1. Overview
Harold Perrineau (born August 7, 1963) is an American actor widely recognized for his significant contributions across film, television, and theatre. His career highlights include a breakout role in the independent film Smoke, his portrayal of Mercutio in Romeo + Juliet, and his role as Link in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. On television, he is well-known for his roles as Augustus Hill in the HBO prison drama Oz, Michael Dawson in the ABC series Lost, and Sheriff Boyd Stevens in the MGM+ horror series From. Perrineau has also lent his voice to animated series and video games, and has pursued a music career.
2. Early Life
Harold Perrineau was born on August 7, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York City. His parents, Harold Williams Sr. and Sylvia Perrineau, were not married. As a child, his parents changed his surname to Williams, but he later reverted to Perrineau when he discovered there was already an actor named Harold Williams registered with the Screen Actors Guild. He then began using "Harold Perrineau Jr." as a stage name, though "Harold Perrineau Sr." does not formally exist, as it was a way to honor his father's name. He later legally changed his birth name back to Harold Perrineau.
Perrineau pursued his artistic passions by studying music and theater in New York. He also trained as a dancer, which led him to perform in several stage productions, notably an early role in the musical adaptation of Fame. He attended Shenandoah University and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
3. Career
Harold Perrineau has built an extensive and diverse career spanning stage, film, television, voice acting, and music, showcasing his versatility and dedication to various forms of artistic expression.
3.1. Stage Career
Perrineau's early career began in theatre. In 1989, he originated the role of Tyrone Jackson in the world premiere of the stage adaptation of the 1980 film Fame, later known as Fame: The Musical, at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He made his Broadway debut in 2016 in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Anton Chekov's classic play, The Cherry Orchard, which was adapted by Stephen Karam. In this production, Perrineau played the role of Lopakhin, starring opposite Diane Lane, who portrayed Ranevskaya. The play ran from September to December 4, 2016.
3.2. Film Career
Perrineau's film career spans a wide range of genres and roles. His breakout performance came in the 1995 independent film Smoke, where he played Thomas "Rashid" Cole, earning him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. The following year, he starred as Mercutio in Baz Luhrmann's modern adaptation of Romeo + Juliet (1996).
He is widely known for his role as Link, the operator, in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003. He was cast in this role after the original operator character, Tank, was written out of the script. Other notable film appearances include Blood and Wine (1996), The Edge (1997), Lulu on the Bridge (1998), The Best Man (1999), and its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013). He also appeared in Woman on Top (2000), the horror sequel 28 Weeks Later (2007), Felon (2008), 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010), Seeking Justice (2011), the crime thriller Transit (2012), and the critically acclaimed Zero Dark Thirty (2012). In 2014, he featured in the action thriller Sabotage.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Shakedown | Tommie | |
| 1990 | King of New York | Thug Leader | |
| 1991 | Out for Justice | King's Henchman (uncredited) | |
| 1995 | Smoke | Thomas "Rashid" Cole | |
| Flirt | Men's Room Man 1# | ||
| 1996 | Blood and Wine | Henry | |
| Romeo + Juliet | Mercutio | ||
| 1997 | The Edge | Steve | |
| 1998 | Lulu on the Bridge | Bobby Perez | |
| Come to | Joseph | Short | |
| 1999 | A Day in Black and White | Black Man | |
| Macbeth in Manhattan | Chorus | ||
| The Best Man | Julian Murch | ||
| 2000 | Woman on Top | Monica Jones | |
| Overnight Sensation | Experienced PA | ||
| 2001 | Prison Song | Uncle Cee | |
| 2002 | On Line | Moe Curley | |
| 2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Link | |
| The Matrix Revolutions | Link | ||
