Gary Dourdan Movies
Best known for his role as Warrick Brown, the detective with a marked predilection for risk (and an ongoing gambling addiction), on CBS's blockbuster series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the easygoing, congenial, and memorably handsome African-American actor Gary Dourdan has built his life and his public image around uniqueness and originality. Six foot two inches tall, green-eyed, sporting bushy yet sculpted dreadlocks, and straddling the worlds of drama and avant-garde music, Dourdan commented to Ebony magazine, "I've always tried to be unconventional as much as I possibly could...one thing I'm trying to do with my career and with my craft is to blur the lines between what people think African-Americans should play and what I'm doing. I'm not much into fads and fashions and trying to follow things." Born December 11, 1966, in Philadelphia, PA, as the son of Robert and Sandy Durdin (his actual surname), the adolescent Dourdan attended "Freedom Theater," an inner-city program for aspiring actors, during adolescence. Success in this venue prompted him to travel to Manhattan on a weekly basis for musical training and dramatic auditions. Dourdan landed his "big break" as an actor in the early '90s, seemingly without even trying. While dating fashion model Roshumba Williams around 1991 and vacationing with her in France, Dourdan was spotted by powerhouse Debbie Allen, then the producer and director of A Different World; impressed by his looks and manner, she invited him to audition for the series. He played Shazza Zulu, the resident "con man" of Hillman College -- a role he sustained through the end of 1992 (for less than one season), before moving on to new endeavors. Dourdan debuted onscreen inauspiciously, with a bit part as the Second Cartel Man in Weekend at Bernie's II. Additional roles included that of a copy guy in Ron Howard's The Paper (1994), Christie in Alien Resurrection, and Yates in the Andy Wilson-directed medical thriller Playing God (1997). In 2000, Dourdan landed his biggest break with the CSI role, for executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer -- and (when the program instantly shot up to number one) continued the part as the series progressed. The same year that he signed with Bruckheimer and company, Dourdan played Malcolm X in the telemovie Muhammad Ali: King of the World. As mentioned, Dourdan is also a prolific alternative musician (with solo albums to his credit) and a record producer. He married African-American model Williams in 1992; the couple divorced two years later. He has two children, a son, Lyric, and a daughter, Nyla (the daughter of Jennifer Sutton, whom Dourdan dated from 1995 to 2000). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Filmmakers Samm Styles and TCinque Sampson collaborate to explore the life and death of prison rights activist George L. Jackson in this biographical drama starring CSI's Gary Dourdan as the Soledad Brother author who took up the cause of prisoners' rights in the 1960s, and whose incendiary philosophy sparked the most militant civil rights movement in United States history. Enraged at the inhuman conditions he and his fellow prisoners were forced to endure as the outside world bore witness to the growing civil rights movement, Jackson filtered his fury into the philosophy that would eventually fuel the Black Guerilla Family, elevating him from common thug to political martyr after he was given a "one year to life" sentence for a seventy dollar gas station robbery. In his eleven years behind bars, Jackson studied the writings of such revolutionary thinkers as Marx and Mao and began channeling his anger into a series of letters that damned the racist status quo. Collected and published in the volume Soledad Brother along with the help of idealistic editor David Dryer, these letters instantly transformed the author into a controversial celebrity figure while successfully drawing attention to the topic of prison reform. Shortly thereafter, Jackson would serve as the catalyst for an event that would go down as one of the most violent in the history of San Quentin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Dourdan, Darren Bridgett, (more)
- 2007
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 08 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 08 to top of Queue
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a fast-paced drama about a passionate team of forensic investigators trained to solve crimes the old-fashioned way by examining the evidence. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is on the case 24-7 scouring the scene collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that will solve the mystery.
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2006
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 07 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 07 to top of Queue
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a fast-paced drama about a passionate team of forensic investigators trained to solve crimes the old-fashioned way - by examining the evidence. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is on the case 24-7, scouring the scene, collecting the irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that will solve the mystery.
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2005
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 06 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 06 to top of Queue
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a fast-paced drama about a passionate team of forensic investigators trained to solve crimes the old-fashioned way - by examining the evidence. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is on the case 24-7, scouring the scene, collecting the irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that will solve the mystery.
