# Corey Hawkins

Corey Antonio Hawkins (born October 22, 1988) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his role in the TV series The Walking Dead (2015–2016), as well as his portrayal of Dr. Dre in the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, the latter of which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. He's also known for his performances on Broadway starring in Six Degrees of Separation (2017) and Topdog/Underdog (2022), both of which earned him nominations for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
That same year, Hawkins starred in the Fox network series 24: Legacy (2017), along with Jordan Vogt-Roberts' monster film Kong: Skull Island. In 2018, he was featured in Spike Lee's biographical crime-comedy BlacKkKlansman, which earned him a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Hawkins received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award, for his portrayal of Paul in the Quibi series Survive (2020).
His other roles include Michael Bay's action-comedy 6 Underground (2019), Jon M. Chu's musical film In the Heights (2021), and Joel Coen's 2021 historical thriller film The Tragedy of Macbeth. He starred in the 2023 film adaptation of The Color Purple.

## Life and career

Hawkins was born in Washington, D.C., where he was raised by his mother, a police officer. He attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and graduated from the Juilliard School in New York City, a member of the drama division's "Group 40". While studying at Juilliard, Hawkins received the prestigious John Houseman Award for excellence in classical theatre. Upon graduation, he began a career starring Off-Broadway and guest-starring on television. Hawkins garnered a brief role in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 3 and went on to star opposite Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore in Universal Pictures' action-thriller Non-Stop.
In 2013, Hawkins made his Broadway debut as Tybalt in the revival of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, acting alongside Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Owens. In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Hawkins would join the cast of AMC's The Walking Dead as Heath, a key character from Robert Kirkman's comic series. Hawkins played Dr. Dre in the biopic Straight Outta Compton, from Universal Pictures, which was theatrically released on August 14, 2015, and grossed $201 million at the box office.
In 2017, Hawkins began playing a lead role in the 24 reboot 24: Legacy on Fox. Also that year, he co-starred in the film Kong: Skull Island, alongside Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston. In spring 2017, Hawkins played a limited-engagement run on Broadway in the play Six Degrees of Separation opposite Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey. He received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Hawkins performed "God Bless America" for the men's singles final at the 2017 U.S. Open. In January 2024, it was announced that Hawkins would replace Jonathan Majors for The Man In My Basement.

## Filmography
### Film

Key :
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Digital Antiquities | Kai | Short film |
| 2012 | Allegiance | Willie | |
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 | Navy Op | |
| 2014 | Non-Stop | Travis Mitchell | |
| 2014 | Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt | Filmed live performance |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Andre "Dr. Dre" Young | |
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Houston Brooks | |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Stokely Carmichael | |
| 2019 | Georgetown | Daniel Volker | |
| 2019 | 6 Underground | Blaine / Seven | |
| 2021 | In the Heights | Benny | |
| 2021 | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Macduff | |
| 2023 | The Last Voyage of the Demeter | Clemens | |
| 2023 | The Color Purple | Harpo Johnson | |
| 2024 | The Piano Lesson | Avery Brown | |
| 2025 | Crime 101 † | TBA | Filming |
| 2026 | The Odyssey † | TBA | Filming |
| TBA | The Man In My Basement † | Charles Blakey | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Royal Pains | Busboy | Episode: "The Shaw/Hank Redemption" |
| 2013 | Golden Boy | Evander | Episode: "Young Guns" |
| 2015–2016 | The Walking Dead | Heath | Recurring role (seasons 6-7) |
| 2017 | 24: Legacy | Eric Carter | Main role |
| 2020 | Survive | Paul | Main role |

## Theater

| Year | Title | Role | Stage |
| 2011 | Hurt Village | Buggy | Signature Theatre Company |
| 2011 | Suicide Inc | Perry | Roundabout Theatre Company |
| 2013 | Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt | Richard Rodgers Theatre |
| 2017 | Six Degrees of Separation | Paul | Ethel Barrymore Theatre |
| 2022–23 | Topdog/Underdog | Lincoln | John Golden Theatre |

## Awards and nominations

| Association | Year | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
| African-American Film Critics Association Awards | 2015 | Best Ensemble | Straight Outta Compton | Won | |
| African-American Film Critics Association Awards | 2024 | Best Ensemble | The Color Purple | Won | |
| Astra Film and Creative Awards | 2024 | Best Cast Ensemble | The Color Purple | Won | |
| Black Reel Award | 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated | |
| Celebration of Cinema and Television | December 4, 2023 | Ensemble Award – Film | The Color Purple | Won | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Award | 2016 | Best Acting Ensemble | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Award | 2024 | Best Acting Ensemble | The Color Purple | Nominated | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 2016 | Best Ensemble | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | 2024 | Best Ensemble | The Color Purple | Nominated | [23] [24] |
| Hollywood Film Awards | 2015 | Breakout Ensemble Award | Straight Outta Compton | Won | |
| NAACP Image Award | 2015 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Award | 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | The Color Purple | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Award | 2024 | Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | The Color Purple | Won | |
| NAACP Image Award | 2025 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | The Piano Lesson | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Award | 2025 | Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | The Piano Lesson | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Award | 2020 | Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Series | Survive | Nominated | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | 2016 | Best Ensemble | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | 2015 | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | 2018 | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | BlacKkKlansman | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | 2024 | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | The Color Purple | Nominated | |
| Tony Award | 2017 | Best Actor in a Play | Six Degrees of Separation | Nominated | |
| Tony Award | 2023 | Best Actor in a Play | Topdog/Underdog | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | 2015 | Best Ensemble | Straight Outta Compton | Nominated | |