Keith Powell

Keith Powell
Born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 2002-present

Keith Powell[1] is an American television actor who is known for his role as James "Toofer" Spurlock on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock.

Career

Powell was the Producing Artistic Director of Contemporary Stage Company, a summer theater in Wilmington, Delaware. He has produced/starred in/directed shows with Lynn Redgrave, Jasmine Guy, Keith David, Richard Easton, Duncan Sheik, and Sean Patrick Thomas. Producing credits include New York productions of The Mouse That Roared, Enter Pissarro, Indra & Agni Collide and a workshop of Kidding Jane with Ellen McLaughlin and William Charles Mitchell. Powell was the resident director for Equalogy, a professional touring company promoting social change, for which he directed two plays by August Schulenberg, Four Hearts Changing and One Night. His other directing credits include Dutchman, Quality of Silence, The Visit and Enter Pissarro. As an actor, Powell has appeared in numerous national network commercials. His theatre credits include Romeo & Juliet (The Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D.C. ), Kidding Jane (Portland Stage Company), Macbeth (Pittsburgh Public Theater), As Bees in Honey Drown (Hangar Theater, Ithaca, NY), and The French (HB Playwrights Foundation, NYC) among others.[1]

In the spring of 2007, while working as a recurring character on 30 Rock, he shot an ABC pilot called Judy's Got A Gun. It was subsequently not picked up for the Fall 2007 season, and Powell returned to 30 Rock, where he was promoted to a series regular.

In October 2008, Powell launched and starred in a self-funded web series called Keith Powell Directs a Play chronicling Powell’s foray into directing Uncle Vanya at a fictional repertory theatre group.[2]

In 2009, Powell was a guest commentator on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s, and also played a Tuskegee Airman in the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

In 2014, Powell began a recurring role on About a Boy (TV series) as Richard, Will's workaholic friend/accountant/business manager. [3]

Powell recurred on the final season of The Newsroom. He also appeared in the feature film My Name Is David (film).

Biography

Powell was born in West Philadelphia and later moved to California.[4] Powell graduated from St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Delaware. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts[5] in 2001.

In July 2012, Keith proposed to his girlfriend of three years, visual artist Jill Knox.[6] They married in October 2013.[7]

Powell splits his time between New York City and Los Angeles, CA.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Dog Eat Dog Raleigh Fitzsimmons short
2003 Law and Order: Criminal Intent Gregg Monroe 1 episode
2004 Jargon Our Hero short
2005 Law & Order Mike 1 episode
2006-2013 30 Rock Toofer 80 episodes
2007 Judy's Got a Gun Brad Wilkes TV movie
2008 Last Comic Standing Talent Scout 1 episode
Best Week Ever Himself 1 episode
I Love the New Millennium Himself 8 episodes
2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Tuskegee Airman #1
Black to the Future Himself
The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet Himself 1 episode
Armless Hotel Receptionist
Reno 911! Innocent Black Man 1 episode
2012 House Hunters Renovation Self[8]
NCIS: Los Angeles Robert Pierce 1 episode
2013 Syrup Cameron
2014 About a Boy Richard 6 episodes
The Newsroom Wyatt Geary 2 episodes
2015 My Name Is David (film) David

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92010-Wilmingtons-Contemporary-Stage-Lures-Richard-Easton-and-Keith-David-for-Restoring-the-Sun-and-Harlem-Set-Fourposter The brainchild of Powell, the 25-year-old African-American actor-producer, Contemporary Stage Company is a multicultural summer theatre company located in The Baby Grand Theater at The Grand Opera House in downtown Wilmington, DE.
  2. ↑ Stidham, Lindsay (2008-10-08). "30 Rock’s Keith Powell ‘Directs a Play’… For Real!". Tubefilter News. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  3. ↑ http://tvline.com/2014/03/03/justified-damon-herriman-battle-creek-orphan-black-season-2-video-alison-felix-aynsley/
  4. ↑ Virtel, Louis (December 2, 2010). "Keith Powell on the 30 Rock Writers Room, Tina Fey's Rise to Fame and the Science of Cheers" (interview). MovieLine.
  5. ↑ Reinhardt, Ciarán; Cummins, Ian (August 4, 2010). "Keith Powell Interview" (interview). Pop Culture Monster.
  6. ↑ Eggenberger, Nicole. "30 Rock's Keith Powell Is Engaged to Jill Knox". Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  7. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/fashion/weddings/a-shy-and-logical-guy-finds-his-open-and-wild-match.html?ref=weddings
  8. ↑ "New Coast, New House, New Kitchen". Retrieved January 6, 2013.

External links