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
Universal Soldier (1992)
as Soldier
Why Did I Get Married Again? (2026)
as Marcus
Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016)
as Case Walker
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
as George Chambers
Spawn (1997)
as Al Simmons / Spawn
Dragged Across Concrete (2019)
as 'Biscuit'
Blood and Bone (2009)
as Isaiah Bone
Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
as SETH
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
as Audience Man
Freaky Deaky (2012)
as Donnell Lewis
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011)
as Case Walker
Exit Wounds (2001)
as Lewis Strutt
Accident Man (2018)
as Mick
Exit Protocol (2025)
as Isaac Florentine
One More Shot (2024)
as Robert Jackson
On Deadly Ground (1994)
as Oil Worker (uncredited)
S.W.A.T.: Under Siege (2017)
as Scorpion
Triple Threat (2019)
as Devereaux
Thick as Thieves (1999)
as Pointy
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
as Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger (voice)
Hostile Takeover (2025)
as Pete
Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
as Marcus
Dead Zone (2022)
as Boss
As Good as Dead (2022)
as Bryant
Black Friday (2021)
as Archie
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip (2016)
as Princeton
UnConventional (2004)
as Self
Falcon Rising (2014)
as John 'Falcon' Chapman
Trouble Man (2025)
as Jaxen
Skin Trade (2014)
as Reed
Welcome to Sudden Death (2020)
as Jesse Freeman
The Island (2023)
as Mark
The Secret Between Us (2026)
as Jack Frazier
The Commando (2022)
as James Baker
Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike (1995)
as Silvio
Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
as Marcus
Black Dynamite (2009)
as Black Dynamite
MR-9: Do or Die (2023)
as Duke
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
as Buck
Paper Made (—)
Actor
Undercover Brother 2 (2019)
as Undercover Brother / Narrator
Assault on VA-33 (2021)
as Chief Malone
The Hard Way (2019)
as Payne
You're Not Alone (2023)
as Keith Mitchell
Vigilante Diaries (2016)
as Barrington
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019)
as Self
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989)
as Apocalypse, Inc. Executive
Send It! (2021)
as Coach
Tyson (1995)
as Mike Tyson
Take Back (2021)
as Brian
City of Industry (1997)
as Odell Williams
Rogue Hostage (2021)
as Sparks
Drive Through Fire (2026)
as Tommy Poole
Silver Hawk (2004)
as Morris
Spymasters (—)
Actor
Android Cop (2014)
as Hammond
Come Out Fighting (2023)
as Sergeant AJ 'Red' McCarron
The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989)
as Apocalypse Inc. Executive
Don't Mess with Grandma (2024)
as JT
Special Op: Rent-a-Cop (2026)
as Brock Belfry
The Hook (—)
as Malcolm Miller
Chain of Command (2015)
as James Webster
Getting Played (2005)
as Actor
The Asian Connection (2016)
as Greedy Greg
Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes (2001)
as Spawn (archive footage)
Breakfast of Champions (1999)
as Howell
The Philly Kid (2012)
as Arthur Letts
The Crooked Man (2016)
as Milo
Tactical Force (2011)
as Hunt
True Identity (1991)
as Alley Guy #1
Pandora's Box (2002)
as Hampton Hines
Mutiny (1999)
as Ben Cooper
The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief (2023)
as Himself
Bisping (2021)
as Self
Cops and Robbers (2017)
as Michael
Generation Iron (2013)
as Self
Outlaw Johnny Black (2023)
as Outlaw Johnny Black
The Legend of Bruce Lee (2009)
as Ali
A Snowy Day in Oakland (2023)
as Reverend Carter
Every Day Is Christmas (2018)
as Justin
Chuck Zito: An American Story (2024)
as Self
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996)
as Elroy
Freedom Song (2000)
as Coleman Vaughnes
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal (1996)
as Carpenter
Full Contact (1993)
as Low-Ball
The Real Miyagi (2015)
as Self
Chocolate City (2015)
as Princeton
Ballistic (1995)
as Quint
In Search of the Last Action Heroes (2019)
as Self
Ringmaster (1998)
as Demond
Karate Ghost (—)
Actor
Beyond the Game (2014)
as Himself
To Live and Die in the Midwest (—)
Actor
The Making of Exit Wounds (2002)
as Self
The Making of 'Spawn' (1997)
as Self
Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare (2019)
as Self
Justice (2003)
as Tre
We the Party (2012)
as Officer Davis
Somebody's Child (2012)
as Douglas
Scream Before You Die (2024)
as Joe Washington
Fedz (2013)
as Big D
One Angry Juror (2010)
as Derrick
Making a Killing (2018)
as Orlando Hudson
The Hit (2022)
as Brooke