Clarke Peters
Biography
Clarke Peters is an American actor, writer, and director who was born Peter Clarke on April 7, 1952, in New York City, New York. He has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom. Peters is known for his television roles as Lester Freamon in The Wire from 2002 to 2008 and Albert Lambreaux in Treme from 2010 to 2013. He also wrote the book for the 1990 musical revue Five Guys Named Moe. His film credits include Silver Dream Racer in 1980, Endgame in 2009, John Wick in 2014, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017, Harriet in 2019, and Da 5 Bloods in 2020. Peters holds 115 known acting credits according to database records.
Career overview
Clarke Peters was born Peter Clarke on April 7, 1952, in New York City, New York, USA. Professionally known as Clarke Peters, he is an American actor, writer, and director who has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom.
In television, Peters is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series The Wire, which aired from 2002 to 2008, and as Albert Lambreaux in the television series Treme, which aired from 2010 to 2013. In addition to his television work, he wrote the book for the musical revue Five Guys Named Moe in 1990.
His film credits include roles in Silver Dream Racer in 1980, Endgame in 2009, John Wick in 2014, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017, Harriet in 2019, and Da 5 Bloods in 2020. His work in Da 5 Bloods earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Boroughs (2026) as Art Daniels
- Watson (2025) as Hamish Watson
- Towards Zero (2025) as Frederick Treves
- Small Town, Big Story (2025) as Chet Donald
- Testament: The Story of Moses (2024) as God (voice)
- Eric (2024) as George
- Truelove (2024) as Ken
- Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin (2024) as Reverend Powell Sr.
- Royal Crackers (2023) as Deshaun (voice)
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022) as Josiah Falls
- Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) as John Houston
- BBC Proms - The Golden Age of Broadway (2022) as Singer
- Foundation (2021) as Abbas
- La Fortuna (2021) as Jonas Pierce
- The Irregulars (2021) as Linen Man
- Letters Live from the Archive: Freemasons’ Hall (2021)
- The Royale (2021) as Wynton
- Cameron Mackintosh - The First 50 Years (2021) as Self
- Da 5 Bloods (2020) as Otis
- Come Away (2020) as Mad Hatter
- Bumps (2020) as Charles
- Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes (2020) as Voice of Count Basie
- His Dark Materials (2019) as The Master
- Harriet (2019) as Ben Ross
- The Mandela Effect (2019) as Dr. Fuchs
- An Acceptable Loss (2019) as Phillip Lamm
- Christmas Under the Stars (2019) as Clem Marshwell
- The Opera Game (2019) as Narrator
- The Big Narstie Show (2018) as Self
- Bulletproof (2018) as Ronald Pike Snr
- Love Is___ (2018) as "Wiser" Yasir
- The Blacklist: Redemption (2017) as Richard Whitehall
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) as Abercrombie
- Division 19 (2017) as Perelman
- Chance (2016) as Carl
- Chance (2016) as Carl Allan
- Jericho (2016) as Ralph Coates
- Rebirth in New Orleans (2016) as Narrator
- Fats Domino and The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll (2016) as Narrator
- Marvel's Jessica Jones (2015) as Det. Oscar Clemons
- London Spy (2015) as The American
- Show Me a Hero (2015) as Robert Mayhawk
- Partners in Crime (2015) as Julius Hersheimmer
- The Benefactor (2015) as Dr. Romano
- The Bad Education Movie (2015) as Commander Andrews
- Roy Orbison: One of the Lonely Ones (2015) as Roy Orbison (Voice)
- Sean Connery: In His Own Words (2015) as Self
- True Detective (2014) as Minister
- John Wick (2014) as Harry
- Forever (2014) as Jerry Charters
- The Best of Me (2014) as Morgan Dupree
- The Divide (2014) as Isaiah Page
- Grace (2014) as Father Michael
- Red Hook Summer (2012) as Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse
- Person of Interest (2011) as Alonzo Quinn
- Death in Paradise (2011) as Marlon Croft
- Searching for Sonny (2011) as The Narrator
- Blue Bloods (2010) as Nathan Anderson
- Treme (2010) as Albert "Big Chief" Lambreaux
- Locked In (2010) as Frank
- Legacy (2010) as Ola Adenuga
- Archer (2009) as Popeye (voice)
- Chess in Concert (2009) as Walter de Courcy
- Nativity! (2009) as Studio Boss
- Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009) as Subject #31
- Turnipseed (2009) as A.B. Turnipseed
- Doctor Who: Dreamland (2009) as Night Eagle (voice)
- Endgame (2009) as Nelson Mandela
- In Plain Sight (2008) as Norman Baker / Norman Danzer
- Life on Mars (2008) as Captain Bellow
- Sympathetic Details (2008) as Carson
- Marley & Me (2008) as Editor
- The Poker House (2008) as Maurice
- Gigantic (2008) as Roger Stovall
- Damages (2007) as Dave Pell
- The Wire Odyssey (2007) as Self
- Meadowlands (2007) as Professor Campbell
- The Wire: The Last Word (2007) as Self
- Tapping the Wire (2007) as Self
- Freedomland (2006) as Reverend Longway
- Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005) as Rex da Silva
- James Brown: Soul Survivor (2003)
- Head of State (2003) as Fundraiser Demo-Tape Man
- The Wire (2002) as Lester Freamon
- Waking the Dead (2001) as Howard Boorstin
- K-PAX (2001) as Homeless Veteran
- The Corner (2000) as Fat Curt
- Notting Hill (1999) as 'Helix' Lead Actor
- Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh (1998) as Moe
- Midsomer Murders (1997) as Frank Wainwright
- Oz (1997) as Afsana
- Jonathan Creek (1997) as Hewie Harper
- Chandler & Co (1994) as Jasper
- Death Train (1993) as Whitlock
- Between the Lines (1992)
- A Masculine Ending (1992) as Theo Sykes
- The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance (1992) as Narrator
- Murder Most Horrid (1991) as American
- Red King, White Knight (1989) as Jones
- A Casualty of War (1989) as Grover T. Fleming
- Menace Unseen (1988) as Mark Hallstrom
- Up Line (1987) as Alex du Bois
- American Masters (1986) as Self - Narrator
- Mona Lisa (1986) as Anderson
- Travelling Man (1984) as Alan Downing
- Facelift (1984) as Bob Jangles
- King (1984) as Stevie
- Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983) as Soldier
- Outland (1981) as Sgt. Ballard
- Silver Dream Racer (1980) as Cider Jones
- Number on End (1980) as Yankee Billy
- The Music Machine (1979) as Laurie
- The Professionals (1977) as President Ojuka
- Play for Today (1970) as Stevie
- Sexual Healing as Harvey Fuqua