Michael Ealy Biography
A native of Silver Spring, MD, suave and clean-cut actor Michael Ealy appeared on-camera from the late '90s. He began on the small screen, with guest appearances on network programs including Law & Order and ER, but scored his breakout role with a much-favored turn as Ricky Nash, a convict-in-the-running with several past charges against him, in the predominantly African American ensemble comedies Barbershop (2002) and Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004). The billing in these projects was somewhat prescient: Ealy continued to take challenging and unique supporting roles and gradually worked his way up the Hollywood ladder, openly declaring himself in no hurry to become a top-billed star. Additional projects included the action sagas 2_Fast_2_Furious (2003) and S.W.A.T. (2003) and the psychological thriller November (2003), but Ealy netted much greater acclaim -- and flexed some impressive dramatic muscle -- with his portrayal of Teacake in the Oprah_Winfrey-produced telemovie Their_Eyes_Were_Watching_God (2005). He then landed the incredibly demanding and edgy lead role of Darwyn Al-Sayeed, a terrorist plotting an attack on the United States, in the Showtime original miniseries Sleeper_Cell (2005). In 2008, Ealy starred opposite Will_Smith and Rosario_Dawson in the earnest suicide drama Seven_Pounds, directed by Gabriele_Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness). Nathan Southern, Rovi
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