Age: 77
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Morton, Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American stage, television, and film actor. He worked with film director John Sayles in The Brother from Another Planet (1984), City of Hope (1991) and Lone Star (1996). Other films he appeared in include Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Of Mice and Men (1992), Speed (1994), Apt Pupil (1998), What Lies Beneath (2000), Ali (2001), Paycheck (2003), Stealth (2005) and American Gangster (2007). In 2014, Morton won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Rowan Pope, Olivia Pope's father, in Scandal, and is known for playing the role of Henry Deacon on the popular TV series Eureka.
Morton was born in Harlem, New York City, New York, the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton, Sr., a U.S. Army intelligence officer. Because of his father's military service, he spent parts of his childhood in West Germany and Okinawa. When Joe Morton was 10 years old, his father died.
Morton graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in drama.
Morton made his Broadway debut in Hair, appeared in Salvation, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Raisin. He has appeared in over 70 movies, including John Sayles' The Brother from Another Planet (as The Brother), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (as Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson) and Blues Brothers 2000 (as 'Cabel "Cab" Chamberlain', based upon the late Cab Calloway).
On daytime, Morton has had roles on Search for Tomorrow (Dr. James Foster, 1973-74), Another World (Dr. Abel Marsh and Leo Mars, 1983-84), and All My Children (Dr. Zeke McMillan, 2002). In 2002, he appeared on the London stage in the play Art.
Morton has made many notable TV guest appearances, including his appearances as Dr. Steven Hamilton in the first two seasons of Smallville. He has starred in the Sanford and Son spin-off Grady (1975-76), Under One Roof (1995) and E-Ring (2005).
He portrayed the jack-of-all-trades scientist Henry Deacon as a regular on Syfy Channel's Eureka (2006-12). Morton is currently playing the role of Rowan Pope on the hit drama Scandal, a role for which he has received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Between the Lines | Ahmed | |
1984 | The Brother from Another Planet | The Brother | |
1985 | Trouble in Mind | Solo | |
1986 | Crossroads | Scratch's assistant | |
1988 | The Good Mother | Frank Williams | |
1989 | Tap | Nicky | |
1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Dr. Miles Bennett Dyson | |
1991 | City of Hope | Wynn | |
1992 | Forever Young | Cameron | |
1992 | Of Mice and Men | Crooks | |
1992 | Nacht des Terrors - Mord in New York City | Cedric Sandiford | |
1994 | Speed | Lt. McMahon | |
1994 | The Inkwell | Kenny Tate | |
1995 | The Walking Dead | Sergeant Barkley | |
1996 | Executive Decision | Sergeant Matheny | |
1996 | Lone Star | Delmore Payne | |
1997 | The Pest | Mr. Kent | |
1997 | Speed 2: Cruise Control | Lieutenant Herb McMahon | Uncredited |
1997 | Trouble on the Corner | Detective Bill | |
1997 | Miss Evers' Boys | Dr. Sam Brodus | |
1998 | Blues Brothers 2000 | Cabel Chamberlain | |
1998 | Final Act | N/A | Short film |
1998 | Apt Pupil | Dan Richler | |
1999 | Mutiny | Thurgood Marshall | |
1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Sherman Reese | |
2000 | Bounce | Jim Willer | |
2000 | What Lies Beneath | Dr. Drayton | |
2001 | Ali | Chauncey Eskridge | |
2003 | Thoughtcrimes | John Harper | |
2003 | Paycheck | Agent Dodge | |
2003 | Jasper, Texas | Walter Diggles | |
2004 | Breaking Dawn | Professor Simon | |
2005 | Lenny the Wonder Dog | Dr. Island | |
