Michael Jai White
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Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor and professional martial artist, who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African-American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved as a teen to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he graduated from Central High School in 1988. White started martial arts training at the age of seven and is now an accomplished martial artist, holding seven legitimate black belts in Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, Kobudo, Goju Ryu, Tang Soo Do, Wushu and Kyokushin, with a specific focus in Kyokushin (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms). His first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson, as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. In 1997, he portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 movie Spawn. His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return. In 2001, he also starred opposite fellow martial artist Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds. In 2003, he starred in Busta Rhymes' and Mariah Carey's music video "I Know What You Want". Since 2003, in addition to his on screen roles, White has been doing voice work, including Static Shock, Justice League, and the Spawn animated series. White showcases his martial arts skills in the direct-to-DVD film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. He also appears in Michelle Yeoh's Silver Hawk in 2004. His film, Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007. White played the role of the mob boss Gambol in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. He also starred in the film Blood and Bone and the Blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite, both released in 2009. White wrote the scripts for both Black Dynamite and his upcoming 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine. White will make his directorial debut and star in Never Back Down 2, which is slated for a 2011 release. In August 2005 he wed his girlfriend of two years, Courtenay Chatman. The couple have a daughter named Morgan Michelle who was born on December 24, 2008. Michael has two sons from a previous relationship. He is an avid chess player, as seen in his movie Blood and Bone.
Known for
Credits
The Dark Knight (2008)
as Gambol
Oscar Shaw (2026)
as Oscar Shaw
Dragged Across Concrete (2019)
as 'Biscuit'
Universal Soldier (1992)
as Soldier
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
as George Chambers
Exit Protocol (2025)
as Isaac Florentine
Blood and Bone (2009)
as Isaiah Bone
Accident Man (2018)
as Mick
Exit Wounds (2001)
as Lewis Strutt
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
as Audience Man
Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
as SETH
Spawn (1997)
as Al Simmons / Spawn
Triple Threat (2019)
as Devereaux
Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016)
as Case Walker
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011)
as Case Walker
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
as Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger (voice)
One More Shot (2024)
as Robert Jackson
Hostile Takeover (2025)
as Pete
S.W.A.T.: Under Siege (2017)
as Scorpion
On Deadly Ground (1994)
as Oil Worker (uncredited)
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
as Buck
As Good as Dead (2022)
as Bryant
Falcon Rising (2014)
as John 'Falcon' Chapman
The Island (2023)
as Mark
Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
as Marcus
The Commando (2022)
as James Baker
Welcome to Sudden Death (2020)
as Jesse Freeman
Black Dynamite (2009)
as Black Dynamite
Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
as Marcus
Skin Trade (2014)
as Reed
City of Industry (1997)
as Odell Williams
Vigilante Diaries (2016)
as Barrington
The Asian Connection (2016)
as Greedy Greg
Breakfast of Champions (1999)
as Howell
Thick as Thieves (1999)
as Pointy
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019)
as Self
Dead Zone (2022)
as Boss
MR-9: Do or Die (2023)
as Duke
The Secret Between Us (2026)
as Jack Frazier
Freaky Deaky (2012)
as Donnell Lewis
Don't Mess with Grandma (2024)
as JT
The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989)
as Apocalypse Inc. Executive
Assault on VA-33 (2021)
as Chief Malone
The Hard Way (2019)
as Payne
Black Friday (2021)
as Archie
Come Out Fighting (2023)
as Sergeant AJ 'Red' McCarron
Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes (2001)
as Spawn (archive footage)
Rogue Hostage (2021)
as Sparks
The Philly Kid (2012)
as Arthur Letts
Trouble Man (2025)
as Jaxen
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989)
as Apocalypse, Inc. Executive
Paper Made (—)
Actor
Take Back (2021)
as Brian
Android Cop (2014)
as Hammond
Undercover Brother 2 (2019)
as Undercover Brother / Narrator
Tactical Force (2011)
as Hunt
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip (2016)
as Princeton
The Crooked Man (2016)
as Milo
True Identity (1991)
as Alley Guy #1
The Real Miyagi (2015)
as Self
Send It! (2021)
as Coach
Silver Hawk (2004)
as Morris
Tyson (1995)
as Mike Tyson
Outlaw Johnny Black (2023)
as Outlaw Johnny Black
The Legend of Bruce Lee (2009)
as Ali
Getting Played (2005)
as Actor
Chocolate City (2015)
as Princeton
Chain of Command (2015)
as James Webster
A Snowy Day in Oakland (2023)
as Reverend Carter
Chuck Zito: An American Story (2024)
as Self
UnConventional (2004)
as Self
Cops and Robbers (2017)
as Michael
Full Contact (1993)
as Low-Ball
You're Not Alone (2023)
as Keith Mitchell
Mutiny (1999)
as Ben Cooper
In Search of the Last Action Heroes (2019)
as Self
Generation Iron (2013)
as Self
Spymasters (—)
Actor
Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike (1995)
as Silvio
Beyond the Game (2014)
as Himself
Freedom Song (2000)
as Coleman Vaughnes
Special Op: Rent-a-Cop (2026)
as Brock Belfry
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996)
as Elroy
Pandora's Box (2002)
as Hampton Hines
Why Did I Get Married Again? (2026)
as Marcus
Making a Killing (2018)
as Orlando Hudson
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal (1996)
as Carpenter
Ballistic (1995)
as Quint
The Making of Exit Wounds (2002)
as Self
Ringmaster (1998)
as Demond
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010)
as Jackson Briggs
We the Party (2012)
as Officer Davis
Drive Through Fire (—)
Actor
Bisping (2021)
as Self
Karate Ghost (—)
Actor
One Angry Juror (2010)
as Derrick
Somebody's Child (2012)
as Douglas
The Hook (—)
as Malcolm Miller
Every Day Is Christmas (2018)
as Justin
Scream Before You Die (2024)
as Joe Washington
Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare (2019)
as Self
The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief (2023)
as Himself
The Hit (2022)
as Brooke
The Making of 'Spawn' (1997)
as Self
Justice (2003)
as Tre
Fedz (2013)
as Big D
To Live and Die in the Midwest (—)
Actor