# Ving Rhames

Irving Rameses Rhames (/ˈreɪmz/; born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible film series (1996–present) and crime boss Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994).

## Early life and education

Rhames was born and raised in Harlem, New York City. He was named "Irving" after NBC journalist Irving R. Levine.
Rhames entered New York's High School of Performing Arts, where he developed his love of acting. After high school, he studied drama at SUNY Purchase, where fellow acting student Stanley Tucci gave him his nickname "Ving". Rhames later transferred to the Juilliard School's Drama Division (Group 12: 1979–1983) where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1983.

## Career

Rhames first appeared on Broadway in the play The Boys of Winter in 1984. He started out in film in Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs (1991) as Leroy, watched over Kevin Kline as Secret Service agent Duane Stevensen in Dave (1993), and played Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994). He also played Buddy Bragg in Out of Sight (1998).
Rhames played Dr. Peter Benton's brother-in-law on the TV medical drama ER, a recurring role he filled for three seasons. He played ace computer hacker Luther Stickell opposite Tom Cruise in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible (1996). In 1997, Rhames portrayed the character of Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones in the popular film Con Air, and Muki in the Ice Cube film Dangerous Ground.
Rhames won a Golden Globe in 1998 for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film in HBO's Don King: Only in America. At the ceremony he gave his award to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon, saying, "I feel that being an artist is about giving, and I'd like to give this to you." Lemmon was clearly touched by the gesture as was the celebrity audience who gave Lemmon a standing ovation. Lemmon, who tried unsuccessfully to give the award back to Rhames, said it was "one of the nicest, sweetest moments I've ever known in my life." The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced later that they would have a duplicate award prepared for Rhames. That moment was #98 on E!'s 101 Awesome Moments in Entertainment. The New York Times lauded Rhames for the act, writing that in doing so he "demonstrated his capacity for abundant generosity".
Rhames appeared in Striptease (1996) as the wisecracking bodyguard Shad, Jesus-praising paramedic Marcus in Bringing Out the Dead (1999), and reprised his Luther Stickell role for Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). He played Johnnie Cochran in American Tragedy (2000), the ex-con boyfriend of Jody's mother in the John Singleton film Baby Boy, portrayed a gay drag queen in the television film Holiday Heart, contributed his voice for the character of Cobra Bubbles in Lilo & Stitch (2002) and the subsequent TV series, and played a stoic cop fighting zombie hordes in Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Day of the Dead (2008) remakes. Rhames has also appeared in a series of television commercials for RadioShack, usually performing with Vanessa L. Williams.
In March 2005, Rhames played the lead role on a new Kojak series, on the USA Network cable channel (and on ITV4 in the UK). The bald head, lollipops, and "Who loves ya, baby?" catchphrase remained intact, but little else remained from the Telly Savalas-starring original.
Rhames voiced the part of Tobias Jones in the video game Driver 3.
Reprising his Luther Stickell role, Rhames co-starred in Mission: Impossible III (2006), had a cameo appearance in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), and played a major role in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), the fifth, sixth and seventh installments in the Mission Impossible film series, respectively. He is the only actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in all seven Mission: Impossible films. It was announced that he would have a role in the Aquaman-based show Mercy Reef; however, due to the integration of The WB and UPN for the new network, CW, Mercy Reef was not picked up. Rhames played a gay – and possibly also homicidal – firefighter who comes out of the closet in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. He narrates the BET television series American Gangster.
In the 2008 film Saving God, he played an ex-con who is released from prison a changed man, looking to take over his father's former church congregation in a deteriorating neighborhood. Rhames stars in Phantom Punch, a biopic of boxer Sonny Liston, released directly to DVD, as well as The Tournament, portraying a fighter out to win a no-rules tournament.
Rhames makes an appearance in Ludacris's song "Southern Gangstas" on his album Theater of the Mind. Rappers Playaz Circle and Rick Ross are also featured on the track.
He filmed the film The Red Canvas with Ernie Reyes Jr., UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard, and Randy Couture. In 2010, he filed a lawsuit against the film's producer, claiming that he had only been paid $175,000 of a $200,000 contract.
In 2015, he filmed a series of commercials for The ADT Corporation.
Rhames is one of the narrators for UFC.
Rhames narrated the team introductions for the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in February 2017.
Since 2014, Rhames has provided the narration for numerous Arby's commercials, with the slogan "Arby's: We have the meats!"

