Gary Dourdan

Infobox actor
bgcolour =
name = Gary Dourdan


imagesize =
caption = Gary Dourdan
birthname = Gary Robert Dourdan
birthdate = birth date and age|1966|12|11
location = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
height = 6' 2" (1.88 m)
notable role = Warrick Brown in ""
spouse = Roshumba Williams (1994–1996)

Gary Dourdan (born Gary Robert Durdin, December 11, 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor, widely known for portraying Warrick Brown on "".

Biography

Early years

Dourdan and his family moved to Willingboro, New Jersey when he was in his youth. Robert Durdin, Gary's father, is an agent for jazz musicians. Sandy Durdin, Gary's mother, is a fashion designer. Gary is the youngest of 5 children, and when he was 6, his older brother Darryl, was murdered when he was on a vacation in Haiti. The case is still unsolved. [ [http://www.tv.com/gary-dourdan/person/834/biography.html Gary Dourdan biography] TV.com. Retrieved May 5, 2008.] Dourdan has African-American, Native American, Scots-Irish, and Jewish ancestry. cite web |url=http://thegarydourdanexperience.net/vanityfairmag.html|title=Gary Dourdan Experiences|author=Sara Faillaci |accessdate=2008-10-10 |date=2008 |publisher=Vanity Fair] At this time his interests included acting, music and martial arts. Later Dourdan moved to New York City and worked as a doorman at a rehearsal studio where he met some of Manhattan's promising young artists.

Career

Dourdan got his first break when Debbie Allen cast him as Shazza Zulu on "A Different World" based on a tape of him in an avant-garde play. He had a recurring role on the Showtime series "Soul Food" until he nabbed the part of Warrick Brown on "". Also starred in the 1997 film "Alien Resurrection" as (Christie) alongside Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder and Ron Perlman. "TV Guide" voted him the Sexiest "CSI "actor on TV in its 2008 "Sexiest" issue. [ [http://www.celebrityhotdump.com/entertainment/gary-dourdan-voted-sexiest-csi-on-tv/ Sexiest stars winners & nominees] TV Guide.com. May 5, 2008.] It was reported on April 14, 2008, that Dourdan was leaving the show. [ [http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Gary/800037506 Exclusive: Gary Dourdan Leaving CSI!] TV Guide.com. April 14, 2008.]

He was also the host of a BET spoken word show entitled "Lyric Cafe".

He joined hip hop artist DMC on stage at the Live 8 concert held in Barrie, Ontario, and also co-sang the lyrics to the theme song of the TV sitcom "The Jeffersons" at the 2005 Emmy Awards.

He is currently set to play Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott in a biographical film about Lynott's life. [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7566185/lizzys_lynott_lives_on Rolling Stone: Lizzy's Lynott Lives On] ]

He played Janet Jackson's love interest in the video for her 1993 hit "Again".

Dourdan is also an alternative musician and a record producer.

He recently voiced the character Crispus Allen in three of the six short films for .

Personal life

He married model Roshumba Williams in 1992; the couple divorced two years later. [ [http://www.nndb.com/people/463/000102157/ Gary Dourdan facts] Nndb.com. Retrieved April 28, 2008.] He has two children, a son, Lyric, and a daughter, Nyla (the daughter of Jennifer Sutton, whom Dourdan dated from 1995 to 2000). [ [http://television.aol.com/celebrity/gary-dourdan/19919/bio Gary Dourdan biography] Television Aol.com. Retrieved May 5, 2008.]

Legal troubles

In 2005 he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery after his ex-girlfriend Anne Greene accused him of rape and battery. He was sentenced to stay away from Greene and attend domestic violence counseling. In 2006 Dourdan sued Greene for $4 million alleging slander and negligent infliction of emotional distress. [ [http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/entertainment/index/dourdan32406 Gary Dourdan Sues Ex-Girlfriend for $4 Million] - BlackAmericaWeb.com ]

On April 28, 2008, Dourdan was arrested in Palm Springs, California on suspicion of possessing heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and prescription drugs. [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/30/people.garydourdan.ap/index.html 'CSI's' Gary Dourdan faces drug charges] CNN.com. May 5, 2008.] [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24373001/ Gary Dourdan arrested for possession of narcotics and dangerous drugs] Msnbc.com. April 29, 2008.] An officer saw Dourdan's car parked on the wrong side of the street with the interior light on and someone sleeping in the driver's seat at approximately 5:12 a.m. Monday, according to Palm Springs police Sgt. Mitch Spike. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-04-29-dourdan-arrest_N.htm 'CSI' co-star Gary Dourdan arrested for drugs] USA Today.com. May 5, 2008.] Dourdan was taken to the Palm Springs jail and was released on $5000 bail. [ [http://fametastic.co.uk/archive/20080504/11145/csis-gary-dourdan-embarrassed-over-arrest/ CSI’s Gary Dourdan embarrassed over arrest] Fametastic.co.uk. May 5, 2008.] In an email quoted on "Access Hollywood", he claims the drugs belonged to people he took to a Coachella Music Festival VIP after-party. [Lang, Derrick J. (April 28, 2008). " [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g_j-3NZ-DCgbV61YmeO-s0YRQDXwD90BQ6I80 'CSI' co-star Gary Dourdan arrested for drugs] ", "Associated Press". Retrieved on April 28, 2008.] [ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20197778,00.html Gary Dourdan is speaking out about his recent arrest] People.com. May 3, 2008.] However, friends and castmates of Dourdan said they were not at all surprised by his arrest. [http://www.hollyscoop.com/arrests/gary-dourdans-castmates-not-surprised-by-arrest_15842.aspx Dourdan's Castmates Not Surprised By Arrest] Hollyscoop.com. May 5, 2008.] One of the "CSI" staffers told the "Chicago Sun Times", "After this, I think there will be a concerted effort to convince Gary to get help—before he kills himself." He pleaded guilty to two counts of cocaine and ecstasy possession during his arraignment on May 28, 2008. Dourdan will complete a 16-class drug program instead of the three years and eight months that he could have been sentenced based upon his charges. [ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20202715,00.html People] ]

References

External links

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* [http://www.africana.com/articles/qa/mtv20031015gary.asp Interview] at [http://www.africana.com/ africana.com]
* [http://thegarydourdanexperience.net/ The Gary Dourdan Experience Website]