# Richard Brooks (actor)

Richard L. Brooks (born December 9, 1962) is an American actor, singer, and director. He played the eccentric bounty hunter Jubal Early in the space-western Firefly and assistant district attorney Paul Robinette in the NBC drama series Law & Order from 1990 to 1993, later appearing as a defense attorney on that same show. In 2013, he began starring as Patrick Patterson in the BET drama series, Being Mary Jane.

## Early life

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brooks studied acting, dance, and voice work at Interlochen Academy of Arts in Michigan. Later, he moved to New York City and was a student of the Circle in the Square Professional Theater School.

## Career

While in New York, Brooks performed in the Eugene O'Neill Theater Conference production of August Wilson's Fences, which gained him a positive reputation. A subsequent move to Los Angeles found the actor landing television roles in Hill Street Blues and The Russians Are Coming, along with made-for-TV features such as Badge of the Assassin (1985) and Resting Place (1986). With Teen Wolf (1985), The Hidden (1987), Off Limits (1988), Shakedown (1988), and Shocker (1989), Brooks began his work in the world of feature films. Brooks appeared as OD in the award-winning film 84C MoPic (1989), directed by Patrick Sheane Duncan.
Throughout the 1990s, most of his popularity came from his widespread exposure in his role as Paul Robinette on Law & Order. His roles alternated between feature films, television, and the stage. After appearing in The Substitute and playing the villain in The Crow: City of Angels (both 1996), Brooks opted to try his hand at directing, and the result was Johnny B Good (1998). It is about a young, urban black man who makes a positive change after suffering amnesia. Brooks returned to television for the short-lived series G vs E in 1999. In 2001, he made a guest appearance in NYPD Blue. Brooks' performance on Joss Whedon's Firefly as bounty hunter Jubal Early in the existentialist series finale "Objects in Space" gained him many fans. He also appeared as Hasdrabul Skaras in "Slayer", the fifth episode of the series Brimstone and as Detective Ehrle in the short-lived Fox series Drive, alongside Nathan Fillion, with whom Brooks had worked on Firefly.
Brooks founded his own production company, Flat Top Entertainment LLC. At the dawn of the millennium, Brooks released his first solo R&B album, Smooth Love, on Flat Top Records.
In March 2011, Brooks played the role of Harmond Wilkes in Radio Golf, written by August Wilson, at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, New York. He played Frederick Douglass in the 2013 PBS series The Abolitionists.
Brooks starred as Patrick in the BET original series Being Mary Jane. It premiered July 2, 2013. He starred as Lead Marshal Pollack in Person of Interest, season 3, "The Devil's Share". He played Warden Gregory Wolfe in season 4 of The Flash, and Dwight Wise in Seasons 5 and 6 of the show Bosch. Brooks played Augustus Barringer on the UMC network comedy The Rich and the Ruthless (2017–2021).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | With Intent to Kill | Eddie Cox | TV movie |
| 1985 | Teen Wolf | Lemonade | |
| 1985 | Badge of the Assassin | Anthony "Tony" Bottom | TV movie |
| 1986 | Resting Place | Booker T. Douglas | TV movie |
| 1986 | Good to Go | Chemist | |
| 1987 | A Special Friendship | Matt Bowser | TV movie |
| 1987 | The Hidden | Sanchez | |
| 1988 | Saxo | Joe | |
| 1988 | Off Limits | Preacher | |
| 1988 | Shakedown | Michael Jones | |
| 1989 | Terror on Highway 91 | - | TV movie |
| 1989 | 84C MoPic | OD | |
| 1989 | Shocker | Rhino | |
| 1989 | The Neon Empire | Tampa | TV movie |
| 1990 | To Sleep with Anger | Babe Brother | |
| 1992 | Memphis | Eben Kinship | TV movie |
| 1995 | Chameleon | Tom Wilson | |
| 1996 | Black Rose of Harlem | Yancey | |
| 1996 | The Substitute | Wellman | |
| 1996 | The Crow: City of Angels | Judah Earl | |
| 1996 | Code Name: Wolverine | Special Agent John Baines | TV movie |
