Carl Lumbly Biography

The son of Jamaican immigrants, Carl Lumbly started his career in Minnesota as a journalist, working for the 3M company in public relations, writing freelance and penning for the Associated Press. While on assignment for a story on Dudley Riggs Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre, fate was on Lumblys side and he ended up being cast in one of the productions. He stayed there for two years doing improvisational comedy.
Lumbly then moved to San Francisco, where he met and worked with actor Danny Glover in a production of Sizwe Bansi is Dead, by Athol Fugard. The production brought the two actors to Los Angeles on a Cal Arts Council Tour, where they ended up doing The Island, another Fugard play, at the Matrix Theatre.
An acclaimed veteran of the stage, Lumbly has been working steadily ever since, appearing in such films as Escape from Alcatraz, Caveman, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Judgement in Berlin, The Bedroom Window, Everybodys All American, To Sleep with Anger, Pacific Heights, South Central, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Men of Honor.
On television Lumbly starred in the series Cagney & Lacey, ABCs Going to Extremes and M.A.N.T.I.S. He also had recurring roles on ER and EZ Streets, and guest starred on such popular series as The West Wing and The X-Files.
Lumbly received critical acclaim for his role as Father in the ABC remake of Sounder. His numerous made-for-television movies and miniseries also include The Chicago Conspiracy Trial, Tribeca: The Box, Out of Darkness, Cagney & Lacey: The Return, Americas Dream Reunion, The Ditchdiggers Daughter, Buffalo Soldiers -- for which he earned a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor -- Oprah Winfrey Presents The Wedding with Halle Berry, the Emmy Award-winning The Color of Friendship and Built for Speed: The Little Richard Story. He received Ace Award nominations for his work in Nightjohn and On Promised Land, both for the Disney Channel. He also starred in Showtimes Just a Dream, which was directed by Glover.
Lumbly recently completed filming the title role of Sam Nujoma in the independent feature, Nujoma: Where Others Wavered. Written and directed by Charles Burnett, the film is based on the autobiography of Sam Nujoma, first President of Namibia and former President of SWAPO (South West African Peoples Organization), and also stars Glover. Production took place in Namibia, the southern Africa region, South Africa, London and New York.
Lumbly also lends his voice to the Cartoon Networks animated series Justice League, for the role of action hero Jonn JonzzMartian Manhunter. The series follows the adventures of the greatest superhero team of all time.

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