Biography
With a father who was a prominent jazz trumpeter, a grandmother who danced at The Cotton Club, and a grandfather who was a member of the Nat King Cole Trio, it may seem a given that actor Wren T. Brown would pursue a career in show business. Despite the fact that Brown has been acting almost as long as he can recall, he nearly put his career in the spotlight aside for a shot at becoming a professional tennis player. Though Brown landed his first commercial appearance at age 11, the following six years would be spent running the courts before returning to commercials in McDonald's first "Chicken McNuggets" campaign at age 17. Following a television debut in
Knight Rider and a feature debut in
Robert Townsend's 1987 comedy
Hollywood Shuffle, strong supporting performances in
The Hidden (1987) and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka! (1988) eventually led to a leading role in the 1992 feature
The Importance of Being Earnest (1992). His appearance in such popular sitcoms and dramas as
Seinfeld,
Frasier,
The West Wing, and
Ally McBeal gaining Brown ever-widening exposure, a Dramalogue Award for his role in a production of Shakespeare's As You Like It and a NAACP Image Nomination for his work in 2001's Jeffrey's Plan proved that he had what it took to make it on-stage as well. Moving into the new millennium with roles in
Dancing in September (2000) and
Biker Boyz (2003), Brown returned to the small screen with a supporting role in the 2003 sitcom Whoopie. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide