Dennis Haysbert

Dennis Haysbert
Birth name	Dennis Dexter Haysbert
Born	June 2 1954 (age 55) San Mateo, California, United States of America
Spouse(s)	Lynn Griffith

Dennis Dexter Haysbert (born June 2, 1954) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for portraying President David Palmer on the American television series 24, and Jonas Blane in the CBS series The Unit.

Personal life

Haysbert was born in San Mateo, California to Charles Haysbert, Sr., a deputy sheriff, and Gladys Minor, a homemaker.^[1] He is the eighth of nine children, having two sisters and six brothers.^[2] After high school, measuring 6 feet 4.5 inches (1.94 m) tall, Haysbert was offered various athletic scholarships, but instead chose to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Haysbert is a divorced father of two. He is close friends with former 24 co-stars Glenn Morshower and Gregory Itzin.

Environmentalism

Haysbert has paid a deposit on a Tesla Roadster from Tesla Motors. It is a battery electric sportscar with a 250 mile range. He will be among the first hundred owners.^[3]

Career

Haysbert has been acting in film and television since 1979, starting with a guest role in The White Shadow. His television guest starring roles include Lou Grant, Laverne & Shirley, The A-Team, Dallas, Magnum, P.I., Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Duckman.

On film, Haysbert has appeared in Absolute Power, Random Hearts and Far From Heaven among others. In 1989, Haysbert portrayed Pedro Cerrano, a voodoo-practicing Cuban refugee baseball player in the movie Major League, in which he uttered the memorable line: "It is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Very bad". In 1992, Haysbert co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in Love Field, a film about the assassination and funeral of President John F. Kennedy. In 1999, Haysbert starred with Eric Close in Now and Again, which was cancelled after its first season.

In 2001, Haysbert became better known when he was cast in 24 playing U.S. Senator (later President) David Palmer. He maintained his status as a cast member through seasons two and three. As a guest star, he appeared in the last six episodes of season 4 and the first episode of season 5.

In addition to television and film acting, Haysbert has also done voice work for various video games, most notably as Irving Lambert in Pandora Tomorrow the second installment of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series and narrator of Call of Duty: Finest Hour.

Haysbert is the official spokesman for the Allstate Insurance Company. His commercials typically end with one of two the Allstate Corporation's official slogans, either Are you in good hands? or That's Allstate's stand. Haysbert also voices the Military Channel's commercials with their official slogan: "The Military Channel -- Go Behind the Lines."

He also is an active character in the CBS action-drama The Unit, portraying Jonas Blane.

On March 4, 2006, Haysbert guest starred on Saturday Night Live. He hosted the "Belated Black History Moment" segment, which featured fictional African-American cartoons that tried, but failed, to make an impact upon American culture in the 1990s.

He is billed as playing Nelson Mandela in Goodbye Bafana (2007).

Filmography

• A-Team (1987)
• Major League (1989)
• Navy SEALs (1990)
• Mr. Baseball (1992)
• Love Field (1992)
• Suture (1993)
• Major League II (1994)
• Heat (1995)
• Waiting to Exhale (1995)
• Absolute Power (1997)
• How to Make the Cruelest Month (1998)
• Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)
• Now & Again (1999-2001)
• The Minus Man (1999)
• Random Hearts (1999)
• The 13th Floor (1999)
• Love & Basketball (2000)
• 24 (2001-2006)
• Far from Heaven (2002)
• Jarhead (2005)
• The Unit (2006-present)
• Goodbye Bafana (2006)
• Breach (2007)

Footnotes

Wikipedia information about Dennis Haysbert This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dennis Haysbert". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.