| 2007 | 28 Weeks Later | Flynn | |
| Garfield Gets Real | Husband | Voice, video | |
| 2008 | Gardens of the Night | Orlando | |
| Ball Don't Lie | Jimmy | ||
| Your Name Here | Richard Roundtree | ||
| Felon | Lieutenant Bill Jackson | ||
| 2010 | The Killing Jar | John Smith | |
| Case 219 | Franklyn Bonner | ||
| 30 Days of Night: Dark Days | Todd | Video | |
| 2011 | Seeking Justice | Jimmy | |
| 2012 | Transit | Losada | |
| Sunset Stories | Harold | ||
| Taking the Edge Off | - | Short | |
| Zero Dark Thirty | Jack | ||
| 2013 | Snitch | Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Steele | |
| Go for Sisters | Wiley | ||
| Sexy Evil Genius | Marvin Coolidge | Video | |
| The Best Man Holiday | Julian Murch | ||
| The Championship Rounds | Darryl | Short | |
| 2014 | Sabotage | Investigator Darius Jackson | |
| 2015 | Meet Me at a Funeral | Jeffrey | Short |
| 2016 | #FoundingFathers | - | Short |
| 2017 | Stephanie | Leader | |
| The Bachelors | Dr. Rollens | ||
| I'm Not Here | Santana | ||
| 2018 | Virginia Minnesota | Mister | Voice |
| Cold Brook | Gil Le Deux | ||
| Dumplin' | Lee Wayne / Rhea Ranged | ||
| 2022 | Without Ward | Lord Voraz Esquire |
3.3. Television Career
Perrineau has had a prolific career in television, with several iconic roles. From 1997 to 2003, he starred as Augustus Hill, the wheelchair-bound narrator and inmate in the critically acclaimed HBO prison drama Oz.
He gained widespread recognition for his role as Michael Dawson in the ABC hit series Lost, appearing from 2004 to 2010. His character was temporarily written off the show when he left the island with his son at the end of season two. However, he returned as a main cast member for the show's fourth season, and made a guest appearance in the sixth and final season. Discussions surrounding the show's production later highlighted allegations of a toxic workplace culture during its run.
Since 2022, Perrineau has starred as Sheriff Boyd Stevens in the MGM+ horror series From.
His other notable television credits include a recurring role as Robert Evans in I'll Fly Away (1991-1993), an appearance in ER (1997), and his portrayal of Ariel in the TV movie The Tempest (1998). He played Detective Leo Banks in the 2009 ABC comedy-drama The Unusuals and appeared in CSI: NY (2010). In 2012, he was cast as Damon Pope, the main antagonist of season 5 of the popular series Sons of Anarchy. From 2012 to 2013, he starred as Stevie, the bass player, in the TBS comedy Wedding Band.
Perrineau also portrayed Manny, an angelic messenger, in Constantine (2014-2015), a television series based on the DC Comics character John Constantine. In 2016, he co-starred as Judge Reston Keller in the Amazon Studios legal series Goliath. From 2017 to 2022, he played Dean Simms, a character on the autism spectrum and the brother of Desna, in TNT's Claws. For his performance in Claws, he received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 51st NAACP Image Awards. He also had a recurring role as police officer Nick Armstrong on The Rookie for most of season 2 and as a guest in season 3 (2019-2021). In November 2022, Harold Perrineau signed with Independent Artist Group for representation.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-1987 | Fame | Fame Dancer | Recurring role (season 6) |
| 1989 | The Cosby Show | Scott | Episode: "The Dead End Kids Meet Dr. Lotus" |
| 1990 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Curtis | Episode: "Flour Babies" |
| Law & Order | Jordan Hill | Episode: "Out of the Half-Light" | |
| 1991 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Singer | Episode: "Here's a Neat Way to Tie Up the Loose Ends" |
| 1991-1993 | I'll Fly Away | Robert Evans | Recurring role |
| 1993 | Law & Order | Kenny Rinker | Episode: "Virus" |
| 1994 | The Cosby Mysteries | Junior Vansen | Episode: "Camouflage" |
| 1995 | New York News | Benny | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | ER | Isaac Price | Episode: "Freak Show" |
| Living Single | Walter Jackson | Episode: "Forgive Us Our Trespasses" | |
| 1997-2003 | Oz | Augustus Hill | Main role |
| 1998 | The Tempest | Ariel | TV movie |
| 1999 | Saturday Night Live | Augustus Hill | Episode: "Jerry Seinfeld/David Bowie" |
