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Mekhi Phifer

Acting 51 years old New York City, New York, USA ★ 2.3
Born: December 29, 1974

Biography

Mekhi Thira Phifer (born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his multi-year role as Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama ER and his co-starring role opposite Eminem in the feature film 8 Mile. He was a regular on the Fox crime show Lie to Me portraying the role of Ben Reynolds, before season 3. He was born in in Harlem, New York City, the son of Rhoda Phifer, a high school teacher; he grew up in a single-parent household with his mother. His acting career began in 1995, when Phifer attended an open casting call for director Spike Lee’s Clockers, beating over a thousand others to get the lead role as a narcotics dealer embroiled in a murder cover-up. He followed that role with another in the comedy spoof feature High School High (which also starred his former wife Malinda Williams) and continued by co-starring in the fright flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr. Among Phifer’s other big-screen credits are Soul Food, The Biography of Spud Webb, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, Tears of a Clown, O (as the titular character Odin a.k.a. O), and the thriller Uninvited Guest (as Silk). He appeared in Impostor as well as Paid in Full, 8 Mile, opposite Eminem and Dawn of the Dead. Phifer has a son, Omikaye, with his ex-wife, actress Malinda Williams. His second son, Mekhi Thira Phifer Jr., was born to his girlfriend Oni Souratha in Los Angeles on October 30, 2007.

Filmography

Acting Credits (77)

Be Happy
Be Happy Peter Mosley 2026
Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy
Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy Peter Mosley 2026
The Silent Hour
The Silent Hour Mason Lynch 2024
High Potential
High Potential Arthur Ellis 2024
Long Gone Heroes
Long Gone Heroes Moreao 2024
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat James Henry 2024
Lights Out
Lights Out Max Bomer 2024
Love, Victor
Love, Victor Harold Brooks 2020
Truth Be Told
Truth Be Told Markus Killebrew 2019
Obsession
Obsession Sonny 2019
Canal Street
Canal Street Prosecutor A.J. Canton 2019
The Bobby Brown Story
The Bobby Brown Story Tommy Brown 2018
A Talent For Trouble
A Talent For Trouble Mekhi Phifer 2018
Frequency
Frequency Satch Reyna 2016
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip Best Valentine 2016
Match Game
Match Game Self - Panelist 2016
Secret City
Secret City Ambassador Moreton 2016
Roots
Roots Jerusalem 2016
Allegiant
Allegiant Max 2016
Pandemic
Pandemic Gunner 2016
Insurgent
Insurgent Max 2015
A Day Late and a Dollar Short
A Day Late and a Dollar Short Lewis 2014
Divergent
Divergent Max 2014
Chicago P.D.
Chicago P.D. Joe Baker 2014
Beat Bobby Flay
Beat Bobby Flay Self 2013
Hollywood Game Night
Hollywood Game Night Self 2013
The Love Section
The Love Section James Johnson 2013
The Suspect
The Suspect The Suspect 2013
Key & Peele
Key & Peele Cousin 2012
Flypaper
Flypaper Darrien 2011
Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing Jeremy Davis 2011
White Collar
White Collar Kyle Collins 2009
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life King Khi 2009
Lie to Me
Lie to Me Ben Reynolds 2009
Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut Above
Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut Above Maxwell Terry 2008
This Christmas
This Christmas Gerald 2007
Torchwood
Torchwood Rex Matheson 2006
Psych
Psych Drake 2006
Puff, Puff, Pass
Puff, Puff, Pass Big Daddy 2006
Slow Burn
Slow Burn Isaac Duperde 2005
Dawn of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead Andre 2004
Best Week Ever
Best Week Ever 2004
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest Self 2004
Honey
Honey Chaz 2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Self 2003
The Making of '8 Mile'
The Making of '8 Mile' Self 2003
Punk'd
Punk'd Self 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Self 2003
8 Mile
8 Mile Future 2002
Paid in Full
Paid in Full Mitch 2002
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
NBC 75th Anniversary Special Self 2002
The Other Brother
The Other Brother Martin 2002
Impostor
Impostor Cale 2001
Brian's Song
Brian's Song Gale Sayers 2001
O
O Odin James 2001
Carmen: A Hip Hopera
Carmen: A Hip Hopera Hill 2001
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm Omar Jones 2000
Shaft
Shaft Trey Howard 2000
Uninvited Guest
Uninvited Guest Silk 1999
A Lesson Before Dying
A Lesson Before Dying Jefferson 1999
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer Tyrell 1998
Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen Johnny Miles 1998
Soul Food
Soul Food Lem 1997
Hav Plenty
Hav Plenty Harold 1997
The View
The View Self 1997
Subway Stories
Subway Stories Man in Hallway (segment "Fern's Heart of Darkness") 1997
High School High
High School High Griff McReynolds 1996
The Daily Show
The Daily Show Self 1996
Girl 6
Girl 6 Himself (cameo) (uncredited) 1996
Clockers
Clockers Ronald 'Strike' Dunham 1995
The Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen Lewis Johns 1995
ER
ER Greg Pratt 1994
New York Undercover
New York Undercover Sekou 1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien Self - Guest 1993
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street Nathaniel Lee 'Junior Bunk' Mahoney 1993
Law & Order
Law & Order Lyman Ross 1990
Miss USA
Miss USA Self - Judge 1963

Directing Credits (1)

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