Erik King
Encyclopedia
Erik King is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sgt. Doakes on Showtime's television series Dexter
.
, where he won a varsity letter
in track and field
and graduated summa cum laude. For his honors thesis, he adapted the 1985 film Krush Groove
as a stage musical
. Erik's father was a policeman. King survived a serious auto accident that threatened to end his acting career early.
, NYPD Blue
and JAG
. He appeared as Moses Deyell
in HBO's television series Oz
. Other episodic work includes Malcolm In The Middle
, Charmed
and CSI: Miami
. King appeared on The District
as Travis Hayward, as well as CBS
' Touched by an Angel
.
King has appeared in multiple feature films, including the adventure film National Treasure
and the thriller Desperate Measures.
King's prominence rose with his role as police detective James Doakes in the Showtime TV series Dexter
. He starred in 24 episodes from the pilot
in 2006 to the last episode of Season 2 in 2007. For his portrayal as the main antagonist of the show, he received a Saturn Award
nomination in 2008 for Best Supporting Actor on Television. He said of his role that:
He is the spokesman for Michelin
's new HydroEdge line of tires.
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
.
Early life
King attended Morehouse CollegeMorehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
, where he won a varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and graduated summa cum laude. For his honors thesis, he adapted the 1985 film Krush Groove
Krush Groove
Krush Groove is a 1985 Warner Bros. film, written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz . This film is based on the early days of Def Jam Recordings and up-and-coming record producer Russell Simmons , portrayed by Blair Underwood in his feature film debut...
as a stage musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Erik's father was a policeman. King survived a serious auto accident that threatened to end his acting career early.
Career
Early roles for King were in TV series such as MatlockMatlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
, NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
and JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
. He appeared as Moses Deyell
Moses Deyell
Moses Deyell is a character in HBO's 1997-2003 drama Oz played by Erik King. Deyell appeared in episodes from 2000 to 2001."Prisoner 00D718. Convicted February 3, 2000 - Two counts of murder in the first degree...
in HBO's television series Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
. Other episodic work includes Malcolm In The Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
, Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
and CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
. King appeared on The District
The District
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...
as Travis Hayward, as well as CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
.
King has appeared in multiple feature films, including the adventure film National Treasure
National Treasure (film)
National Treasure is a 2004 mystery adventure heist film from the Walt Disney Studios under Walt Disney Pictures. It was written by Jim Kouf, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and directed by Jon Turteltaub...
and the thriller Desperate Measures.
King's prominence rose with his role as police detective James Doakes in the Showtime TV series Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
. He starred in 24 episodes from the pilot
Dexter (episode)
"Dexter", or "Pilot", is the pilot and first episode of the first season of American television drama series Dexter, which premiered on October 1, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode was written by developer James Manos, Jr. and directed by Michael Cuesta. It was based on the opening...
in 2006 to the last episode of Season 2 in 2007. For his portrayal as the main antagonist of the show, he received a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
nomination in 2008 for Best Supporting Actor on Television. He said of his role that:
What I love about Sgt. Doakes is that when you run into a cop, a lot of them are fair, even-minded guys; but there are a lot of guys who are hard-asses and I love the fact that I get to play it.
He is the spokesman for Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
's new HydroEdge line of tires.
Filmography
- Kennedy (1983) — Young Black Man
- Prettykill (1987) — Sullivan
- Street SmartStreet Smart (1987 film)Street Smart is a film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Christopher Reeve, Morgan Freeman and Kathy Baker.-Plot:Magazine reporter Jonathan Fisher , in danger of losing his job, promises to write a hard-hitting story on prostitution...
(1987) — Reggie - Casualties of WarCasualties of WarCasualties of War is a 1989 war drama directed by Brian De Palma, with a screenplay by David Rabe, based on the actual events of the incident on Hill 192 in 1966 during the Vietnam War. It starred Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn....
(1989) — Cpl. Brown - A Man Called HawkA Man Called HawkA Man Called Hawk is a prime time television series that ran on the ABC television network between January 1989 and May 1989. The series was a spin-off of the crime drama series Spenser: For Hire, and features the character Hawk, who first appeared in the 1976 novel Promised Land, the fourth in...
— Street Brother - Babycakes (1989) (TV)
- House PartyHouse partyA house party in the English-speaking world is typically a type of party where medium to large groups of people gather at the residence of the party's host. In modern usage, a house party is typically associated with teenage or young adult crowds, loud music, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol...
(1990) - Cadillac ManCadillac ManCadillac Man is a 1990 comedy film starring Robin Williams and Tim Robbins.-Plot:Brooklyn car salesman Joey O'Brien must deal with the ever-increasing pressures in his life: he has an ex-wife demanding alimony, a daughter who's missing, a married mistress and a single mistress who are both...
(1990) — Davey - Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
— Dorian Ford - Sunset Beat (1990) — Tucson Smith
- Golden Years (1991) — Burton
- The Round TableThe Round Table (TV series)The Round Table is an American television series that aired on NBC on friday nights from September 18, 1992 to October 16, 1992.The 1992 TV-series The Round Table set in Washington D.C. focused on the lives of a group of 20-30 youths who frequently met at the bar The Round Table...