## Personal life

Rhames is a Christian. As of 2018, he resides in Santa Monica, California. He has been married to Deborah Reed since 2000.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Native Son | Jack | |
| 1988 | Patty Hearst | Cinque Mtume | |
| 1989 | Casualties of War | Lieutenant Reilly | |
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home | Herbert Cotter | |
| 1990 | Jacob's Ladder | George | |
| 1991 | Flight of the Intruder | Chief Petty Officer Frank McRae | |
| 1991 | Homicide | Robert Randolph | |
| 1991 | The People Under the Stairs | Leroy | |
| 1992 | Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot | "Mr. Stereo" | |
| 1993 | Blood In Blood Out | Ivan | |
| 1993 | Dave | Duane Stevenson | |
| 1993 | The Saint of Fort Washington | Leroy "Little Leroy" | |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Marsellus Wallace | |
| 1994 | Drop Squad | Garvey | |
| 1995 | Kiss of Death | FBI Agent Omar | |
| 1996 | Mission: Impossible | Luther Stickell | |
| 1996 | Striptease | "Shad" | |
| 1997 | Dangerous Ground | Muki | |
| 1997 | Rosewood | Mann | |
| 1997 | Con Air | Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones | |
| 1998 | Body Count | Pike | |
| 1998 | Out of Sight | Buddy Bragg | |
| 1999 | Entrapment | FBI Agent Aaron Thibadeaux | |
| 1999 | Bringing Out the Dead | Marcus | |
| 2000 | Mission: Impossible 2 | Luther Stickell | |
| 2001 | Baby Boy | Melvin | |
| 2001 | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Ryan Whittaker | |
| 2002 | Undisputed | George "The Iceman" Chambers | |
| 2002 | Lilo & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | |
| 2002 | Dark Blue | Deputy Chief Arthur Holland | |
| 2003 | Stitch! The Movie | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2003 | Sin | Eddie Burns | |
| 2004 | Dawn of the Dead | Sergeant Kenneth Hall | |
| 2005 | Back in the Day | Joe "J-Bone" Brown | |
| 2005 | Animal | James "Animal" Allen | Video |
| 2005 | Shooting Gallery | Carl "Cue Ball Carl" Bridgers | Video |
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III | Luther Stickell | |
| 2006 | Leroy & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | Idlewild | "Spats" | |
| 2007 | Ascension Day | Hark | Video |
| 2007 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | Fred G. Duncan | |
| 2007 | A Broken Life | Vet | |
| 2008 | Animal 2 | James "Animal" Allen | |
| 2008 | Day of the Dead | Captain Kenneth Rhodes | Video |
| 2008 | Phantom Punch | Sonny Liston | |
| 2008 | Saving God | Armstrong Cane | |
| 2009 | Echelon Conspiracy | FBI Agent Dave Grant | |
| 2009 | Give 'Em Hell, Malone | "Boulder" | |
| 2009 | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard | "Jibby" Newsome | |
| 2009 | The Bridge to Nowhere | Nate | |
| 2009 | The Tournament | Joshua Harlow | |
| 2009 | Surrogates | The Prophet | |
| 2009 | Evil Angel | Detective Carruthers | |
| 2010 | Master Harold...and the Boys | Sam | |
| 2010 | Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed | Mike | Video |
| 2010 | Operation: Endgame | "Judgement" | |
| 2010 | Piranha 3D | Deputy Fallon | |
| 2010 | King of the Avenue | Norman De'Sha | |
| 2010 | The Wrath of Cain | Miles "Cain" Skinner | |
| 2010 | Red Canvas | Himself | |
| 2010 | Death Race 2 | R. H. Weyland | Video |
| 2011 | The River Murders | Captain Art Langley | |
| 2011 | Pimp Bullies | Miguel | |
| 2011 | Julia X | The Man | |
| 2011 | Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol | Luther Stickell | Uncredited cameo |
| 2012 | Seven Below | Jack | |
| 2012 | Piranha 3DD | Deputy Fallon | |
| 2012 | Soldiers of Fortune | Grimaud "Grim Reaper" Tourneur | |
| 2012 | Art of Submission | Gene | |
| 2012 | Won't Back Down | Principal Thompson | |
| 2012 | Mafia | Renzo Wes | |
| 2012 | Btd | Ken | Short |
| 2013 | Death Race 3: Inferno | R. H. Weyland | Video |
| 2013 | Armed Response | Officer Hall | |
| 2013 | Force of Execution | "Ice Man" | Video |
| 2014 | Jamesy Boy | Conrad | |
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | Luther Stickell | |
| 2015 | Operator | Richard | |
| 2016 | A Sunday Horse | Mr. Valentine | |
| 2017 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Charlie-27 | |
| 2017 | The Star | Thaddeus (voice) | |
| 2017 | Father Figures | Rod Hamilton | |
| 2018 | Con Man | "Peanut" | |
| 2018 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Luther Stickell | |
| 2022 | Wendell & Wild | Buffalo Belzer (voice) | |
| 2023 | The Locksmith | Frank | |
| 2023 | Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | Luther Stickell | |
| 2024 | The Garfield Movie | Otto (voice) | |
| 2024 | The Instigators | Frank Toomey | |
| 2024 | The Wild Robot | Thunderbolt (voice) | |
| 2025 | Uppercut † | Elliott Duffond | Post-production |
| 2025 | Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning † | Luther Stickell | Post-production |
| TBA | The Mongoose † | Tanker | Filming |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Young Gabriel Grimes | Television film |
| 1985 | Miami Vice | Georges | Episode: "The Maze" |
| 1986 | Another World | Czaja Carnek | Regular cast |
| 1986 | Crime Story | Hector Lincoln | Episode: "Abrams for the Defense" |
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Walker Monroe | Episode: "Child's Play" |