2005 | Stealth | Dick Marshfield | |
2006 | The Night Listener | Ashe | |
2007 | American Gangster | Charlie Williams | |
2008 | La Linea | Hodges | |
2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Silas Stone | |
2017 | Justice League Part One | Silas Stone | Filming |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | Mission: Impossible | Clerk | Episode: "Hunted" |
1973-1974 | Search for Tomorrow | James Foster | Unknown episodes |
1975 | Sanford and Son | Hal Marshall | Episode: "The Family Man" |
1975-1976 | Grady | Hal Marshall | 10 episodes |
1976 | M*A*S*H | Captain Saunders | Episode: "Der Tag" |
1976 | What's Happening!! | Department Store Manager | Episode: "The Birthday Present" |
1978 | Watch Your Mouth | Raymond Geeter | 26 episodes |
1983 | Curse of the Pink Panther | Charlie | Episode: "Joseph Morton" |
1985 | Miami Vice | Lt. Jack Davis | "The Maze" |
1990-1991 | Equal Justice | Mike James | 24 episodes |
1990 | Challenger | Dr. Ronald McNair | Television film |
1992 | Law & Order | Roland Books | Episode: "Conspiracy" |
1992 | A Different World | Byron Douglas III | 7 episodes |
1993 | TriBeCa | Carlton Thomas | 7 episodes |
1994 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Sam Thorn | 2 episodes |
1994 | New York Undercover | Dean/Dinah | Episode: "Blondes Have More Fun" |
1995 | Under One Roof | Ron Langston | 6 episodes |
1995 | New York News | Mitch Cotter | 13 episodes |
1996 | Touched by an Angel | Jake Stone | Episode: "Jacob's Ladder" |
1997-2000 | Prince Street | Lieutenant Tom Warner | 6 episodes |
1998-1999 | Mercy Point | Dr. Grote Maxwell | 8 episodes |
1999-2008 | The American Experience | Narrator | 10 episodes |
2000-2005 | Law & Order | Leon Chiles | 4 episodes |
2000 | The X-Files | Martin Wells | Episode: "Redrum" |
2000 | Ali: An American Hero | Malcolm X | Television film |
2001-2002 | Smallville | Dr. Steven Hamilton | 4 episodes |
2002 | Touched by an Angel | Martin | Episode: "The Impossible Dream" |
2002 | All My Children | Zeke McMillan | Episode: "#1.8387" |
2002 | The Practice | U.S. Attorney | Episode: "Fire Proof" |
2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ray Bevins | Episode: "Grief" |
2004 | The Jury | James Byron Milton | Episode: "Last Rites" |
2005-2006 | E-Ring | Steve Algazi | 9 episodes |
2005 | JAG | Elroy Johnson | Episode: "Unknown Soldier" |
2005 | House | Gary H. Wright | Episode: "Role Model" |
2005 | CSI: NY | Dwight Hillborne | 2 episodes |
2006-2012 | Eureka | Henry Deacon | 76 episodes |
2007 | Numb3rs | Reporter | Episode: "Graphic" |
2008 | Boston Legal | Attorney Steve Duprey | Episode: "Indecent Proposals" |
2009-2011 | The Good Wife | Daniel Golden | 11 episodes |
2009 | Warehouse 13 | Reverend John Hill | Episode: "Regrets" |
2009 | Brothers & Sisters | Peter Madsen | 2 episodes |
2009 | Great Performances | Eugene Bullard | Episode: "Harlem in Montmartre: A Paris Jazz Story" |
2010 | White Collar | Kyle Bancroft | Episode: "Prisoner's Dilemma" |
2012 | Coma | Dr. Nelson | 2 episodes |
2013-present | Scandal | Rowan Pope | 48 episodes |
2015 | Proof | Dr. Charles Richmond | 10 episodes |
2015 | Grace and Frankie | Jason | Episode: "The Credit Cards" |
2015 | Cleveland Abduction | Agent Solano | Television film |
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Nominated |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | American Gangster | Nominated |
2014 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series | Scandal | Nominated |
NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won | ||
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Won | ||
2015 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won | |
2016 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Won |