1959-05-12 New York City, New York, USA
An American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series. Rhames was born in New York City, New York, he entered New York's School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. After high school, he studied drama at SUNY Purchase where he met fellow actor Stanley Tucci, who gave him his nickname "Ving". He later transferred to Juilliard, where he began his career in New York theater. Rhames first appeared on Broadway in the play The Winter Boys in 1984. Ving continued his rise to fame through his work in soap operas. He found work as a supporting actor, and came to the attention of the general public by playing the role of Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994). Rhames was also getting public exposure on television as Peter Benton's brother-in-law on the medical drama ER, a recurring role he filled for 3 seasons. Not long after, Rhames was cast with Tom Cruise as the ace computer hacker Luther Stickell in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible (1996). With solid performances in two of these highly popular productions, his face was now known to moviegoers; the work offers began rolling in more frequently and he can been seen in several popular films such as Con Air and Dawn of the Dead. Rhames won a Golden Globe in 1998 for best actor in a TV miniseries for his performance in HBO's Don King: Only in America. At the ceremony Rhames gave his award to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon (who is White), 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 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.
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Mission: Impossible 8 | Luther Stickell | 2023-07-05 |
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Mission: Impossible 7 | Luther Stickell | 2022-09-01 |
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Behind the Fallout | Himself | 2018-12-04 |
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Mission: Impossible - Fallout | Luther Stickell | 2018-07-13 |
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Con Man | Peanut | 2018-01-30 |
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Father Figures | Rod Hamilton | 2017-12-21 |
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Charlie-27 | 2017-04-19 |
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The Star | Thaddeus (voice) | 2017-11-15 |
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A Sunday Horse | Mr. Valentine | 2016-02-15 |
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Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation | Luther Stickell | 2015-07-23 |
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Operator | Richard | 2015-08-21 |
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A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Cecil | 2014-04-19 |
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Jamesy Boy | Conrad | 2014-01-03 |
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In Security | Officer Hall | 2014-04-28 |
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Force of Execution | Ice Man | 2013-12-31 |
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Percentage | Porter | 2013-04-24 |
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Death Race: Inferno | Weyland | 2013-01-04 |
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Soldiers of Fortune | Grimaud | 2012-06-07 |
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7 Below | Jack | 2012-04-16 |
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Piranha 3DD | Deputy Fallon | 2012-05-11 |
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Art of Submission | Gene | 2012-09-21 |
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Won't Back Down | Principal Thompson | 2012-09-28 |
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol | Luther Stickell (uncredited) | 2011-12-07 |
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Julia X | The Man | 2011-09-24 |
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The River Murders | Captain Langley | 2011-06-30 |
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Mafia | Renzo Wes | 2011-01-01 |
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Pimp Bullies | Miguel | 2011-06-30 |
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Zombie Apocalypse | Henry | 2011-10-29 |
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The Wrath of Cain | Cain | 2010-11-16 |
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Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed | Mike | 2010-07-12 |
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Death Race 2 | Weyland | 2010-11-12 |
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Master Harold... and the Boys | Sam | 2010-03-17 |
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King of the Avenue | Norman / De'Sha | 2010-09-17 |
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Piranha 3D | Deputy Fallon | 2010-08-20 |
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Operation: Endgame | Judgement | 2010-07-20 |
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Surrogates | Prophet | 2009-09-24 |
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Echelon Conspiracy | Agent Dave Grant | 2009-02-27 |
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Give 'em Hell, Malone | Boulder | 2009-01-01 |
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The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard | Jibby Newsome | 2009-05-29 |
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Evil Angel | Carruthers | 2009-02-05 |
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The Bridge to Nowhere | Drug Dealer | 2009-08-17 |
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The Tournament | Joshua Harlow | 2009-05-01 |
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Saving God | Armstrong Cane | 2008-10-14 |
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Phantom Punch | Sonny Liston | 2008-09-01 |
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Day of the Dead | Captain Rhodes | 2008-04-08 |
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Ascension Day | 2007-02-02 | |
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A Broken Life | The Vet | 2007-09-23 |
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I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry | Fred G. Duncan | 2007-07-12 |
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Animal 2 | James 'Animal' Allen | 2007-09-04 |
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Idlewild | Spats | 2006-08-25 |
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Aquaman | McCaffery | 2006-07-24 |
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Leroy & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | 2006-06-23 |
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Mission: Impossible III | Luther Stickell | 2006-05-03 |
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The Story Room: The Making of 'Lilo & Stitch' | Himself | 2005-08-22 |
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Animal | Animal | 2005-05-01 |
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Shooting Gallery | Cue Ball Carl Bridgers | 2005-12-26 |
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Back in the Day | J-Bone | 2005-05-24 |
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Dawn of the Dead | Kenneth | 2004-03-19 |
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Sin | Eddie Burns | 2003-01-01 |
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Stitch! The Movie | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | 2003-08-26 |
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Beef | Narrator | 2003-08-03 |
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Undisputed | George 'Iceman' Chambers | 2002-07-17 |
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Lilo & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles (voice) | 2002-06-21 |
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Dark Blue | Arthur Holland | 2002-12-14 |
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Little John | John Morgan | 2002-05-05 |
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RFK | Judge Jones | 2002-01-01 |
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Pulp Fiction: The Facts | Self (archive footage) | 2002-08-20 |
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Baby Boy | Melvin 'Mel' | 2001-06-27 |
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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Sgt. Ryan Whitaker (voice) | 2001-07-02 |
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Holiday Heart | Holiday Heart | 2000-12-10 |
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American Tragedy | Johnnie Cochran | 2000-11-12 |
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Mission: Impossible II | Luther Stickell | 2000-05-24 |
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Entrapment | Aaron Thibadeaux | 1999-04-29 |
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Bringing Out the Dead | Marcus | 1999-10-22 |
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Body Count | Pike | 1998-04-28 |
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Out of Sight | Buddy Bragg | 1998-06-26 |
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Dangerous Ground | Muki | 1997-02-12 |
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Rosewood | Mann | 1997-02-21 |
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Con Air | "Diamond Dog" | 1997-06-05 |
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Don King: Only in America | Don King | 1997-11-15 |
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Mission: Impossible | Luther Stickell | 1996-05-22 |
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Striptease | Shad | 1996-06-28 |
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Deadly Whispers | Det. Jackson | 1995-05-10 |
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Kiss of Death | Omar | 1995-04-21 |
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Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning | Detective Artie Brown | 1995-03-19 |
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Pulp Fiction | Marsellus Wallace | 1994-09-10 |
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Drop Squad | Garvey | 1994-10-28 |
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The Saint of Fort Washington | Little Leroy | 1993-11-03 |
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Bound by Honor | Ivan | 1993-02-05 |
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Dave | Duane Stevenson | 1993-05-07 |
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Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot | Mr. Stereo | 1992-02-21 |
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Terror on Track 9 | Jellyroll | 1992-09-20 |
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Flight of the Intruder | McRae | 1991-01-18 |
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Homicide | Robert Randolph | 1991-05-28 |
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The People Under the Stairs | Leroy | 1991-11-01 |
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Jacob's Ladder | George | 1990-11-02 |
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When You Remember Me | 1990-10-07 | |
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Rising Son | Ed | 1990-07-23 |
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The Long Walk Home | Herbert Cotter | 1990-12-21 |
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Casualties of War | Lt. Reilly | 1989-08-18 |
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Patty Hearst | Cinque | 1988-09-23 |
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Native Son | Jack | 1986-12-24 |
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Go Tell It on the Mountain | Young Gabriel | 1984-01-01 |
