Billy Brown (actor)

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title: "Billy Brown (actor)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-male-television-actors", "american-male-voice-actors", "living-people", "male-actors-from-inglewood,-california", "20th-century-american-male-actors", "21st-century-american-male-actors", "1971-births", "african-american-male-actors", "african-american-lgbtq-people", "american-male-bodybuilders", "american-bisexual-male-actors"] description: "American actor (born 1970)" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Brown_(actor)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American actor (born 1970) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Billy Brown
birth_name
birth_place	Inglewood, California, United States
years_active	1993–present
occupation	Actor
::

| name = Billy Brown | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_place = Inglewood, California, United States | death_date = | death_place = | years_active = 1993–present | occupation = Actor | spouse = | awards =

Billy Brown (born October 30, 1970) is an American actor best known for his lead roles as Richard 'Death Row' Reynolds on the FX sports drama series Lights Out (2011), Archer Petit on the CBS drama series Hostages (2013–14), and Detective Nate Lahey on the ABC legal drama series How to Get Away with Murder (2014–20). He is also known for his supporting roles as Detective Mike Anderson on the sixth and seventh seasons of the Showtime crime thriller series Dexter (2011–12), and August Marks on the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons of the FX action crime drama series Sons of Anarchy (2012–14).

Early life

Brown was born and raised in Inglewood, California.

Career

He is known for his role as detective Mike Anderson on Showtime's Dexter from 2011 to 2012. Previously he starred as boxer Richard "Death Row" Reynolds in the short-lived FX series Lights Out. In 2012, he landed the recurring role of August Marks in the fifth and sixth season of Sons of Anarchy. He also provided the second voice of Cliffjumper in the animated series Transformers: Prime. In 2013, he portrayed Agent Troy Riley in the first season of The Following.

Brown starred opposite Toni Collette in the CBS drama series Hostages from 2013-14. In 2014, he was cast opposite Viola Davis in ABC drama How to Get Away with Murder, produced by Shonda Rhimes.

In 2018, Brown was cast in his first film leading role in the Screen Gems' thriller Proud Mary opposite Taraji P. Henson.

Brown also voices recruiting commercials for the United States Marine Corps.

Filmography

Film

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Geronimo: An American Legend	Native American
1993	Dreamrider	Boy in Boston
1997	The Beautician and the Beast	Fireman
1997	The Lost World: Jurassic Park	InGen Worker
2001	Second Coming
2002	The Wild Thornberrys Movie	Rhino	Voice
2005	House of the Dead 2	Griffin
2008	I Am Bubba	Bubba	Short film
2008	Cloverfield	Staff Sgt. Pryce
2008	Lakeview Terrace	Patrolman
2009	Race to Witch Mountain	Mr. Carson
2009	Star Trek	Med Evac Pilot
2018	Proud Mary	Tom Spencer
2018	Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay	Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger	Voice
2020	Working Man	Walter Brewer
::

Television

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000–03	As Told by Ginger	Mr. Patterson / Delivery Guy	4 episodes
2004	Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation	Private Ottis Brick	Television film
2004	CSI: NY	George Thomas	Episode: "Grand Master"
2004	NCIS	Chief Petty Officer Velat	Episode: "Heart Break"
2005	Cold Case	Donald Williams	Episode: "Strange Fruit"
2005–06	E-Ring	MSgt. Meeks	3 episodes
2007	Criminal Minds	Det. Ware	Episode: "Fear and Loathing"
2007	Backyards & Bullets	Craig Winslow	Unsold TV pilot
2007–08	Dirt	Tweety McDaniel	3 episodes
2009	Southland	Talib	2 episodes
2009	Californication	Marcy's Date	Episode: "The Land of Rape and Honey"
2010	CSI: NY	Business Pedestrian	Episode: "Unfriendly Chat"
2011	Reconstruction	Sam	Unsold TV pilot
2011	Lights Out	Richard 'Death Row' Reynolds	11 episodes
2012	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Joe Marshall	Episode: "Official Story"
2011–12	Dexter	Det. Mike Anderson	11 episodes
2012	Transformers Prime	Cliffjumper	Episode: "Out of the Past"
2013	The Following	Troy Riley	3 episodes
2012–14	Sons of Anarchy	August Marks	14 episodes
2013–14	Hostages	Archer Petit	15 episodes
2014	Legends	Robert McCombs	Episode: "Rogue"
2014–20	How to Get Away with Murder	Detective Nate Lahey	90 episodes
2015	Adventure Time	The Vampire King	3 episodes
2023	Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake	The Vampire King	Episode: "The Star"
::

Video games

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Jet Set Radio	DJ Professor K
2002	Jet Set Radio Future
2004	Hot Shots Golf Fore!	T-Bone
2004	Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2	Zez-Kai Ell
2007	Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars	Nod Announcer
2012	Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed	DJ Professor K	Archive footage
2018	SEGA Heroes
::

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result
2012	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Dexter
::

References

References

1. "Billy Brown". American Broadcasting Companies.
2. (May 25, 2011). "'Lights Out' Actor Joins 'Dexter' in Key Role (Exclusive)". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
3. (June 8, 2012). "Billy Brown to play opposite Harold Perrineau in 'Sons of Anarchy'".
4. (September 23, 2013). "Billy Brown compares his roles on 'Hostages' and 'Sons of Anarchy'".
5. Andreeva, Nellie. (2014-03-02). "Aimee Garcia Cast In CBS Pilot 'Red Zone'; Billy Brown In ABC's 'How To Get Away'".
6. "ABC Picks Up Shonda Rhimes Drama, Renews 'Resurrection' and 'Once Upon a Time'".
7. Kroll, Justin. (February 22, 2017). "'How to Get Away With Murder's' Billy Brown to Star With Taraji P. Henson in 'Proud Mary' (EXCLUSIVE)".
8. (March 16, 2015). ["Marines target March Madness in recruiting campaign"]"](https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-marine-commercials-20150316-story.html). [[Los Angeles Times]].
9. (February 25, 2002). "[[Jet Set Radio Future]]". [[Sega]].

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