| 1998 | The Wedding | Lincoln Odis | TV movie |
| 1998 | Johnny B Good | - | |
| 1998 | The Adventures of Ragtime | Agent Dooley | |
| 1998 | Acid Rain | - | |
| 1999 | In Too Deep | Wesley | |
| 2004 | Lexie | Ricardo French | Video |
| 2006 | Spy Games: The Black Wolf Hunt | - | TV movie |
| 2009 | Dough Boys | Detective Nichols | |
| 2010 | Who Da Man? | Dante | Short |
| 2011 | In My Pocket | Dr. Barry | |
| 2013 | Officer Down | McAlister's Lawyer | |
| 2015 | The Sin Seer | Jake Ballard | |
| 2016 | You Can't Hurry Love | Pastor Avery | TV movie |
| 2020 | Noah's Arc: The 'Rona Chronicles | Wade's Dad | Short |
| 2020 | Troubled Waters | Floyd Cash | |
| 2020 | Steele Justice | Alex | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Hill Street Blues | Tyrone Crane | Episode: "The Russians Are Coming" |
| 1988 | Spenser: For Hire | Robert | Episode: "The Siege" |
| 1989 | Tour of Duty | Private First Class Marsten | Episode: "True Grit" |
| 1989 | Almost Grown | Curtis | Episode: "Jersey Blues" |
| 1990–2006 | Law & Order | Paul Robinette | Main Cast: Season 1-3, guest: Season 6 & 16-17 |
| 1994 | ER | Mr. Freeman | Episode: "Chicago Heat" |
| 1994 | Chicago Hope | Henry Lavelle | Episode: "Shutt Down" |
| 1994 | Diagnosis: Murder | Mercury "The Heat" Jones | Episode: "Standing Eight Count" |
| 1995 | Renegade | Barry | Episode: "Repo Raines" |
| 1997 | Nash Bridges | Max Moore | Episode: "Found Money" |
| 1997 | Renegade | Agent Marcus Donner | Episode: "Top Ten with a Bullet" |
| 1998 | Brimstone | Hasdrabul Skaras | Episode: "Slayer" |
| 1998 | NYPD Blue | Everette McRae | Episode: "Hammer Time" |
| 1999 | WWE Raw | Henry McNeil | Episode: "Rebellion Results" |
| 1999 | Judging Amy | Mr. Plymouth | Episode: "Presumed Innocent" |
| 1999–2000 | G vs E | Henry McNeil | Main Cast |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Captain Eric Knowlton | Episode: "Franco, My Dear, I Don't Give a Damn" |
| 2001 | Dead Last | Tyrell Nitro "TNT" Thompson | Episode: "The Problem with Corruption" |
| 2002 | Firefly | Jubal Early | Episode: "Objects in Space" |
| 2003 | Skin | - | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2003 | NCIS | Lieutenant Colonel Walsh | Episode: "Marine Down" |
| 2006 | Close to Home | Phil Raab | Episode: "Community" |
| 2007 | Drive | Detective Ehrle | Recurring cast |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | Mark Boulware | Episode: "Life is Priceless" |
| 2011 | Childrens Hospital | Robert | Episode: "Father's Day" |
| 2011 | Charlie's Angels | Richard Umbaque | Episode: "Royal Angels" |
| 2013 | American Experience | Frederick Douglass | Episode: "The Abolitionists: Part 1-3" |
| 2013 | Person of Interest | Lead Marshal Pollack | Episode: "The Devil's Share" |
| 2013–19 | Being Mary Jane | Patrick Patterson | Main Cast |
| 2015 | Elementary | Detective Demps | Episode: "For All You Know" |
| 2016 | The Good Wife | Ace Barnstone | Episode: "Targets" |
| 2017 | Chicago Justice | Defense Attorney Paul Robinette | Episode: "Uncertainty Principle" |
| 2017–18 | The Flash | Warden Gregory Wolfe | Recurring cast: Season 4 |
| 2017–21 | The Rich and the Ruthless | Augustus Barringer | Main Cast |
| 2018–19 | Jacqueline and Jilly | Magnus Mitchell | Main Cast |
| 2019 | The Blacklist | Mitchell Young | Episode: "Olivia Olson (No. 115)" |
| 2019 | All Rise | Assistant Chief Jack Healy | Episodes: "Pilot" & "A View from the Bus" |
| 2019–20 | Bosch | Dwight Wise | Recurring cast: Season 5-6 |
| 2019–21 | Good Trouble | Joseph | Recurring cast: Season 2-3 |
| 2020 | The Haves and the Have Nots | Al | Recurring cast: Season 7, guest: Season 8 |
| 2021 | Chicago P.D. | Lieutenant Mike Carey | Episode: "Tender Age" |
| 2021 | Shameless Hall of Shame | Big Liam | Episode: "Frank: Ghosts of Gallagher Past" |
| 2022 | Abbott Elementary | Gerald | Episode: "Gifted Program" |
| 2022 | 9-1-1 | Chief Simpson | 5 episodes |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2018 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series | The Rich and the Ruthless | Nominated |