Seth Gilliam (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of
Ellis Carver on ''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
'',
Clayton Hughes on ''
Oz'', Dr. Alan Deaton on ''
Teen Wolf'', and
Father Gabriel Stokes on ''
The Walking Dead''.
Early life
Gilliam graduated from
State University of New York at Purchase in 1990, earning a
Bachelor of Fine Arts
A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA).
Background ...
degree in acting.
Career
Gilliam's film career began in the early 1990s. He has starred in award-winning films such as ''
Still Alice''. His other film credits include Sergeant Sugar Watkins in the 1997 action film ''
Starship Troopers'' and Sergeant Steven Altameyer in the 1996 film ''
Courage Under Fire''.
Gilliam has had a number of recurring roles on television, including during the seventh season of ''
The Cosby Show'' as Aaron Dexter, boyfriend of
Erika Alexander's character, and as Alan Deaton on ''
Teen Wolf''. His most prominent role has been on ''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
''. In 2008, he attracted attention for criticizing the show being overlooked for Emmy nominations despite its critical success. He has had a number of guest roles in other shows such as ''
CSI: Miami'', ''
Nurse Jackie'', ''
Skins'', ''
Person of Interest'', and ''
The Good Wife''. He played Clayton Hughes on ''
Oz''. In May 2014, Gilliam was cast as
Father Gabriel Stokes in the fifth season of AMC's ''
The Walking Dead''. Along with
Chad Coleman and
Lawrence Gilliard Jr., he is the third ''The Wire'' alum to join the series.
Gilliam has acted on stage, playing
Prince Edward in a 1993 production of ''
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...
''. He played the title role in ''
Othello'', first in 2010 at Boston's
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and then the following year at the
Houston Shakespeare Festival, directed by his wife, Leah C. Gardiner. The pair returned to Houston in 2013 for ''
Antony and Cleopatra'', with Gilliam playing Antony and Gardiner directing.
Gilliam has stated that he prefers acting on the stage although he loves his work in film and television: "Acting for the stage is a lot more fun to do. There is instant communication with the audience. An actor can tell whether or not he or she is connecting with an audience or whether they understand what's going on."
Personal life
On May 3, 2015, Gilliam was arrested in
Peachtree City,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, for
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...
as he was speeding 108 miles per hour in a fifty-five miles per hour zone. Police found a marijuana cigarette in his car. He was released after posting a $9,818 bond.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theater
References
External links
*
*
Bio on The Wire's website(archived)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilliam, Seth
1968 births
Living people
American male television actors
Male actors from Manhattan
State University of New York at Purchase alumni
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American male film actors
20th-century African-American male actors
21st-century African-American male actors