Michael Jai White

Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor, martial artist, and director. Though he has appeared in a variety of genres, White is best known for his action and martial arts films. His first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. He went on to portray Al Simmons in the 1997 movie Spawn, making him the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture. His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. In 1999, White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return, and in 2001, he starred opposite Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds. 

He has appeared in the films The Dark Knight (2008), Black Dynamite (2009), Accident Man (2018), Dragged Across Concrete (2019), and As Good As Dead (2022), among others. He appeared as Marcus Williams in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? (2007) and Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010), and starred as the character on the TBS/OWN comedy-drama television series Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse. He directed and starred in Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011), Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016), and Outlaw Johnny Black (2023). His voice acting work includes Justice League Heroes (2006), Batman: Soul of the Dragon (2021), and Marvel's Midnight Suns (2022).

White has been training in martial arts since the age of 7, and specializes in the styles of Kyokushin, Taekwondo, Kobudō, Shotokan, and The Superfoot System.