Rockmond Dunbar

Born into a world brimming with diverse cultures on January 11, 1973, in Berkeley, California, Dunbar’s heritage traces back to the Yoruba people of Nigeria. His educational path was one of exploration and discovery, beginning with his time at Oakland Technical High School, followed by studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Pursuing his passion for acting, he honed his craft at Santa Fe College in Florida and later at the University of New Mexico, laying the groundwork for what would become a distinguished acting career.

Rockmond Dunbar first found himself on a film set in 1993, appearing in the Canadian movie “Misery Loves Company.” Right after, he landed a regular role in the sci-fi series “Earth 2.” At the same time, Dunbar continued to audition for other roles. By the end of the 1990s, he had appeared in projects such as “Good News,” “The Practice,” “The Pretender,” and “Two Guys and a Girl.”

In 2000, Rockmond Dunbar starred in the feature film “Punks.” That same year, he received a leading role in the series “Soul Food,” which aired on Showtime from 2000 to 2004. The series, based on the eponymous film, tells the story of the African American Joseph family from Chicago. Rockmond played Kenny Chadway and was well-remembered by audiences in this role.

Between 2003 and 2004, Dunbar played a recurring guest role in the comedy series “Girlfriends.” Around the same time, he tried his hand at directing for the first time, presenting the dramatic film “The Great Commission.” In 2005, Dunbar appeared in the crime comedy “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” His co-stars in this film were Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Larry Miller, and Michelle Monaghan.

Soon, Dunbar’s filmography was enriched with a new regular role in the series “Prison Break.” The plot revolves around two brothers, one of whom commits a fake crime and goes to jail to save the other from the death penalty. It is believed that this dramatic story made it fashionable to watch series in Russia. Dunbar played the inmate Benjamin Miles “C-Note” Franklin.

Shooting in “Prison Break” made Dunbar more recognizable. Right after, he joined the main cast of the medical drama “Heartland.” At the same time, he was invited for guest roles in series such as “Shark,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “CSI: Miami.” In 2008, he appeared in Tyler Perry’s film “The Family That Preys” alongside Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates as the heads of two families.

In 2009, Rockmond Dunbar presented his new directorial work “Pastor Brown.” Soon after, he appeared with an episodic role as Pookie in the series “The Game,” and from the 5th season, joined the main cast of the series, remaining until the project ended in 2015. Concurrently, Dunbar appeared as detective Mark Gustafson in the plot center of the series “Terriers.”

From 2011 to 2013, Dunbar played a recurring secondary role in the series “Sons of Anarchy.” He also starred in the comedy project “For Richer or Poorer” alongside Maya Gilbert. Rockmond Dunbar continued to appear in television films that did not gain much popularity. However, in 2013, he was cast in the main role of FBI agent Dennis Abbott in the series “The Mentalist.”

In 2016–2017, Rockmond Dunbar again played a detective in the series “The Path,” created by Jessica Goldberg and Aaron Paul. Later, he received a recurring role in the series “Scorpion,” based on the real-life events of computer genius Walter O’Brien. In 2017, the miniseries “Prison Break: Resurrection” was released, in which the actor reprised his familiar role as C-Note.

Rockmond Dunbar had the chance to work alongside Johnny Depp during the filming of the crime drama “City of Lies” in 2018. The film is about the investigation into the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. At the same time, the actor landed a leading role in the thriller “Edge of Fear.” From 2018 to 2021, Dunbar was part of the main cast of the police series “9-1-1.” He also appeared in the documentary project “Aftershock.”

Rockmond Dunbar was married to Ivy Holmes from 2003 to 2006. After their divorce, he met and quickly became engaged to actress Maya Gilbert. They married in June 2013 in a ceremony held in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The couple now has four children; their eldest daughter, Berkeley, is nearly 10 years old, while their youngest son, Sultan, has not yet turned four.

Rockmond Dunbar continues his career. In 2022, he was involved in the plot center of the crime drama “The Waterboyz” and the thriller “Red Winter.” Along with his wife, Dunbar is working on the screenplay for their own horror film titled “The Rearing” about a family trying to recover after an earthquake. The actor himself has admitted to experiencing several earthquakes in his youth and finds the theme appealing.”