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• Mekhi Phifer is an American actor most known for his role in “ER”
• He was born in New York City in 1974 and raised by a single mother
• Phifer has starred in several popular movies including “8 Mile” (2002) and “Dawn of the Dead” (2004)
• He is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist
• Mekhi Phifer has a negative net worth of $1.3 million
Known for movies
ER (2002-2009)
as Gregory Pratt
8 Mile (2002)
as David 'Future' Porter
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
as Andre
Insurgent (2015)
as Max
Short Info
Net Worth | $8 million |
Date Of Birth | December 29, 1974 |
Spouse | Reshelet Barnes, Malinda Williams |
Fact | Appeared in Vibe magazine for the article "Can't A Brother Get No Love". [August 1999] |
Contents
- 1 Who is Mekhi Phifer?
- 2 Early Life
- 3 Acting Career
- 4 Personal Life
- 5 Net Worth
- 6 General Info
- 7 Family
- 8 Accomplishments
- 9 Social profile links
- 10 Quotes
- 11 Facts
- 12 Pictures
- 13 Movies
- 14 Awards
Who is Mekhi Phifer?
Mekhi Phifer is an American actor, who is perhaps most widely known for starring in the recurring role of Dr. Gregory Pratt in the Golden Globe-winning TV medical drama series “ER”. Additionally, he is recognized for appearing in several popular movies such as “8 Mile” (2002), “Honey” (2003) and “Dawn of the Dead” (2004).
Early Life
Mekhi (pronounced as ‘Meck-high’) Phifer was born under the zodiac sign of Capricorn on the 29th December 1974, in New York City, and is of American nationality and African American ethnicity.
He was raised alongside his twin brother in Manhattan’s neighborhood of Harlem by a single mother named Rhoda, who was a high school teacher.
Acting Career
Mekhi dived into the world of acting at the age of 20 when he was cast for the role of a drug dealer Strike in Spike Lee’s critically praised crime thriller movie “Clockers”. For his debut performance, he was honored with a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award’s Most Promising Actor accolade.
Following this success, later that year young Phifer appeared in the Golden Globe-nominated TV war drama movie “The Tuskegee Airmen” after which he appeared in a couple of episodes of the TV series “New York Undercover”. In 1996 he was cast in the comedy film “High School High”, after which he portrayed the recurring character of Nathaniel Lee ‘Junior Bunk’ Mahoney in the TV crime series “Homicide: Life on the Street”.
These were followed by two big screen appearances in 1997 comedy movies, “Hav Plenty” and “Soul Food”.
After a brief appearance in the 1998 film “Hell’s Kitchen”, Mekhi appeared alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt in the slasher horror movie “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” – the second sequel in the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” film franchise.
In 1999, Mekhi landed his first main role when he starred as Silk in the thriller movie “Uninvited Guest”, while in 2000 he appeared alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Christian Bale in the action movie “Shaft”. In 2001, he starred opposite Beyoncé in the TV musical drama movie “Carmen: A Hip Hopera” after which he starred in the leading role of Odin James in the thriller movie “O”.
These roles were followed by an appearance in the 2001 Sci-Fi mystery movie “Impostor” based on the eponymous short novel by Philip K. Dick. In 2002 he starred in the comedy film “The Other Brother”, after which he portrayed the main character in the critically acclaimed action crime movie “Paid in Full”. Phifer came into prominence later in 2002, when he starred as David ‘Future’ Porter alongside Eminem in the Oscar-winning film “8 Mile” – he is also mentioned in Eminem’s hit single “Lose Yourself”, which was one of the movie’s theme songs.
I'm telling my kids @MekhiPhifer won a #Oscar for this performance. https://t.co/AU6vcjx9Y3
— justbehappy (@Jermainelw) December 2, 2019
This major big screen appearance was followed by one of his most widely recognized on-screen appearances so far – the recurring role of Dr. Greg Pratt in the popular TV medical drama series “ER”, in a total of 135 episodes through the show’s seven seasons ’til 2009.
