Melvin Gregg is an American actor known for his roles as DeMarcus Tillman in

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's mockumentary series '' American Vandal'', Erick Scott in

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh ( ; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. A pioneer of modern Independent film, independent cinema, Soderbergh later drew acclaim for formally inventiv ...

's sports drama film '' High Flying Bird'', Drew 'Manboy' Miller on FX's crime drama ''

Snowfall Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

'', and Ben Chandler in the

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series '' Nine Perfect Strangers''.

Life and career

Gregg was born in

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an Independent city (United States), independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. It lies across the Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth River from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

to parents Constance Gregg and Melvin Vaughan. He has six sisters. After graduating from I.C. Norcom High School, he studied marketing at

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...

for 2 years before changing his career path and moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 2011 to pursue acting. Gregg came to prominence by creating and sharing comedic content in which he starred, wrote, and produced on

Vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

. He amassed more than 7 million followers in the course of 3 years, becoming one of the top 100 personalities on the platform. His first credited role was in the web series ''Whatever, The Series.'' In 2011 where he earned union eligibility. Following Vine's decline in 2015, Gregg transitioned into film and TV roles. In 2018, he earned roles in the

mockumentary series '' American Vandal'' and in the film '' High Flying Bird''. Gregg's performance as DeMarcus Tillman garnered him praise from outlets such as

Film School Rejects Film School Rejects is an American blog devoted to movie reviews, interviews, film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production company, prod ...

and a comparison from ''

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'' to actor

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

in ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

''. ''

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'' and ''

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'' have described the role as a breakout one for Gregg. Gregg joined the cast in the third (2019) season of the FX television series ''

'' in the main role of Drew 'Manboy' Miller, and portrayed the character of Marcus Parrish in the

sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

'' The Way Back'' in 2020. He also filmed a video examining

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

's support of Black culture during the early 2000s alongside Sam Jay. During 2020 Gregg also announced that he would be creating a movie for the newly launched

interactive fiction Interactive fiction (IF) is software simulating environments in which players use text Command (computing), commands to control Player character, characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narrati ...

app Whatifi, entitled ''This Call Will Be Recorded''. Viewers would be able to select choices that would enable them to view one of sixteen different endings. In 2021, he played Joe Guy in '' The United States vs. Billie Holiday'', and had a series regular role in the

series '' Nine Perfect Strangers''.

Personal life

Gregg and wife Bobbie Leigh Nelson have one son, Marley Amel Gregg, born on May 15, 2020.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards

References

External links

*
Melvin Gregg
on

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Melvin Gregg
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregg, Melvin People from Portsmouth, Virginia Male actors from Los Angeles 1988 births Models from Virginia Male models from Los Angeles Living people African-American male actors African-American male models 21st-century American actors American Vine (service) celebrities 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people Comedians from Los Angeles Comedians from Virginia African-American male comedians African-American comedians American male comedians