Marque Richardson Jr. (born October 23, 1985) is an American actor.

Early life

Richardson was born in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California in the U.S., in a naval hospital. Both parents served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. His father hails from

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, Michigan in the U.S., and his mother from

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city i ...

, Virginia in the U.S. The elder of two siblings, he began his acting career starring in commercials at the age of four. Having moved around frequently, he was primarily raised in Bellflower, California in the U.S. Balancing school life with entertainment, Richardson was a scholar-athlete at

Mayfair High School Mayfair High School is a middle and high school in the Bellflower Unified School District in the city of Lakewood, California. The school first opened in 1959. The student population is approximately 2,500 in grades 7 through 12. Mayfair serve ...

in Lakewood,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. In 2007, he graduated from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

with degrees in business, Public Policy, Planning & Management on full scholarship from the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...

. After graduation Richardson interned at Overbrook Entertainment to gain insight of life behind the camera.

Career

One of Richardson's first television roles was a guest appearance on ''

The Bernie Mac Show ''The Bernie Mac Show'' (often shortened to ''Bernie Mac'' in syndication) is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001, to April 14, 2006. The series featured Ber ...

'' as Tyrone, aka "Lemon-Lyme". He has also appeared in ''ER'', '' 7th Heaven'', '' Lincoln Heights'' and '' Rules of Engagement''. He starred in the web series '' My Alibi''. He had a recurring role on

USA Networks IAC Inc. is an American holding company that owns brands across 100 countries, mostly in media and Internet. The company originated in 1996 as HSN Inc. as the holding company of Home Shopping Network and USA Network before changing its name to ...

' '' The Starter Wife''. He won a role in Joseph Kahn's horror/comedy film '' Detention'', released by

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

in 2012. He most notably scored recurring roles as Kenneth on Seasons 5 and 6 of HBO's hit ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy Horror fiction, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball (screenwriter), Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels ...

'', and, in 2013, as Mark Gage in the HBO series '' The Newsroom''. In 2014, Richardson starred in the critically acclaimed film ''

Dear White People ''Dear White People'' is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written, directed and co-produced by Justin Simien. The film focuses on escalating racial tensions at a fictitious, prestigious Ivy League college from the perspective of several black ...

'', a satire that won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize "for the arrival of an exciting new voice in American cinema" at Sundance. The film was theatrically released by Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions. He also reprises his starring role in ''

'', the "

Netflix Original Netflix is an American global Internet streaming-on-demand media provider that has distributed a number of original streaming television shows, including original series, specials, miniseries, documentaries and films. Netflix's original produ ...

" TV show based on the film.

Personal life

Richardson is a strong advocate of community service and has been involved with various global service projects. In 2005, he traveled to Khao Lak, Thailand to provide relief after the area's devastating tsunami in December, 2004. He also worked with

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...

to build homes in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

(post

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

) and

Retalhuleu The city of Retalhuleu () is situated in south-western Guatemala. It is the departmental seat of Retalhuleu Department as well as the municipal seat of Retalhuleu Municipality. Retalhuleu stands at about 240 metres above sea level. The city has ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

. In 2018 he partnered to form , an endowment fund that awards scholarships to honor the legacy of Jordan Edwards, a child who was murdered by a police officer in Dallas, Texas.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Marque 1985 births Living people 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male screenwriters University of Southern California alumni Male actors from San Diego People from Bellflower, California People from Lakewood, California Screenwriters from California 21st-century African-American male actors 20th-century African-American male actors 20th-century American male actors