(1992) — Wade Carter - Stay Tuned (1992) — Pierce
- Missing PersonsMissing Persons (TV series)Missing Persons is an American television show set in Chicago. The show is about a fictitious missing persons unit. Each episode usually following the investigation into three or more cases....
(1993) — Bobby Davison - Joey BreakerJoey BreakerJoey Breaker is a 1993 American romance film starring Richard Edson and Cedella Marley. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Erik King also appear in the movie. The movie contains some autobiographical elements of its writer and director Steven Starr.-Plot:...
(1993) — Hip Hop Hank - The PickleThe PickleThe Pickle is a 1993 film produced, written, and directed by Paul Mazursky, telling the story of a formerly powerful film director whose recent string of flops has forced him to make a commercial piece that is artistically uninspired...
(1993) — Man with Beer - House PartyHouse partyA house party in the English-speaking world is typically a type of party where medium to large groups of people gather at the residence of the party's host. In modern usage, a house party is typically associated with teenage or young adult crowds, loud music, dancing, and the consumption of alcohol...
(1998) - QueenQueen: The Story of an American FamilyQueen: The Story of an American Family is a 1993 partly factual historical novel by Alex Haley and David Stevens. It brought back to the consciousness of many White Americans the plight of the children of the plantation: the offspring of black slave women and their white masters, who were legally...
(1993) - M.A.N.T.I.S.M.A.N.T.I.S.M.A.N.T.I.S. is an American Science fiction television series that aired for one season on the Fox Network between August 1994 and March 1995. The original two-hour pilot was produced by Sam Raimi and developed by Sam Hamm. It stars actor Carl Lumbly. The show is unique in that it depicts an...
— Justin Battle - The WatcherThe Watcher (TV series)The Watcher is an American anthology drama series that premiered on UPN in January 1995, during the network's inaugural season.-Synopsis:Set in Las Vegas, the series stars rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot as "The Watcher", an omniscient narrator who watches the activities of others via surveillance monitors in...
- MatlockMatlock (TV series)Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
— Ron Jaffe - The InvadersThe InvadersThe Invaders, a Quinn Martin Production , is an ABC science fiction television program created by Larry Cohen that ran in the United States for two seasons, from January 10, 1967 to March 26, 1968...
(1995) - Diagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: MurderDiagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
— Tommy Brackett - Kindred: The EmbracedKindred: The EmbracedKindred: The Embraced is an American television series produced by John Leekley Productions and Spelling Television. Loosely based on the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, the series premiered on Fox on April 2, 1996, and ran for eight episodes before it was canceled on May 9, 1996. The...
(1996) — Sonny Toussaint - NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
— Billy Stubbs - JAGJAG (TV series)JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
— Capt. Henry Banes - An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood BurnAn Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood BurnAn Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was made in 1997 and released in 1998. It was regarded as one of the worst films of all time, and scooped five awards at the 1998 Golden Raspberry Awards. The film had an estimated budget of $10,000,000 and grossed at least $52,850...
(1998) — Wayne Jackson - Desperate Measures (1998) — Nate Oliver
- Any Day Now — Reggie Rhodes
- Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1999)
- Atomic TrainAtomic TrainAtomic Train is a 1999 action-thriller film about an accidental nuclear explosion destroying the city of Denver. It was originally broadcast on NBC as a two-part miniseries.-Cast:*Rob Lowe as John Seger*Kristin Davis as Megan Seger...
(1999) — Beau Randall - True CrimeTrue Crime (1999 film)True Crime is a 1999 American mystery drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, and based on Andrew Klavan's 1997 novel of the same name. Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.-Plot:Steve...
(1999) — Pussy Man/Santa Clause - Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at HerThings You Can Tell Just by Looking at HerThings You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is a film written and directed by Rodrigo García starring an ensemble cast. Garcías debut film was shown at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and won the Un Certain Regard Award...
(2000) — Police Officer - OzOz (TV series)Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
— Moses Deyell - The DistrictThe DistrictThe District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...
— Travis Haywood - Touched by an AngelTouched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
— Kevin Carter - CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
— Detective Fenwick - The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
— Lenny - CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
— Dex (1 episode, 2003) - Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
— Agent Stone - The DivisionThe DivisionThe Division is an American Lifetime Television original series about a team of women police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The series premiered on January 7, 2001 and ended on June 28, 2004 after 88 episodes.-Synopsis:...
- National TreasureNational Treasure (film)National Treasure is a 2004 mystery adventure heist film from the Walt Disney Studios under Walt Disney Pictures. It was written by Jim Kouf, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and directed by Jon Turteltaub...
(2004) — Agent Colfax - Ice PrincessIce PrincessIce Princess is a 2005 American figure-skating film directed by Tim Fywell, Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas, and Kirsten Olson...
(2005) — Chip Healey - DexterDexter (TV series)Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
(2006–2007) — Sgt. Doakes - Burn NoticeBurn noticeA burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
(TV series)(2010) — Bolo
External links
- Biography for Erik King at Showtime (archived link)