Corps, in a medium outside of comics. He provided the voice of Kilowog on various episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. On March 4, 2006, Haysbert guest-starred on the Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Natalie Portman as the host of a live-action/animated TV Funhouse cartoon called "Belated Black History Moment." In his role, Haysbert paid homage to fictional short-lived Saturday morning cartoons featuring black characters, such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Outer Space. He also portrayed Nelson Mandela in Goodbye Bafana (also released under the name The Color of Freedom). Haysbert portrayed the lead character Sergeant Major Jonas Blane in the CBS military action-drama The Unit. He hosted and narrated the Military History Channel presentation of Secrets of Pearl Harbor, which documented his scuba dives with a film team on World War II-era Japanese and American warships in the Pacific Theater. In March 2013, Haysbert narrated the documentary The World According to Dick Cheney on the Showtime television channel. On May 19, 2014, Haysbert also featured in the fifth episode of the fourth season of The Boondocks as Reverend Sturdy Harris. In 2015, Haysbert played Detective John Almond in Backstrom.

Since September 6, 2015, Haysbert's has been the opening voice introducing NBC's Meet the Press.

In November 2016, Haysbert began his co-starring role in Incorporated. Set in a dystopian future run by corporations, Haysbert plays Julian, a ruthless security head working for one of the larger corporations. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are co-executive producers on the series, which was shot in British Columbia, Canada, and airs on Showcase in Canada and Syfy in the U.S.

He was also cast to play God for the second half of the fifth season of Lucifer.

On August 20, 2021, A&E announced that Haysbert would host a revival of American Justice, replacing longtime narrator Bill Kurtis.

Film

In 1989, Haysbert made his first major role as Pedro Cerrano, a voodoo-practicing Cuban refugee baseball player, in Major League. Haysbert followed that up with a role in 1990's Navy SEALs, which also starred Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn, before moving on to another baseball film, Mr. Baseball with Tom Selleck. In 1991, he also starred in K-9000, where he played a police officer named Nick Sanrio. In 1992, he co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in Love Field, a film about a series of events occurring contemporaneously with the assassination and funeral of President John F. Kennedy. In 1994, Haysbert reprised his role as Cerrano in Major League II. This was followed by minor appearances in Waiting to Exhale, Heat, and Absolute Power. In 1998, Haysbert made another appearance as Cerrano in Major League: Back to the Minors. In 1999, Haysbert played a police detective in three films: The Minus Man, The Thirteenth Floor, and Random Hearts. In 2000, Haysbert played the role of Zeke McCall in Love & Basketball.

In 2002, Haysbert played the role of gardener Raymond Deagan in Far from Heaven. He won three awards (Satellite Award, Black Reel Award, and Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award) for Best Supporting Actor for that role. In 2005, he had a supporting role in Sam Mendes's film, Jarhead. In 2007, Haysbert returned to the big screen to portray Nelson Mandela in Goodbye Bafana and an FBI agent in Breach. In 2012, he voiced General Hologram in Wreck-It Ralph and served as an official judge for the Noor Iranian Film Festival. He replaced the deceased Michael Clarke Duncan as Manute in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014). In 2014, Haysbert played the role of Dean Fairbanks in Dear White People and General Lyons Dead Rising: Watchtower.

In December 2018, it was announced that Haysbert would star in the Netflix psychological thriller Secret Obsession. The film was released on July 18, 2019.

Commercials Haysbert and Dean Winters are official spokesmen for the Allstate Insurance Company. Haysbert's commercials typically end with one of the two Allstate Corporation official slogans, either "Are you in good hands?" or "That's Allstate's stand." However, his commercials have combined the two with "That's Allstate's stand. Are you in good hands?" He has also appeared in Spanish-language commercials with the line "Con Allstate, Estás En Buenas Manos." (With Allstate, you're in good hands.) In his role as spokesman for Allstate, Haysbert officiated the coin toss prior to the 2007 Sugar Bowl between LSU and Notre Dame. Another Allstate commercial involves Haysbert arriving at a restaurant, followed by the staff saying "safe drivers save 40 percent".

In 2008, Haysbert was featured in national television ads to raise public awareness about lending discrimination. The ads were commissioned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. In one of these ads, Haysbert warns consumers about lenders' targeting minorities for inferior loan products.

For the 2006 college football season, Haysbert did voice work for ticket sales promotions for Brigham Young University. He did it as a favor to his younger brother Adam, who played wide receiver at BYU in the early 1980s.

Haysbert also voices the Military Channel's commercials with their official slogan: "The Military Channel. Go Behind the Lines."

Video games Haysbert has also done voice work for various video games, such as Irving Lambert in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, the narrator in Call of Duty: Finest Hour and reprising his television role of David Palmer in 24: The Game.

Theater In June 2010, Haysbert joined the cast of David Mamet's Race on Broadway as character Henry Brown, performing alongside actors Eddie Izzard, Richard Thomas and Afton Williamson. The play ran until August 21, 2010.

Personal life Haysbert was married to Elena Simms from 1980 to 1984, and Lynn Griffith from 1989 to 2001. He has two children with Griffith.

Haysbert announced in April 2009 that he was starting a production company. His first project was to be a documentary for HBO about an up-and-coming boxer.