| 2003 | Spider-Man: The New Animated Series | Louis Wyler/Turbo Jet | Voice, episode: "Heroes and Villains" |
| Dead Like Me | Aroun Levert | Episode: "Rest in Peace" | |
| 2004-2010 | Lost | Michael Dawson | Main role (seasons 1-2 & 4; guest: season 6) |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Reverend Rhodes | Episode: "Go to Hell" |
| Demons | Mitch | TV movie | |
| 2009 | The Unusuals | Detective Leo Banks | Main role |
| 2010 | CSI: NY | Reggie Tifford | Episode: "Redemption" |
| The Whole Truth | Paul Braun | Episode: "Uncanny" | |
| 2012 | Marvel Anime: Blade | Blade | Voice, main role |
| Phineas and Ferb | Additional Voices | Episode: "Where's Perry?" | |
| Georgia | Michael | Main role | |
| Sons of Anarchy | Damon Pope | Recurring role (season 5) | |
| 2012-2013 | Wedding Band | Stevie | Main role |
| 2013 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Brian Tremore | Episode: "Secrets Exhumed" |
| 2014 | HitRecord on TV | Himself | Episode: "The Edge of Space" |
| Growing Up Fisher | Fred | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Z Nation | Lieutenant Hammond | Episode: "Puppies And Kittens" | |
| Newsreaders | Harold Perrineau | Episode: "F- Dancing, Are You Decent?" | |
| 2014-2015 | Constantine | Manny | Main role |
| 2016 | The Mysteries of Laura | Charles Baptiste | Episode: "The Mystery of the Morning Jog" |
| Goliath | Judge Reston Keller | Recurring role (season 1) | |
| Full Circle | Damon Houserman | Main role (season 3) | |
| Poor Richard's Almanack | Matt | TV movie | |
| 2017 | Criminal Minds | Calvin Shaw | Recurring role (season 12) |
| 2017-2022 | Claws | Dean Simms | Main role |
| 2018-2019 | Star | Bobby Brooks | Recurring role (season 3) |
| 2019-2021 | The Rookie | Nick Armstrong | Recurring role (seasons 2-3) |
| 2020 | The Good Doctor | Wes Keeler | Episode: "Fixation" |
| 2022-present | From | Boyd Stevens | Main role |
| 2022 | The Best Man: The Final Chapters | Julian "Murch" Murchison | Main role |
3.4. Voice Acting Career
Perrineau has also contributed his voice to various animated projects and video games. In 2012, he voiced the title character `Blade` in Marvel's Blade anime series, which aired on G4. He reprised his live-action role of Link by providing the character's voice for the video games Enter the Matrix (2003) and The Matrix Online (2004). His other voice roles include the Husband in the 2007 direct-to-video animated film Garfield Gets Real and additional voices for the animated series Phineas and Ferb in 2012.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Enter the Matrix | Link | Voice |
| 2004 | The Matrix Online | Link | Voice |
3.5. Music Career
Beyond acting, Perrineau has pursued a career in music. He released his debut single, "Stay Strong," in 2007. He subsequently collaborated with music producer Tomo in der Muhlen, also known as DJ Tomo Tom Tom, on his debut album, Seeker. The first single from the album, "Moving On," was released on October 15, 2011.
Perrineau also performs live with a full band, typically consisting of two guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards. He has performed at various venues, including the Los Angeles club The Mint in April 2010. Additionally, he has appeared in music videos for other artists, including MKTO's "Thank You" and J. Cole's "She Knows," as well as the 2008 music video "Yes We Can".
4. Personal Life
Harold Perrineau is married to Brittany Robinson, who is a former actress and model. They wed in 2002. The couple has three daughters, including actress Aurora Perrineau. Their other daughters are named Holiday Grace and a second daughter born in 2008.
5. Awards and Nominations
Perrineau has received several awards and nominations throughout his career, recognizing his performances in film and television.
| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Independent Spirit Awards | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male | Smoke | Nominated |
| 2000 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | The Best Man | Nominated |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Lost | Nominated |
| 2020 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Claws | Won |
| 2022 | Saturn Awards | Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Network or Cable Television Series | From | Nominated |