In the meantime he also starred as Chaz in the romantic drama movie “Honey”, while in 2004 Mekhi appeared in Zac Snyder’s horror blockbuster film “Dawn of the Dead”. Between 2009 and 2010 he guest starred as Ben Reynolds in the TV series “Lie to Me”, after which he appeared opposite Patrick Dempsey and Ashley Judd in the crime comedy film “Flypaper” in 2011.
After his recurring role of the Agent Rex Matheson in the TV series “Torchwood”, in 2014 Phifer starred as Dre Collins in the Golden Globe-winning TV series “House of Lies”, and also appeared in the Hollywood Sci-Fi spectacle movie “Divergent”, which grossed close to $290 million worldwide. In 2015 he reprised his role of Max in its sequel entitled “The Divergent Series: Insurgent”, while in 2016 he appeared in the final installment of the “Divergent” franchise named “Allegiant”.
In 2016 Mekhi was cast in the first season of the TV series “Secret City”, after which he occasionally portrayed the role of Satch Reyna in the TV series “Frequency”.
His latest on-screen acting engagements include the recurring role of Markus Knox in the TV crime thriller series “Truth Be Told”, as well as the role of Harold Brooks in the TV comedy series “Love, Victor”.
Personal Life
In 1999, Mekhi married a colleague, American actress Malinda Williams with whom he welcomed a son named Omikaye before their split in 2003. With Onanong Souratha, to whom he was briefly engaged, he has another son, named Mekhi Thira Phifer, Jr. Since March 2013, Phifer has been married to Reshelet Barnes, recently appointed manager of Fox Cable News network’s creative services division.
Apart from being an accomplished actor, Mekhi is a businessman and a philanthropist. He is one of the owners of the sport apparel retail franchise ‘Athlete’s Foot’, running six stores through the state of California. Additionally, being heavily engaged within The Vine Group charity organization, he’s donated over $100,000 in school supplies and scholarships to the city of Ibadan in Nigeria. To honor his unselfish efforts, in 2005 the city opened the Mekhi Phifer Education Center.
View this post on InstagramNet Worth
Despite having a promising career and an abundant acting portfolio, when it comes to Mekhi’s wealth the situation is not that bright. In 2014 he filed for bankruptcy, claiming that his assets include property valued at only $67,000 with total debt of $1.3 million. Additionally, Mekhi listed that his monthly income figures around $7,500, while his expenses revolve around $11,000. Speaking as of second half of 2020, authoritative sources have estimated that Mekhi Phifer’s net worth has a negative balance of $1.3 million of which $1.2 million he owes in taxes.
General Info
Full Name | Mekhi Phifer |
Net Worth | $8 million |
Date Of Birth | December 29, 1974 |
Height | 1.76 m |
Profession | Film producer, Film director, Rapper, Actor, Businessperson |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | Reshelet Barnes, Malinda Williams |
Children | Omikaye Phifer, Mekhi Thira Phifer Jr |
Parents | Rhoda Phifer |
Accomplishments
Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, TV Land Icon Award |
Nominations | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Liplock, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Chemistry, Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor - Drama/Action Adventure, Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Drama |
Movies | Divergent, 8 Mile, Paid in Full, Clockers, Dawn of the Dead, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Allegiant, Soul Food, This Christmas, High School High, O, Slow Burn, Honey, The Suspect, Uninvited Guest, Flypaper, Shaft, Puff, Puff, Pass, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, The Tuskegee Airmen, Pandemic, A Les... |
TV Shows | Torchwood, Lie to Me, ER, Frequency, Making the Video |
Social profile links
http://www.twitter.com/mekhiphifer | |
http://www.instagram.com/mekhifromharlem | |
IMDB | http://imdb.com/name/nm0001616 |
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | I don't really like hospitals that much. People are sick; sometimes it can be depressing. There's people going through a lot of pain in there. It has that funny smell. |
2 | Actors look at life in a different way. When I meet people, I know that one day I may portray that person or someone like them. It may be a cop or a homeless guy. It helps you to pay more attention to people. Everyone I meet, I retain something from them, something from their personality. It helps me to portray realism in my work. |
3 | When break dancing was out, I break danced. When rapping was the thing, I freestyled rap on the street and battled and all that kind of stuff. |
