Damon Gupton

Last updated
Damon Gupton
Born
Damon Jamal Gupton

(1973-01-04) January 4, 1973 (age 52)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Actor
  • orchestral conductor
Years active1999–present

Damon Jamal Gupton (born January 4, 1973) [1] is an American actor and orchestral conductor, best known for his series regular roles as Charles Foster on Deadline , Evrard Velerio on Prime Suspect , Adam Page on The Divide , Detective Cal Brown on The Player , Deputy Chief Henderson on Black Lightning , and SSA Stephen Walker on Criminal Minds . He has also co-starred in the films The Last Airbender (2010), Whiplash (2014), and La La Land (2016).

Contents

Early life and education

Gupton was born in Detroit, Michigan. [2] He attended the University of Michigan, where he directed a musical ensemble, [3] and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Music Education. He received the Emerging Artist Award from the University's School of Music, Theatre & Dance Alumni Society. He also graduated in drama from Juilliard School in New York. Gupton studied conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin. He later attended the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C., studying with Leonard Slatkin.

Career

Gupton's first film appearance was in the drama Unfaithful (2002).

In 2004, he was an American Conducting Fellow at the Houston Symphony, and was assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony in 2006. [4] Gupton was a guest conductor with various orchestras, including the Cincinnati Pops, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, San Diego Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, as well as Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the NHK Orchestra of Tokyo, and the Orquesta Filarmonica de UNAM. He was the conductor of the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra during its national tour, including performances at Carnegie Hall. Gupton won Mexico City's third International Eduardo Mata Conducting Competition, the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize, and The Aspen Conducting Prize. He was named a Presidential Professor by the University of Michigan in January 2009.[ citation needed ]

In 2012, Gupton performed in the Broadway production of the play Clybourne Park, receiving an AUDELCO nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In September 2012, Gupton landed the lead role on the short-lived AMC drama series The Divide , playing District Attorney Adam Page. [5] Gupton joined the cast of the NBC procedural drama series The Player in February 2015, co-starring as Detective Cal Brown alongside Wesley Snipes. [6] On December 3, 2015, he was cast in the recurring role of psychiatrist Gregg Edwards on the fourth season of A&E's drama-thriller series Bates Motel . [7]

On September 30, 2016, CBS announced that Gupton had joined Criminal Minds as a regular cast member, portraying Stephen Walker, a special agent in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. He began appearing in the series' twelfth season. [8] On June 11, 2017, it was announced that he would depart the show after one season. [9] Gupton was subsequently cast as Inspector Henderson in the superhero drama series Black Lightning . [10]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002 Unfaithful Other Businessman
2006Helen at RiskPearsonShort
DriftSal Bianca M.E.TV movie
2007 Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Doctor
2010 Clybourne Park Albert / KevinVideo
The Last Airbender Monk Gyatso
Strange BrewLester Lewis IIITV movie
2012 This Is 40 Colonoscopy Technician
2014 Whiplash Mr. Kramer
2015 Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story Leonard Herring
2016 La La Land Harry
TBA Lear Rex CurranPost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999 Law & Order Sammy MorrisEpisode: "Merger"
2000 The Wonderful World of Disney Sam ClaiborneEpisode: "The Loretta Claiborne Story"
Third Watch CarterEpisode: "Just Another Night at the Opera"
2000–2001 Deadline Charles FosterMain cast
2002 Hack Mark SimmonsEpisode: "Slippery Slope"
2006 Conviction Keith WattsEpisode: "Indebted"
2009 The Unusuals Wiley ProbstEpisode: "Crime Slut"
2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Detective GearhardtEpisode: "Delicate" & "Love Sick"
2011–2012 Prime Suspect Evrard VelerioMain cast
2012 The Newsroom Sutton WallEpisode: "Bullies"
2014 Rake Marcus BarzmannRecurring cast
Suits James QuellingEpisode: "Know When to Fold 'Em" & "No Way Out"
The Divide Adam PageMain cast
2015 Empire Detective Calvin WalkerRecurring cast: Season 1
The Player Detective Cal BrownMain cast
2016 Goliath Leonard LettsRecurring cast: season 1
2016–2017 Bates Motel Dr. Gregg EdwardsRecurring cast: Season 4-5
Criminal Minds SSA Stephen WalkerMain cast: Season 12
2018 Dirty John Detective Dennis LukensEpisode: "One Shoe"
2018–2020 Black Lightning Inspector Henderson Main cast: season 1-3
2020 The Comey Rule Jeh Johnson Episode: "Night One & Night Two"
2022 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey CoydogMain cast
Super Pumped David Drummond Recurring
2023–2024 The Big Door Prize Father ReubenMain cast
2025 Happy Face ElijahRecurring [11]

References

  1. "Person Details for Damon Jamal Gupton, "United States Public Records, 1970–2009"". FamilySearch . Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  2. "SMTD alumnus Damon Gupton to deliver School's 2015 commencement address". University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance . April 1, 2015. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  3. Music at Michigan. UM Libraries. 1992. p. 20. UOM:39015031161568.
  4. Symphony. Vol. 57. American Symphony Orchestra League. 2006.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (September 13, 2012). "Damon Gupton Lands Lead In AMC's Richard LaGravenese/Tony Goldwyn Pilot". Deadline Hollywood .
  6. Andreeva, Nellie (February 23, 2015). "Wesley Snipes Joins NBC Pilot 'Endgame'". Deadline Hollywood .
  7. Petski, Denise (December 3, 2015). "Damon Gupton Joins 'Bates Motel'; Trieste Kelly Dunn In 'Blindspot'". Deadline Hollywood .
  8. Webb Mitovich, Matt (September 30, 2016). "Criminal Minds: New Series Regular Cast in Wake of Thomas Gibson's Exit". TVLine . Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  9. Schwartz, Ryan (June 11, 2017). "Criminal Minds: Damon Gupton Out, Two Series Vets Remain in Limbo". TVLine .
  10. Petski, Denise (July 23, 2017). "'Black Lightning' Casts James Remar & Damon Gupton As Series Regulars, Watch Trailer – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood .
  11. Petski, Denise (2024-05-09). "Happy Face Adds Damon Gupton & Momona Tamada As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2024-05-09.