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2004
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 05 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 05 to top of Queue
As season four of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation drew to a close, it appeared as though a contract dispute would rob the series of two of its most popular characters, Las Vegas PD forensic specialists Sara Sidel (Jorja Fox) and Nick Stokes (George Eads). At the last moment, however, a suitable financial arrangement was worked out, and both characters -- and the actors who played them -- were retained for the whole of season five. Reiko Aylesworth stars in the first episode ("Viva Las Vegas") as Chandra Moore, a dedicated, no-nonsense lab tech who is to replace Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) when Greg is promoted to CSI field duty. Both Chandra and Greg prove to be worthy of their new responsibilities, though both are somewhat nonplussed by being dropped head-first into a whole new world of investigation. (Aylesworth's character was dropped after Fox and Eads resolved their contracts.) In a major mid-season development, a storm of controversy attending the apparent bungling of a murder investigation prompts CSI boss Ecklie (Marc Vann) to split the forensics bureau into two teams, with senior officer Gil Grissom (William L. Petersen) heading one team, and his former assistant Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) heading another. The arrangement is hardly to the liking of either party, especially when the efficiency their investigations is compromised by radical and often arbitrary budget cuts. Other demons plaguing the CSIers this season include the return of a particularly vicious (and brilliant) serial killer from the earlier episode "The Execution of Catherine Willows," the revelation that a man with whom Catherine flirted in a bar is the prime suspect in a high-profile murder case, and the unpleasant childhood memories of Sara Sidel. The Grissom and Willows teams are reunited for the season's unbearably suspenseful finale, "Grave Danger" (a two-parter directed by Quentin Tarantino) as the combined officers search for their colleague Nick Stokes (George Eads), who has been buried alive in a casket filled with red ants by a maniacal murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2003
The spirit of the old beatnik coffee house was alive and well in this weekly, half-hour offering from Black Entertainment Television, which debuted May 2, 2003. Professionals and amateurs of all races and creeds were invited to recite their poetry in an open-mike format before a small but appreciative audience. The series was hosted by actor Gary Dourdan, best known for his work on the CBS cop drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The best moments of Lyric Café were regularly assembled as one-hour specials on BET's sister digital-cable channel, BET Jazz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 03 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 03 to top of Queue
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation entered its third season still riding high as network television's top-rated drama program. There was, therefore, no need for CBS to change its time slot, nor to make any major cast changes. There were, however, two significant additions to the cast lineup. A romantic interest was created for series regular Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) in the form of Hank Peddigrew (Christopher Wiehl), a handsome paramedic. Also, the recurring character of Detective Lockwood (Jeffrey D. Sams) was seen on a more frequent basis. Both of these characters, however, would be effectively disposed of by the time season three was over, with the demise of Lockwood leading to a powerful season finale. In addition, the off-and-on domestic travails of the CSI's Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) were intensified when her husband was killed and her daughter seriously injured. The season's most significant story development involved CSI head man Gil Grissom (William L. Petersen). After a few instances in which he noticed that he was experiencing a hearing loss, Grissom was diagnosed with otosclerosis, a hereditary disorder which threatened to culminate in total deafness. As the third season's final episode drew to it conclusion, Grissom was undergoing surgery to correct this problem -- with the result of the operation remaining unresolved until the beginning of season four. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2001
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 02 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 02 to top of Queue
The freshman season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation had ended with a dramatic rescue, as the head of the Las Vegas crime-lab unit, Gil Grissom (William L. Petersen), was saved from becoming the latest victim of a serial killer by the quick thinking of Gil's second-in-command, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger). Clearly, the relationship between Gil and Catherine was destined to go beyond the "just friends and co-workers" stage during season two. With the series' ratings riding high -- so high that it was now network television's number one cop drama -- the producers saw no reason to make any radical changes in the format or cast. The list of regulars remained intact, with Eric Szmanda (as Greg Sanders) and Robert David Hall (as coroner David Robbins) graduating from recurring characters to weekly co-stars. The success of CSI encouraged the producers to develop a spin-off series, this one set in Miami and starring David Caruso and (briefly) Kim Delaney, two alumni from NYPD Blue. The pilot for CSI: Miami was telecast as the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode titled "Cross-Jurisdictions" on May 9, 2002. Nominated for several Emmy awards during the 2001-2002 season, CSI copped one Emmy, shared jointly by makeup artists Nicholas Pagliaro, John Goodwin, and Melanie Levitt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2000
- Add CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 01 to QueueAdd CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 01 to top of Queue