4 | With my first son I cut his umbilical cord and everything, so I'm a hands-on father, to say the least. |
5 | When you're working and making money, that's all good, but there has to be something that provides a substance, I think. |
6 | There's no question that I'm African-American. OK? I'm a black man. We're not going to escape that. |
7 | Once or twice a week, I try to do some kind of boxing. I'm hitting the bags and jumping rope - all that stuff. |
8 | It's always a pleasure when you get to work with people that you actually really like. |
9 | I've done 21 films in eight years, and I've said 'No' more times than I've done films. |
10 | Rap is definitely a youthful expression. |
11 | I love working with Sally Field, and Steve Buscemi is one of the most giving, talented actors I've ever worked with. |
12 | I tend to play more true-to-life characters in real situations. |
13 | I'm a soccer dad at heart. I want five kids, and I want to get married. I want to coach Little League. |
14 | I'm an avid watcher of the Nat Geo channel, where I watch shows about how the planets are formed, and shows about moons, quasars, black holes. |
15 | I've dated interracially a lot. I grew up in Harlem, so I've dated Latins, Dominican, Guyanese, Cuban, black, white. |
16 | Eating right has made the biggest difference in my body. |
17 | I always try to bring a certain masculine presence to what I do. That is part of the dynamic. |
18 | I grew up in a rough environment. You want to be strong and have your presence felt out there. That attitude reflects how people see you. |
19 | I love kids, outings, camping, sports, Legoland, all the Daddy stuff. I love it. I wish I could just do that, but I have to work, too. |
20 | I know a lot of people who are weak, who are in a perpetual cycle of poverty and being locked up. There are guys from my neighborhood who are in jail or who are dead. It does take a certain strength to know your environment and say, 'I can grow beyond it.' |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Son, Mekhi Thira Phifer, Jr., born 30 October 2007. Mother is fiancée Onanong Souratha. |
2 | Appeared in Vibe magazine for the article "Can't A Brother Get No Love". [August 1999] |
3 | Engaged to director assistant Onanong Souratha on May 9, 2007. |
4 | Was originally a rapper signed to Warner Brothers records. |
5 | Is mentioned in Eminem's song "Lose Yourself." The song is part of the 8 Mile (2002) soundtrack. Phifer and Eminem both starred in this movie. |
6 | Good friends with Eminem. |
7 | Enjoys going to the rifle ranges around Los Angeles and target shooting to relieve stress and have fun. |
8 | Good friends with ER (1994) costar, Goran Visnjic. |
9 | Along with the Pennsylvania-based charity organization The Vine Group, he donated over $100,000 in scholarships, books and computers to Ibadan, Nigeria, where the Mekhi Phifer Education Center will open in 2005 to help poor children get an education. |
10 | Owns an "Athlete's Foot" store franchise, which sells athletic footwear in California. Owns six stores with two of them up and running. |
11 | Has been "Punk'd" by Ashton Kutcher. |
12 | Son named Omikaye with actress Malinda Williams. |
13 | First name is pronounced "Meck-high". |
14 | Was the first choice to play Quincy McCall in Love & Basketball (2000), but had to drop out due to a schedule conflict and was replaced by Omar Epps. |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Karel: Life in Segments | 2015 | TV Series | |
A Talent for Trouble | 2015 | Mekhi Phifer | |
Insurgent | 2015 | Max | |
The Divergent Series: Insurgent - Shatter Reality | 2015 | Video Game short | Max |
A Day Late and a Dollar Short | 2014 | TV Movie | Lewis |
House of Lies | 2014 | TV Series | Dre Collins |
Divergent | 2014 | Max | |
The Suspect | 2013 | The Suspect | |
The Love Section | 2013 | James Johnson | |
Husbands | 2012 | TV Series | Mark |
White Collar | 2012 | TV Series | Kyle Collins |
Psych | 2012 | TV Series | Drake |
Torchwood | 2011 | TV Series | Rex Matheson |
Last Man Standing | 2011 | TV Movie | Jeremy Davis |
Flypaper | 2011 | Darrien | |
Lie to Me | 2009-2010 | TV Series | Agent Ben Reynolds |
A Day in the Life | 2009/II | King Khi | |
ER | 2002-2008 | TV Series | Gregory Pratt |
Nora's Hair Salon II | 2008 | Dr. Terry | |
This Christmas | 2007 | Gerald | |
Puff, Puff, Pass | 2006 | Big Daddy | |
Curb Your Enthusiasm | 2005 | TV Series | Omar Jones |
Slow Burn | 2005 | Isaac Duperde | |
ER: The Game | 2005 | Video Game | Dr. Gregory Pratt (voice) |
Dawn of the Dead | 2004 | Andre | |
Honey | 2003 | Chaz | |
8 Mile | 2002 | David 'Future' Porter | |
