# Deon Cole

Deon Anthony Cole (born January 9, 1972) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is best known for his role in the sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022), which earned him nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. On June 25, 2020, he became the second panelist to win the Doris Award on the ABC version of To Tell the Truth. He stars in Average Joe.
Cole was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for co-writing the late-night talk shows The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Conan; for the latter, he was also nominated for three Writers Guild of America Awards.

## Early life

Cole was born in Roseland in Chicago on January 9, 1972. He was educated at Thornridge High School and earned an acting degree from Philander Smith College.

## Career

Cole started in comedy when a friend bet him $50 that he would not get up on stage one night in Chicago. Cole was on the writing staff for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien from 2009 to 2010, and he worked as a writer for Conan from 2010 to 2012. He has appeared frequently in comedic bits for both broadcasts, and he has, along with the rest of the staff, received two Primetime Emmy nominations. Cole also performed on Conan O'Brien's "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour" in 2010.
In February 2010, Cole performed on Comic Aid Haiti, a comedy performance that benefited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Cole was on the cast of Angie Tribeca from 2016 to 2018. Cole is part of a television ad campaign for Old Spice body wash, alongside actress/comedian Gabrielle Dennis.
Cole has a recurring role on the ABC sitcom Black-ish as Charlie Telphy. Cole was promoted to a main role beginning with season 4. He then made some appearances in the Black-ish's spin-off Grown-ish.
Cole has performed stand up on other programs such as John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, Mash Up and Lopez Tonight. Cole created his own production company, Coled Blooded, to produce the sketch comedy show Deon Cole's Black Box. It premiered on June 10, 2013, on TBS, but it was canceled on October 25, 2013. Cole hosted the game show Face Value on BET in 2017.
In 2017, he performed in a half-hour set in the Netflix original series The Standups.
In October 2019, Netflix released a stand-up special called Deon Cole: Cole Hearted.
On June 25, 2020, Cole appeared on To Tell the Truth and won the Doris Award, becoming the second panelist to do so.
On May 6, 2023, Cole received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from his alma mater Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas.