The first season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was inaugurated with a shakeup in the Las Vegas crime-lab unit, with overnight-shift supervisor Gil Grissom (William L. Petersen) appointed head of the unit after former skipper, Capt. Jim Brass, made a misfired decision that brought about the death of rookie "criminalist" Holly Gribbs (Chandra West). New team member Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) was brought in from San Francisco to aid in the investigation of Gribbs' death, causing friction between Grissom and his second-in-command, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger). Meanwhile, the friendly rivalry between team members Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) and Nick Stokes (George Eads), both of whom were jockeying for a promotion, served to accelerate the solutions of many of the crimes depicted therein. Although the team was generally successful in bringing perps to justice, at least one case remained frustratingly unsolved: a string of murders made to look like suicides, clearly committed by a "signature" killer with an intimate knowledge of forensic procedure. As season one drew to a close, Grissom wondered if he would ever catch up with this elusive murderer, whose deliberately planted false clues resulted in far too many wild goose chases for the team -- and whose equally deliberate real clues proved that the team was up against some sort of homicidal genius. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 2000
It is just possible that the made-for-TV biopic Muhammad Ali: King of the World was hastily pieced together to capitalize on the popular theatrical documentary When We Were Kings and the publicity attending the upcoming Will Smith movie vehicle Ali. Actually, the title of the TV film was something of a misnomer, since the story covers the formative days of Ali's career and fame, when he was still fighting under his given name Cassius Clay. Played by Terrence DaShon Howard, the young Clay slugs his way from poverty-stricken obscurity to the 1960 Olympics, garners both positive and negative publicity with his incessant self-worship and improvised rhymes, and proves that he is more than just talk when he defeats Sonny Liston (Steve Harris) in 1964. It is in fact at this point that the film draws to a close, with a few hints of what is to come manifested in an early meeting between the impressionable Clay and Islamic activist Malcolm X (Gary Dourdan). Based on the bestselling 1998 biography by David Renwick, Muhammad Ali: King of the World debuted January 10, 2000, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terrence Howard, Gary Dourdan, (more)
Love leads an innocent woman into a web of danger in this made-for-cable drama. Jade (Wendy Davis) is an attractive woman who is trying to lose herself in her work as a graphic designer following the traumatic death of her boyfriend. However, Jade learns that her lover had more than a few secrets, not the last of which were ties to organized crime, and his underworld associates are convinced she knows more about his criminal activities than she's letting on. Jade finds solace in a romance with her neighbor Jeff (Gary Dourdan), a handsome artist, but they both find themselves in danger when Jade finds something her late beau left at her home -- a suitcase containing a fortune in mob money. Rendezvous was originally produced for broadcast on the BET cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Davis, Gary Dourdan, (more)
In an exclusive neighborhood in upstate New York, family and friends gather to commemorate the AIDS-related death of Tony (played in flashbacks by D.B. Sweeney), a much-loved young man. The gathering takes place at the country home of Tony's half-brother John (Jared Harris) and John's moody wife Marian (Deborah Kara Unger). John and Marian's marriage has been under some strain, due in large part to Marian's overriding worries about their year-old baby. When Tony's longtime lover and Marian's best friend Lyle (David Conrad) arrives with Robert (James Duval), his new boyfriend, tensions heighten further. Meanwhile, on the other side of the lake, wealthy widow Laura (Gena Rowlands) returns home to a surprise visit from her estranged daughter Nina (Brooke Shields), a B-movie actress whose latest attempt to shock her mother comes courtesy of Thierry (Gary Dourdan), the married, black Parisian she has brought along. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Kara Unger, Jared Harris, (more)
- 1994
Also known as Keys to Her Past, Keys is an ABC made-for-TV movie from 1994. Detective Maureen Kickasola is played by Marg Helgenberger, who would go on to star on the similarly themed CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2000. She's looking for clues into the disappearance of a child while also feeling the dramatic effects of the crime. Keys also stars Gary Dourdan of CSI. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Anita Morris guest stars as Freddie's mom Joni, who insists upon interfering in her daughter's life--and in the lives of all of her daughter's friends. As for Freddie (Cree Summer) herself, she's more mixed up than ever over her feelings toward Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Shazza (Gary Dourdan). Meanwhile, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is forced to work at a pancake house on Christmas day in order to afford a Yuletide gift for husband Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Good Fight is a made-for-cable film about a small-town lawyer (Christine Lahti) who fights a tobacco company when her son's best friend is stricken with mouth cancer, due to his frequent use of chewing tobacco. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christine Lahti, Terry O'Quinn, (more)
- 1992
