Michael Jai White
Photoplayd Industry Rating
Not enough rated films yet to compute a weighted score.
Roles are weighted by involvement: director 1.0, screenwriter 0.7, lead 0.8, supporting 0.4, crew 0.1.
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
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
as George Chambers
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011)
as Case Walker
Blood and Bone (2009)
as Isaiah Bone
Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016)
as Case Walker
Exit Protocol (2025)
as Isaac Florentine
Universal Soldier (1992)
as Soldier
Spawn (1997)
as Al Simmons / Spawn
Exit Wounds (2001)
as Lewis Strutt
Hostile Takeover (2025)
as Pete
Accident Man (2018)
as Mick
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
as Audience Man
Triple Threat (2019)
as Devereaux
The Island (2023)
as Mark
Falcon Rising (2014)
as John 'Falcon' Chapman
Skin Trade (2014)
as Reed
Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)
as SETH
S.W.A.T.: Under Siege (2017)
as Scorpion
Dragged Across Concrete (2019)
as 'Biscuit'
Black Dynamite (2009)
as Black Dynamite
On Deadly Ground (1994)
as Oil Worker (uncredited)
As Good as Dead (2022)
as Bryant
One More Shot (2024)
as Robert Jackson
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
as Buck
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989)
as Apocalypse, Inc. Executive
The Commando (2022)
as James Baker
Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021)
as Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger (voice)
The Hard Way (2019)
as Payne
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019)
as Self
Black Friday (2021)
as Archie
Rogue Hostage (2021)
as Sparks
MR-9: Do or Die (2023)
as Duke
City of Industry (1997)
as Odell Williams
Silver Hawk (2004)
as Morris
Vigilante Diaries (2016)
as Barrington
Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
as Marcus
Trouble Man (2025)
as Jaxen
Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
as Marcus
Freaky Deaky (2012)
as Donnell Lewis
Getting Played (2005)
as Actor
Take Back (2021)
as Brian
Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes (2001)
as Spawn (archive footage)
True Identity (1991)
as Alley Guy #1
Don't Mess with Grandma (2024)
as JT
Tyson (1995)
as Mike Tyson
The Crooked Man (2016)
as Milo
Send It! (2021)
as Coach
Dead Zone (2022)
as Boss
Captive Heart: The James Mink Story (1996)
as Elroy
Welcome to Sudden Death (2020)
as Jesse Freeman
The Philly Kid (2012)
as Arthur Letts
Outlaw Johnny Black (2023)
as Outlaw Johnny Black
Tactical Force (2011)
as Hunt
Thick as Thieves (1999)
as Pointy
The Secret Between Us (2026)
as Jack Frazier
Assault on VA-33 (2021)
as Chief Malone
Come Out Fighting (2023)
as Sergeant AJ 'Red' McCarron
The Asian Connection (2016)
as Greedy Greg
The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989)
as Apocalypse Inc. Executive
Breakfast of Champions (1999)
as Howell
Freedom Song (2000)
as Coleman Vaughnes
Chuck Zito: An American Story (2024)
as Self
Android Cop (2014)
as Hammond
UnConventional (2004)
as Self
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip (2016)
as Princeton
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010)
as Jackson Briggs
Beyond the Game (2014)
as Himself
You're Not Alone (2023)
as Keith Mitchell
Chain of Command (2015)
as James Webster
Ringmaster (1998)
as Demond
Pandora's Box (2002)
as Hampton Hines
Ring of Fire III: Lion Strike (1995)
as Silvio
We the Party (2012)
as Officer Davis
In Search of the Last Action Heroes (2019)
as Self
Undercover Brother 2 (2019)
as Undercover Brother / Narrator
The Real Miyagi (2015)
as Self
The Legend of Bruce Lee (2009)
as Ali
A Snowy Day in Oakland (2023)
as Reverend Carter
Cops and Robbers (2017)
as Michael
Bisping (2021)
as Self
Mutiny (1999)
as Ben Cooper
Why Did I Get Married Again? (—)
as Marcus
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal (1996)
as Carpenter
Every Day Is Christmas (2018)
as Justin
Ballistic (1995)
as Quint
Making a Killing (2018)
as Orlando Hudson
Full Contact (1993)
as Low-Ball
Chocolate City (2015)
as Princeton
Special Op: Rent-a-Cop (2026)
as Brock Belfry
Fedz (2013)
as Big D
Generation Iron (2013)
as Self
Karate Ghost (—)
Actor
The Hit (2022)
as Brooke
One Angry Juror (2010)
as Derrick
Justice (2003)
as Tre
Paper Made (—)
Actor
The Making of 'Spawn' (1997)
as Self
Hidden Colors 5: The Art of Black Warfare (2019)
as Self
Spymasters (—)
Actor
Scream Before You Die (2024)
as Joe Washington
Drive Through Fire (—)
Actor
The Making of Exit Wounds (2002)
as Self
Somebody's Child (2012)
as Douglas
The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief (2023)
as Himself
The Hook (—)
as Malcolm Miller
To Live and Die in the Midwest (—)
Actor