Paid in Full | 2002 | Mitch | |
The Other Brother | 2002 | Martin | |
Head Games | 2001 | John Ambrose, Jr. 'John John' | |
Brian's Song | 2001 | TV Movie | Gale Sayers |
Impostor | 2001 | Cale | |
O | 2001 | Odin James | |
Carmen: A Hip Hopera | 2001 | TV Movie | Hill |
Shaft | 2000 | Trey Howard | |
Uninvited Guest | 1999 | Silk | |
A Lesson Before Dying | 1999 | TV Movie | Jefferson |
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer | 1998 | Tyrell | |
Hell's Kitchen | 1998 | Johnny | |
Homicide: Life on the Street | 1996-1998 | TV Series | Nathaniel Lee 'Junior Bunk' Mahoney |
Hav Plenty | 1997 | Harold | |
Soul Food | 1997 | Lem | |
SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground | 1997 | TV Movie | Man in Hallway (segment "Fern's Heart of Darkness") |
Sureshot | 1996 | ||
High School High | 1996 | Griff McReynolds | |
New York Undercover | 1995-1996 | TV Series | Dion Broat / Sekou |
Clockers | 1995 | Ronald 'Strike' Dunham | |
The Tuskegee Airmen | 1995 | TV Movie | Lewis Johns |
Models Inc. | 1995 | TV Series | Model #2 |
Asher | 2017/I | pre-production | |
Chocolate City: Vegas | 2016 | post-production | Best Valentine |
Frequency | 2016 | TV Series | Satch Rayna |
Secret City | 2016 | TV Series | Ambassador Moreton |
Roots | 2016 | TV Mini-Series | Jerusalem |
Allegiant | 2016 | Max | |
Pandemic | 2016 | Gunner | |
Four Kings | 2016 | TV Series | Richie Rich |
Key and Peele | 2015 | TV Series | Cousin |
Producer
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Suspect | 2013 | executive producer | |
Business as Usual: The Exploitation of Hip Hop | 2011 | Documentary executive producer | |
Nora's Hair Salon II | 2008 | producer | |
This Christmas | 2007 | executive producer | |
Puff, Puff, Pass | 2006 | producer |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Psych | 2012 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
Hell's Kitchen | 1998 | lyrics: "New Yorkers Lifestyle", "Edge of Life", "New York Related", "What's Up B" / performer: "New Yorkers Lifestyle", "Edge of Life", "New York Related", "What's Up B" |
Director
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Puff, Puff, Pass | 2006 |
Thanks
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show | 2014 | Documentary thanks |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Last Call with Carson Daly | 2005-2016 | TV Series | Himself |
Access Hollywood Live | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
Hollywood Today Live | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
The Real | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
Home & Family | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race | 2015 | TV Movie | Himself |
Made in Hollywood | 2015 | TV Series | Himself |
The Wendy Williams Show | 2011-2015 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest |
The Chew | 2015 | TV Series | Himself |
Bringing 'Divergent' to Life | 2014 | Video documentary | |
Divergent: Faction Before Blood | 2014 | Video documentary short | Himself |
Hollywood Game Night | 2014 | TV Series | Himself - Celebrity Guest |
Chelsea Lately | 2014 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
The View | 2005-2014 | TV Series | Himself |
Janela Indiscreta | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
Larry King Now | 2014 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
Sidewalks Entertainment | 2014 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
The Queen Latifah Show | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
The Arsenio Hall Show | 2014 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
GeekRockTV | 2013 | TV Series | Himself - Special Guest |
Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
1st Look | 2011 | TV Series | Himself - Interviewee |
The Talk | 2011 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
Business as Usual: The Exploitation of Hip Hop | 2011 | Documentary | Documentary Host |
41st NAACP Image Awards | 2010 | TV Special | Himself |
Tavis Smiley | 2004-2009 | TV Series | Himself |
The 7th Annual TV Land Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Himself |
Previously On: E.R. | 2009 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The Bonnie Hunt Show | 2008 | TV Series | Himself |
Stand Up to Cancer | 2008 | TV Movie | Himself |
Black Poker Stars Invitational | 2008 | TV Series | Player / Himself - Guest |
Up Close with Carrie Keagan | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
2007 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
In the Cutz | 2006 | TV Series | |
Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2003-2006 | TV Series | Himself |