In the conclusion of a three-part story, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) adamantly tries to convince everyone (especially herself) that she has fallen out of love with Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), and IN love with handsome political candidate Byron Douglas (Joe Morton). Elsewhere, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) promises to give up his womanizing for the sake of Kim (Charnele Brown), or at least that's what he says. And Cosby Show regular Charmaine Brown (Karen Malina White) shows up at Hillman with plans of enrolling--and, possibly, breaking off her long-standing relationship with Lance Rodman (Allen Payne). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Having decided to make show business his life, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) is pouring all of his money into his singing career--leaving nothing to help Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) pay the household bills. Before long, Ron's life has been turned inside out: Not only has Dwayne kicked him out of the apartment, but the rest of his band has walked out on him en masse. Elsewhere, Freddie (Cree Summer) is so in love with Shazza (Gary Dourdan) that she can't think about anything else...driving everyone, including Shazza, absolutely crazy. Cast as the faux boy band "Mice 2 Men," real-life singing group The Boys performs "Crazy". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
As a project for her sociology class, Charmaine (Karen Malina White) follows Whitley (Jasmine Guy) around at her place of employment. As it turns out, Charmaine couldn't have picked a worse time: Whitley is laid off after the company suffers a setback, and as Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) tries to cheer up his wife, he ends up in his own deep funk upon discovering that their apartment has been burglarized. Elsewhere, Kim (Charnele Brown), Ron (Darryl M. Bell), Freddie (Cree Summer) and Shazza (Gary Dourdan) have a disastrous time trying to patch up their various romantic travails. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the first episode of a two-part story, Whitley's overbearing mother Marion (Diahann Carroll) visits Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). It's bad enough that Whitley is unable to admit that she's lost her job; it's even worse when she meets Marion's much-younger boyfriend Malik (Nestor Carbonell). But the fur doesn't really begin to fly until Dwayne's mom Adele (Patti LaBelle) shows up, still unable to forgive her son for marrying Whitley without her O.K., and absolutely unprepared to make nice-nice with Marion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the conclusion of A Different World's two-part Season Six opener, Whitley (Jasmine Guy and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) continue to recall their chaotic honeymoon in riot-torn Los Angeles. At the same time, the couple's friends react to the violence (inspired by the infamous Rodney King verdict) in a variety of ways: Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) is disillusioned over the fact that race relations haven't progressed much since the Watts riots, Lena (Jada Pinkett) places all the blame on the white population, and Freddie (Cree Summer) attempts to be level-headed--a difficult feat, inasmuch as she is being hit on by Ron (Darryl M. Bell) while his girlfriend Kim (Charnele Brown) fumes. Appearing in cameo roles are sitcom diva Roseanne and her then-husband Tom Arnold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley (Jasmine Guy) degenerates into a slapstick food fight, thanks to the couple's respective mothers Adele (Patti LaBelle) and Marion (Diahann Carroll). Later on, the two warring moms land in jail after getting involved in a rally-turned-riot for starving Haitians, organized by the well-meaning Freddie (Cree Summer) and attended by Marion's new "boy toy" Malik (Nestor Carbonell). Fortunately, Adele and Marion finally settle their differences when they discover that Dwayne and Whitley are flat broke; unfortunately, the bungled rally causes a rift between Freddie and her activist boyfriend Shazza (Gary Dourdan). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
New student Charmaine (Karen Malina White) is so overbearing in Dwayne's statistics class that someone slaps a sign on her back reading "Digit Ho." Convinced that punkish Terrell Walker (Patrick Y. Malone) is the guilty party, Charmaine files a formal complaint against him. Taking on the task of defending Terrell in Student Court, Freddie (Cree Summer) realizes anew that in certain cases, everyone is a little bit guilty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Now that Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Freddie (Cree Summer) are aware of their mutual attraction, things get dicey for Ron when Freddie continues seeing Shazza (Gary Dourdan)--and for Kim (Charnele Brown),who feels that Freddie is responsible when a disconsolate Ron moves in with newlyweds Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). As for that "loving couple," they're in the middle of their first real marital quarrel over how to decorate their apartment (she wants to keep her possessions and throw his out, and vice versa). Elsewhere, Lena (Jada Pinkett) manages to turn a coed "step" demonstation into a major controversy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
When Freddie (Cree Summer) goes camping with Shazza (Gary Dourdan), Ron (Darryl M. Bell) tries to renew his relationship with Kim (Charnele Brown)--who at the moment is having problems in her anatomy class. Unable to participate in a dissection without becoming nauseous, Kim turns to her lab partner Spencer Boyer (Michael Ralph in his first regular series appearance) to boost her confidence. Alas, though Kim seems to have solved her classroom problem, her romantic life is still in shambles. Meanwhile, Charmaine (Karen Malina White) is the latest in a long line of series regulars to find employment at The Pit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In the conclusion of A Different World's two-part Season Five finale, Whitley (Jasmine Guy)is just about to wed Byron Douglas III (Joe Morton) when she realizes that she is still in love with Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison). Whitley's social-climbing mom Marion (Diahann Carroll) works overtime to convince her daughter to go through with the ceremony whether she wants to or not. Wackiness ensues (as wackiness often does), and the episode comes to a surprising and slightly surreal conclusion. "Saving the Best for Last" marks the final series appearance of Dawnn Lewis as Jaleesa Taylor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
