| Dorian Missick | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 1976 East Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
Dorian Missick (born January 15, 1976) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Damian in Six Degrees and Victor Vance in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Missick was born in East Orange, NJ, but grew up mainly in Plainfield, NJ, and Decatur, Georgia. His film Premium and his parts in movies such as The Manchurian Candidate and Lucky Number Slevin have won him critical acclaim and various other accolades.
From a very early age, Missick had a passion for entertaining; he would often gain appraisal from his family members due to his ability to make them laugh. His passion for entertaining came from his parents, with whom he would attend plays and watch movies. Missick grew up an only child (his mother later adopted two baby twin girls, and acquired a 3rd child through her current husband).
Missick, who stands at 6'2 (?), had always been athletic—especially throughout his teenage years. He often took part in competitive sports such as soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, and diving. Sports were his primary focus; acting was a hobby.
During his first acting class, casting agents were on the hunt to find young talent to take part in a Coca Cola commercial, and they decided that Missick was right for the part. At first, he saw acting as being effortless, but he was not booked again for the next year. He was eventually cast in a small role on In the Heat of the Night, playing a young fisherman. Although he continued to audition, he was not sure whether he should take it seriously.
In the summer of 1996, Missick joined the Jazz Actors, a theater company in Harlem, where he studied under Ernie McClintock. McClintock’s distinctive style, strongly influenced by jazz music, strongly influenced Missick's style in turn. After the company dispersed, Missick joined NITE Star, an educational company whose primary focus was to educate young teens on AIDS awareness and building an understanding towards alternative lifestyles. During his time with NITE Star, Missick met American actress Kerry Washington (who was also involved with the company) and gained a steady income from commercials, averaging around seven nationals a year.
In 2002, Missick made his professional acting debut in Two Weeks Notice, playing Tony, Hugh Grant's right hand man/limo driver. His exposure from that role led to parts in TV shows including NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Now and Again, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as small roles in movies such as Undermind, 50 Ways to Leave a Lover, A Message from Pops, Freedomland, and Two Guns. He auditioned for the role of Antwone Quenton 'Fish' Fisher in Atwone Fisher; he was not cast, but his meeting with Denzel Washington later led to a role in The Manchurian Candidate. Soon after, Missick got a role playing Elvis in Lucky Number Slevin, and soon afterward landed his first leading role in Premium alongside Zoe Saldana.