Age: 58
male
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.
Michael Jai White
Luke Cage
for Luke Cage in Heroe$ for Hire
Suggested by christianwithers6334
Down on their luck in a gritty New York City, best friends Luke Cage and Danny Rand launch a mercenary business, using their superhuman abilities to secure high-paying odd jobs. Business is dangerously slow until a mysterious, wealthy woman named Typhoid Mary approaches them with a massive paycheck. Her target: a masked vigilante known as Daredevil. Though they are uneasy about assassination, the sheer size of the bounty convinces the broke duo to take the contract. They track the Devil of Hell's Kitchen to a rain-slicked rooftop, but before they can negotiate, a paranoid Daredevil misinterprets their presence and launches an ambush. An exhausting martial arts brawl erupts. Danny matches Matt in a high-speed exchange of precise hand-to-hand combat, while Luke absorbs devastating punishment. Though Luke's skin is completely unbreakable, Matt's elite sensory reflexes and mastery of momentum allows him to exploit Luke's internal vulnerabilities, wearing the mercenary down. Pushed to exhaustion, the combatants collapse to catch their breath. Checking on Danny, Luke grumbles, "This Typhoid Mary better be kissing our as-" before Daredevil cuts him off. Hearing the name, Matt reveals their employer is actually the leader of an ancient assassin clan called the Hand. When Daredevil asks for their help to eliminate the cult for free, a stunned Luke asks for their hourly rate, Matt shakes his head and vanishes. Luke eventually convinces a reluctant Danny that some clients are too dangerous to trust. They track down Daredevil and Elektra, agreeing to help dismantle the Hand's local cell strictly for the "good marketing." Meanwhile, the show explores their comedic struggles, including a disastrous episode where they are hired to hunt Punisher, only to barely survive a hideout rigged with lethal military traps. Luke also navigates a messy, romantic fling with a cynical private investigator named Jessica Jones.