During the 2010 California elections, Haysbert supported Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer by appearing with her at campaign events and recording radio commercials.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1979 Scoring Lieutenant Harrigan 1985 A Summer to Remember Sheriff Pierce 1989 Major League Pedro Cerrano 1990 Navy SEALs Chief Special Warfare Operator Billy Graham 1992 Mr. Baseball Max "Hammer" Dubois Love Field Paul Cater 1993 Suture Clay Arlington 1994 Major League II Pedro Cerrano 1995 Heat Don Breedan Waiting to Exhale Kenneth Dawkins 1996 Amanda Seven / Sir Jordan 1997 Absolute Power Tim Collin 1998 How to Make the Cruelest Month Manhattan Parks Major League: Back to the Minors Pedro Cerrano Standoff FBI Agent Ty "Bama" Jones 1999 The Minus Man Detective Graves The Thirteenth Floor Detective Larry McBain Random Hearts Detective George Beaufort 2000 What's Cooking? Ronald Williams Love & Basketball Zeke McCall 2002 Ticker FBI Agent Segment from the BMW short film series The Hire Far from Heaven Raymond Deagan Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion PictureWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor 2003 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas Kale Voice 2005 Jarhead Major Lincoln 2007 Goodbye Bafana Nelson Mandela Breach Dean Plesac 2011 The Details Lincoln Kung Fu Panda 2 Master Storming Ox Voice 2023 Flamin' Hot Clarence C. Baker Sniper: G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team Colonel Gabriel Stone Direct-to-video 2024 Summer Camp Tommy Lost & Found in Cleveland Marty Anderson In Fidelity Hoyt Johnston 2025 Time of Death Officer Dale Aarons 2026 Send Help Franklin Relationship Goals Papa Jim Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 Lou Grant Victor Episode: "Schools" 1979 The White Shadow Basketball Player Episode: "Wanna Bet?" Laverne & Shirley Navy Shore Patrolman Episode: "What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor?" 1980 Quincy M.E. Fred Episode: "New Blood" The Incredible Hulk Guard Episode: "Nine Hours" Galactica 1980 Colonial Warrior Episode: "Space Croppers" (Miscredited as "The Creature") 1980–1981 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Various Roles 5 episodes 1981 Quincy M.E. Driver Episode: "Headhunter" Grambling's White Tiger James "Shack" Harris Television film 1981–1982 Code Red "Stuff" Wade 8 episodes 1983 The A-Team Psych Ward Staff Episode: "One More Time" 1983 The Yellow Rose Military Police Officer Episode: "Trail's End" 1984 Dallas Dr. Forbes Episode: "Killer at Large" Riptide Odell Episode: "Father's Day" Gimme a Break! Reverend Winfield Episode: "Baby of the Family" 1984–1985 Off the Rack Cletus Maxwell 7 episodes 1985 Magnum P.I. Lieutenant Jameson, USN Episode: "Blood and Honor" What's Happening Now!! Policeman Episode: "I'll Be Homeless for Christmas" Growing Pains Police Officer Episode: "Weekend Fantasy" 1986 The Fall Guy Jeremy Wolf Episode: "Trial by Fire" 227 Sergeant Hall Episode: "Redecorating Blues" Scarecrow and Mrs. King Kimambo Episode: "Billy's Lost Weekend" The Young and the Restless Ron Clark 8 episodes 1987 Growing Pains Officer Wright Episode: "Gone But Not Forgotten" Knots Landing Police Officer Episode: "The Unraveling" Easy Street Chip Episode: "The Country Club" Valerie Dr. Ervin Episode: "Oedipus Wrecks" Our House Unknown Role Episode: "Sounds from a Silent Clock: Part 2" The Facts of Life Sergeant Evans Episode: "Before the Fall" 1988 Growing Pains Frank Episode: "State of the Union" Out of This World Reverend Williams Episode: "a.k.a. Dad" Crime Story Franklin Himes 2 episodes 1988–1989 Just the Ten of Us Coach Duane Johnson 9 episodes 1989 Night Court James Morgan Episode: "Pen Pal" The Robert Guillaume Show Mr. Peterson Episode: "Guaranteed Not to Shrink" 1991 K-9000 Nick Sanrio Television film 1993 Alex Haley's Queen Davis Television film Return to Lonesome Dove Jack Jackson 3 episodes American Playhouse Reverend Oliver Crawford Episode: "Hallelujah" 1998 The New Batman Adventures Barkley James Voice, episode: "Mean Seasons" Backstrom Detective Almond 13 episodes 2016 The Grinder Special Agent Episode: "Delusions of Grinder" Brooklyn Nine-Nine Bob Annderson 2 episodes Undercover Rudy Jones 5 episodes 2016–2017 Incorporated Julian Recurring 2017 Shots Fired Mr. Terry Episode: "Hour Two: Betrayal of Trust"; uncredited 2018 Reverie Charlie Ventana Recurring 2019–2021 Puppy Dog Pals Crash Voice; 2 episodes 2019 Surveillance Barry Wilkinson Television film 2020 Home Movie: The Princess Bride Prince Humperdinck Episode: "Chapter Eight: Ultimate Suffering" 2020–2021 Lucifer God 5 episodes 2021 Masters of the Universe: Revelation King Grayskull Voice, episode: "The Forge at the Forest of Forever" 2021–present American Justice The Narrator 23 episodes 2023 Paul T. Goldman Agent Portman 3 episodes 2026 Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Master Eeko-Dio Daki Voice; 10 episodes

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2004 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Irving Lambert Call of Duty: Finest Hour The Narrator 2006 24: The Game David Palmer

Theatre Year Title Role Notes 2010 Race Henry Brown