Jermaine Hopkins

Jermaine R. “Huggy” Hopkins (born August 23, 1973) is an American television and film actor. Hopkins is best known for his roles as Dupree on The WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. from 1996 to 1998, and as Thomas Sams in the 1989 film, Lean on Me, Eric "Steel" Thurman in the 1992 crime drama thriller Juice, Benny King in the 1996 film Phat Beach and Kilo in the 1997 comedy film Def Jam's How to Be a Player.

Career Born in Newark, New Jersey, Hopkins began his acting career as a teenager. At age 14, Hopkins fell into the acting business when his mother brought him to a casting-call audition in New York for the Warner Bros. feature film Lean on Me, in which he got a starring role opposite Morgan Freeman as Thomas Sams, a misguided drug-abusing high school student. His next project Juice, directed by Ernest R. Dickerson, had him starring as Steel alongside Khalil Kain, Omar Epps, and Tupac Shakur.

Hopkins subsequently starred in the HBO worldwide release Strapped, that would be Forest Whitaker's directorial debut. Over the next two years, Hopkins appeared in episodes of Murder One and Moesha, and six episodes as Dupree on The WB's The Wayans Bros. series, before finishing production on his next film Def Jam's How to Be a Player, starring opposite Bill Bellamy and comedian Pierre Edwards.

Legal Issues Hopkins was arrested on December 15, 2011, for attempting to purchase of marijuana from an undercover police officer. He faced up to five years in prison, but was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years' probation. Hopkins was arrested again on October 13, 2017, in Apex, North Carolina with of marijuana in the trunk of his car. TMZ reports Hopkins pled guilty to felony possession. However, the judge suspended his four-month sentence, instead giving Hopkins 24 months of supervised probation.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes 1989 Lean on Me Thomas "Sams" Sams 1992 Juice Eric "Steel" Thurman 1993 Strapped Lay Lay TV movie 1996 Bullet Pudgy Phat Beach Benny King 1997 Riot Young Black Man TV movie Def Jam's How to Be a Player Kilo 2002 Urban Massacre Chronic 2007 I Wish I Had a House Like This Drama 2008 Cash Rules Himself Video 2012 Zoo The Bearded Clam 2020 Equal Standard Jermaine 2021 Asbury Park Officer Gaston

Television Year Title Role Notes 1991–1992 The Royal Family Buddy Recurring cast 1995 Murder One Gangsta #2 Episode: "Chapter Seven" The Parent 'Hood No Good Episode: "Not with My Daughter" 1996 Moesha The Kid Episode: "Reunion" 1996–1998 The Wayans Bros. Dupree Recurring cast: season 3–5 2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Store Clerk Episode: "Rooftop"