Red Tails. The Secret Life of Bees. The Great Debaters. Pride. At 33, actor Nate Parker’s resume is already quite impressive. With on-screen performances alongside greats like Denzel Washington, Terrence Howard and Forest Whitaker already under his belt, we’re confident Parker is headed to the A-list fast. Oh, and he’s absolutely gorgeous too. Now that’s what we call winning!
North Carolina native Aldis Hodge landed his first major starring TV role on this 21st birthday, when he was told he was tapped to play Alec Hardison on TNT’s hit scam drama Leverage. The acting gene runs in his family. Hodge’s older brother is actor Edwin Hodge. Most recently, Hodge expressed interest in starring in an upcoming Black Panther film. Isn’t he a stunner?
Gorgeous, chocolate hunk Jason George is best known for playing Michael Bourne on the now-defunct daytime soap Sunset Beach. (If you watched it, you’re already smiling!) Most recently, he wooed actress Chandra Wilson’s chracter, no-nonsense surgeon Miranda Bailey, on Grey’s Anatomy. Is the doctor in? It’s starting to feel a little hot in here.
Handsome thespian Anthony Mackie kickstarted his acting career playing Don Cheadle’s understudy in the smash hit broadway play Topdog/Underdog. Since then, he has had critically-acclaimed starring turns in Spike Lee’s She Hate Me and the Notorious B.I.G biopic, Notorious, in which he played rapper Tupac Shakur. Up next, he’s been tapped to play Falcon in the Marvel Studios sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Mackie owns a bar in Brooklyn called NoBar, so if you’re ever in town, be sure to stop in and have a drink.
Dreamy actor Robert Ri’chard’s first big roles were on UPN sitcom One on One and Nickeloden sitcom Cousin Skeeter. Now, sci-fi lovers can catch his work weekly on The Vampire Diaries on The CW. Need a break from the hustle and bustle of the work week? Tune in — we can’t think of a better distraction.
If Michael B. Jordan looks more than familiar, it’s for good reason: He played a drug dealer on HBO’s critically accalimed crime-drama The Wire, Reggie Montgomery on daytime soap opera All My Children and quarterback Vince Howard on Friday Night Lights. Earlier this year, he joined the sexy cast of young, talented brothers who starred in Red Tails. This brother isn’t short on talent or swag. What more could we ask for?
New Jersey native Dorian Missick was first discovered in an acting class and cast to star in a Coca-Cola commercial. He later auditioned for the role of Antwone Fisher but wound up losing out to actor Derek Luke. But it wasn’t all bad news: His meeting with Antwone Fisher director Denzel Washington led to him being cast in The Manchurian Candidate. He was later cast in Lucky Number Slevin and co-starred in Premium with Zoe Saldana.
The ever-so-talented Mehcad Brooks models and acts, ladies. He first captured our hearts as a Calvin Klein model who we hoped would never put on clothes again, but he continued to impress with roles on HBO’s True Blood, Desperate Housewives, The Game and in the film Just Wright, in which he starred alongside Common and Queen Latifah. These days he’s holding things down over on the USA network, where he stars on the series Neccesary Roughness. Tune in, ladies!
Actor James Lesure is definitely one of the hottest bachelors on television. Currently starring in the popular sitcom Men at Work on TBS, the charismatic leading man has kept very busy since launching his acting career in 1995. You may have seen him in Las Vegas, For Your Love, The New Adventures of Old Christine, The Cosby Show and Seinfeld.
By now, we all know Kerry Washington’s character “Olivia Pope is dope” on Scandal, but it would be a crime all in itself not to mention actor Columbus Short’s amazing work with Harrison Wright, Pope’s right-hand man. He exudes charisma and charm in every scene — many of which he’s effortlessly stealing these days.
Grown and sexy actor Jeffrey Wright began his career off-Broadway in New York City. His critically-acclaimed portrayal of a gay nurse in the Broadway play Angels In America earned him a Tony award. You’ve seen him pull off compelling performances in The Ides of March, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Source Code. Look out for his next big screen role in the 2013 sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Actor Jon Michael Hill’s acting career began just five years ago, and his star is quickly rising. Presently, he stars on CBS’s crime drama Elementary in which he stars alongside Lucy Liu and plays a rookie police detective who works side-by-side with a modern day Sherlock Holmes-type investigator.
Lee Thompson Young rose to stardom as a teen in the starring role on Disney’s series The Famous Jet Jackson, but ladies, he’s all grown up now. Now 28, Young has popped up all over our TVs, and we must admit, we’re loving what we’ve been seeing. He now stars on Rizzoli and Isles on TNT, and trust us, you’ll want to tune in.
British-born Nigerian actor David Oyelowo is a real scene-stealer. Admit it, you know this face. You’ve seen him rule the screen in films like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Help and Red Tails. He most recently starred in indie film Middle of Nowhere and big budget period film Lincoln. Up next, catch the handsome Aries in the upcoming film Jack Reacher, co-starring alongside Tom Cruise.
You may remember Damon Wayans Jr. starring has John on his father’s sitcom My Wife and Kids, but did you know the talented, young actor was a staff writer then too? A comedian at heart, Wayans Jr. brings his funny charm and sexy star to both the big and small screens. After starring in the 2009 Wayans brothers’ spoof film, Dance Flick, in 2011 Wayans Jr. landed a series regular role on ABC’s Happy Endings playing Brad Williams. Although the role cost him a spot on FOX’s New Girl, both Wayans Jr. and his character Williams are still going strong on the second season of Happy Endings, airing now.
Actor Michael K. Williams’ chilling turn as renegade criminal Omar on HBO’s The Wire was his big breakout role. It led to his latest series regular gig on the network’s next big hit, Boardwalk Empire. He plays gang leader Chalky White, who rules the Black side of town in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era. Even if period shows aren’t for you, who can resist a weeky history lesson from Williams? Sign us up!
Are you a TV junkie? If so, then actor Brandon Scott should look familiar. He’s had small roles on lots of shows, each time making it nearly impossible to miss this face. He played Dr. Ryan Spalding for 15 episodes on Grey’s Anatomy, voiced a character in the new animated film Wreck it Ralph and apepared on Bones, Cold Case, CSI: NY, Law and Order and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Wood Harris’ breakout moment came when he was cast as Avon Barksdale on HBO’s The Wire. (Although he first caught our eye when he starred in Remember the Titans.) Once the show ended, Wood moved on to do more movies (Next Day Air) and guest parts on other shows you love — Southland, House, Hawaii Five-O. We’re looking forward to seeing him as a series regular again real soon. Who’s your favorite underrated actor? If we missed one, tell us about him below!