## Personal life

Cole has a son, Dylan. Cole is a single parent who keeps things private regarding his son's mother.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Barbershop | Dante | |
| 2003 | A Lover for My Husband | Cab Driver | |
| 2004 | Barbershop 2: Back in Business | Dante | |
| 2005 | The Evil One | Dejuan | Video |
| 2005 | A Get2Gether | Jesse | |
| 2016 | Barbershop: The Next Cut | Dante | |
| 2017 | The Female Brain | Steven | |
| 2019 | Holiday Rush | Marshall Stone | |
| 2020 | 2 Minutes of Fame | Nico | |
| 2020 | Friendsgiving | Dan | |
| 2021 | I'm Fine (Thanks for Asking) | Chad | |
| 2021 | Welcome Matt | Norman | |
| 2021 | The Harder They Fall | Wiley Escoe | |
| 2023 | You People | Demetrius | |
| 2023 | A Snowy Day in Oakland | Davis | |
| 2023 | The Color Purple | Alfonso Harris | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | Laffapalooza | Himself | Episode: "Laffapalooza Volume 5" |
| 2005 | The World Stands Up | Himself | Episode: "Episode #2.1" & "#2.11" |
| 2005–09 | 1st Amendment Stand Up | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2006 | Def Comedy Jam | Himself | Episode: "Episode #7.10" |
| 2007 | Comedy Central Presents | Himself | Episode: "Deon Cole" |
| 2007 | Wild 'n Out | Himself | Main Cast: Season 4 |
| 2007 | Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz | The Negotiator Sketch | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| 2008 | The Funny Spot | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| 2010–19 | Laugh Factory | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2011 | Funny as Hell | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.2" |
| 2011 | New York Stand-Up Show | Himself | Episode: "Episode #2.2" & "#2.3" |
| 2011 | The League | Mugger | Episode: "The Light of Genesis" |
| 2012 | Mash Up | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.2" |
| 2012 | ComicView | Himself | Episode: "Kevin Hart/Deon Cole/Felipe Esparza" |
| 2013 | Deon Cole's Black Box | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2013 | In Bed with Joan | Himself | Episode: "Deon Cole" |
| 2013–14 | @midnight | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.4" & "#2.79" |
| 2014 | Mind of a Man | Himself/Panelist | Recurring Panelist |
| 2014 | Benched | Diamond | Episode: "Diamond is a Girl's Worst Friend" |
| 2014–22 | Black-ish | Charlie Telphy | Recurring Cast: Season 1-3, Main Cast: Season 4-8 |
| 2015 | The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore | Himself/Panelist | Episode: "Joe Biden's Rumored Presidential Run" |
| 2015 | The Soup | Himself | Episode: "Episode #12.35" |
| 2016–18 | Angie Tribeca | Det. Daniel "DJ" Tanner | Main Cast: Season 1-3, Guest: Season 4 |
| 2017 | Annual Trumpet Awards | Himself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| 2017 | The Standups | Himself | Episode: "With Deon Cole" |
| 2017 | All Def Comedy | Himself | Episode: "Episode #1.6" |
| 2017 | Face Value | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2017–19 | Hip Hop Squares | Himself/Panelist | Recurring Guest |
| 2018 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself/Competitor | Episode: "Karrueche Tran vs. Deon Cole" |
| 2018 | Wild 'n Out | Himself/Co-Team Captain | Episode: "Trevor Jackson/Deon Cole" |
| 2018 | All About the Washingtons | Darnell Bell | Episode: "You Gots the Chills" |
| 2018–22 | Grown-ish | Charlie Telphy | Main Cast: Season 1-2, Recurring Cast: Season 3-4 |
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Pastor Venmo Stacks | Episode: "Why Are Her Pies Wet, Lord?" |
| 2020 | The Cabin with Bert Kreischer | Himself | Episode: "No Pain, No Gain" |
| 2020 | I Can See Your Voice | Himself/Panelist | Episode: "Episode #1.7" |
| 2020 | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Dave (voice) | Main Cast |
| 2020–21 | To Tell the Truth | Himself/Panelist | Recurring Guest |
| 2021 | Soul of a Nation | Himself | Recurring Guest: Season 1 |
| 2021 | Celebrity Family Feud | Himself/Celebrity Contestant | Episode: "Episode #8.7" |
| 2021 | South Side | Malachi Washington-Carter | Episode: "Chicago's #1 Party Promoter" |
| 2021–22 | To Tell the Truth | Himself/Co-Host | Main Co-Host |
| 2022 | So Dumb It's Criminal: Hosted by Snoop Dogg | Himself | Episode: "Luce Stools" & "Less Than Decent Exposure" |
| 2022 | Urban Eats and Treats | Himself | Episode: "Deon Cole" |
| 2022 | Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2022 | Celebrity Game Face | Himself | Episode: "Kevin's BFFs" |
| 2022 | Uncensored | Himself | Episode: "Deon Cole" |
| 2022 | Soul Train Music Awards | Himself/Host | Main Host |
| 2023 | Black Pop: Celebrating the Power of Black Culture | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2023 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Himself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Episode #6.13" |
| 2023 | See It Loud: The History of Black Television | Himself | Recurring Guest |
| 2023 | Name That Tune | Himself/Contestant | Episode: "Tunes and the City" |
| 2023 | Celebrity Squares | Himself | Episode: "Your Butt, Your Choice America" |
| 2023– | Average Joe | Joe Washington | Main Cast |
| 2024 | The Madness | Kwesi | Recurring Cast |

### Comedy Specials

| Year | Title |
| 2016 | Deon Cole: Cole Blooded Seminar |
| 2019 | Deon Cole: Cole Hearted |
| 2022 | Deon Cole: Charleen's Boy |
| 2024 | Deon Cole: Ok, Mister |