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 2003-2005 | TV Series | Himself |
36th NAACP Image Awards | 2005 | TV Special | Himself |
World Poker Tour | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
Save Our History | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Host |
Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 2003-2005 | TV Series | Himself |
The MC: Why We Do It | 2005 | Video documentary | Narrator |
The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards | 2005 | TV Special documentary | Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Actress in a Television Series [Musical or Comedy] |
Inside Dish with Rachael Ray | 2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
The 2nd Annual Vibe Awards | 2004 | TV Special | Himself |
Celebrity Poker Showdown | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
The 2004 BET Source Hip Hop Music Awards | 2004 | TV Special | Himself |
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
Making the Video | 2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
G-Phoria 2004 | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Presenter |
100 Proof | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
4th Annual BET Awards | 2004 | TV Special | Himself |
Punk'd | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
With All Deliberate Speed | 2004 | Documentary | Himself |
Miss USA | 2004 | TV Special | Himself - Celebrity Judge |
The Daily Show | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
On-Air with Ryan Seacrest | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Presenter: Someone to Watch Award |
Jessica's Crush | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
Battle Rhyme for Reel Time | 2003 | Video documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
Vibe Awards | 2003 | TV Special | Himself |
Scarface: Origins of a Hip Hop Classic | 2003 | Video documentary short | Himself |
The Sharon Osbourne Show | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
Tinseltown TV | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
2003 Much Music Video Music Awards | 2003 | TV Special | Himself |
Miss USA | 2003 | TV Special | Himself - Celebrity Judge |
The Making of '8 Mile' | 2003 | TV Short documentary | Himself |
34th NAACP Image Awards | 2003 | TV Special | Himself |
The 30th Annual American Music Awards | 2003 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 2002 | TV Series | Himself |
MADtv | 2002 | TV Series | Himself |
NBC 75th Anniversary Special | 2002 | TV Special | Himself |
Celebrity Profile | 1998 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
Girl 6 | 1996 | Himself (cameo) (uncredited) | |
Lauren Hutton and... | 1995 | TV Series | Himself |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
ER | 2009 | TV Series | Gregory Pratt |
Attack of the Living Dead | 2004 | Video short | Andre (uncredited) |
Homicide: Life on the Street | 1998 | TV Series | Nathaniel Lee 'Junior Bunk' Mahoney |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Icon Award | TV Land Awards | ER (1994) | |
2005 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
2004 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
2002 | Rising Star Award | American Black Film Festival | ||
2000 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Network/Cable - Best Supporting Actor | A Lesson Before Dying (1999) |
Nominated Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (2014) |
2015 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (2014) |
2013 | Best Performance by an Actor | American Black Film Festival | The Suspect (2013) | |
2010 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Lie to Me (2009) |
2008 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
2006 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
2004 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor - Drama/Action Adventure | Honey (2003) |
2004 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor - Drama/Action Adventure | ER (1994) |
2004 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Liplock | Honey (2003) |
2004 | Teen Choice Award | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Chemistry | Honey (2003) |
2003 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
2002 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Network/Cable - Best Supporting Actor | Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) |
2000 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special | A Lesson Before Dying (1999) |
1996 | CFCA Award | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Actor | Clockers (1995) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
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