| 1987 | Tour of Duty | SP4 Tucker | Episode: "Burn Baby, Burn" |
| 1988 | Spenser: For Hire | Henry Brown | Episode: "McAllister" |
| 1989 | Men | Charlie Hazard | Main cast |
| 1989 | The Equalizer | Luther Paxton | Episode: "Suicide Squad" |
| 1990 | Rising Son | Ed | Television film |
| 1990 | When You Remember Me | Leon | Television film |
| 1991 | ScreenPlay | Sergeant Blue | Episode: "Murder in Oakland" |
| 1991 | Iran: Days of Crisis | Charles Jones | Television film |
| 1992 | Terror on Track 9 | "Jellyroll" | Television film |
| 1994 | Philly Heat | DeWitt Wardlaw | TV series |
| 1994–1996 | ER | Walter Robbins | Recurring cast (season 1–3) |
| 1995 | Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning | Detective Artie Brown | Television film |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Max Villareal | Episode: "Olde Thyme Religion" |
| 1995 | Deadly Whispers | Detective Jackson | Television film |
| 1997 | Don King: Only in America | Don King | Television film |
| 2000 | American Tragedy | Johnnie Cochran | Television film |
| 2000 | Holiday Heart | "Holiday" Heart | Television film |
| 2001 | UC: Undercover | Quito Real | Recurring cast |
| 2002 | Sins of the Father | Garrick Jones | Television film |
| 2002 | Little John | John Morgan | Television film |
| 2002 | RFK | Judge Thomas R. Jones | Television film |
| 2002 | The Proud Family | Garrett Krebs (voice) | Episode: "A Hero for Halloween" |
| 2002–2003 | The District | Attorney General Troy Hatcher | Recurring cast (season 3) |
| 2003 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | Episode: "Spooky" |
| 2003 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Chief (voice) | Episode: "Operation: Rescue Jet Fusion" |
| 2003 | The System | Andre Charles | Main cast |
| 2003 | Freedom: A History of US | Various Roles | TV documentary series |
| 2005 | Kojak | Lieutenant Theo Kojak | Main cast |
| 2006 | Aquaman | McCaffery | Television film |
| 2007 | Football Wives | Frank Wallingford | Television film |
| 2010 | Gravity | "Dogg" McFee | Main cast |
| 2011 | Zombie Apocalypse | Henry Everlen | Television film |
| 2011 | Black Jack | Jack "Black Jack" | Television film |
| 2013 | Monday Mornings | Dr. Jorge Villanueva | Main cast |
| 2014 | A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Cecil Price | Television film |
| 2018 | Cagney and Lacey | Captain Stark | Television film |
| 2019 | Voice Arts Awards | Himself - Icon Award | Television special |
| 2025 | Dope Thief | Bart | Upcoming miniseries |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Voice role |
| 2003 | Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma | IMF Agent Luther Stickell |
| 2004 | Driver 3 | Tobias Jones |
| 2017 | Call of Duty: WWII | Jefferson Potts |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1998 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in Mini-Series or Motion Picture | Don King: Only in America | Won |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actor in Mini-Series or Movie | Don King: Only in America | Nominated |
| 1998 | Acalpulco Black Film Festival | Best Actor | Rosewood | Nominated |
| 1998 | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in Motion Picture | Rosewood | Nominated |
| 1998 | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in Television or Mini-Series | Don King: Only in America | Nominated |
| 1998 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series or TV Film | Don King: Only in America | Nominated |
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series or TV Film | Don King: Only in America | Nominated |
| 2000 | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Action | Entrapment | Nominated |
| 2000 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Comedy or Music | Bringing Out the Dead | Nominated |
| 2000 | ShoWest Convention | Best Supporting Actor | | Won |
| 2001 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Network | Holiday Heart | Nominated |
| 2001 | Image Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture | Mission: Impossible 2 | Nominated |
| 2001 | Locarno International Film Festival | Special Mention | Baby Boy | Won |
| 2002 | Black Reel Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Baby Boy | Nominated |
| 2002 | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | UC: Undercover | Nominated |
| 2002 | Image Awards | Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Baby Boy | Nominated |
| 2003 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series | Sins of the Father | Nominated |
| 2003 | Image Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Comedy | The Proud Family | Nominated |
| 2003 | Image Awards | Best Actor - Mini-Series or TV Film | Sins of the Father | Nominated |
| 2004 | Black Reel Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Dark Blue | Nominated |
| 2006 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Television | Kojak | Nominated |
| 2015 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor - Television | A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Nominated |
| 2015 | Image Awards | Best Actor - Television | A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Nominated |