Daniel Sunjata
Biography
Daniel Sunjata, born Daniel Sunjata Condon on December 30, 1971, in Evanston, Illinois, is an American actor acclaimed for his work in television, film, and theater. Adopted by white parents of Irish and Italian-German descent, Sunjata's name honors the Mandinka king Sundiata Keita, meaning "hungry lion." He grew up in the Chicago area, excelling in football at Mount Carmel High School before pursuing higher education at Florida A&M University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and ultimately earning a Master of Fine Arts from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His breakthrough came with a Tony-nominated performance in the Broadway play Take Me Out where he portrayed a gay Major League Baseball player. Sunjata is widely recognized for his role as firefighter Franco Rivera in the FX series Rescue Me, as well as appearances in films like The Devil Wears Prada and The Dark Knight Rises. His television work includes roles on Grey's Anatomy, Graceland, and the ABC/Hulu series High Potential.
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Full filmography
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Burt Trevor
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Bomb Squad Officer
- Law & Order (1990) as Kenny Tremont
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Eli Lloyd
- High Potential (2024) as Adam Karadec
- The Devil Wears Prada (2006) as James Holt
- Sex and the City (1998) as Louis Leroy, USN
- 30 Rock (2006) as Chris
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee
- Lie to Me (2009) as Andrew Jenkins
- Manifest (2018) as Danny
- Rescue Me (2004) as Franco Rivera
- Prodigal Son (2019) as Quentin Vosler
- Power Book II: Ghost (2020) as Mecca
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as Captain Jones
- Smash (2012) as Peter Gilman
- Ed (2000) as Danny Martin
- The Tony Danza Show (2004) as Self
- The Twilight Zone (2019)
- The Stand (2020) as Cobb
- Graceland (2013) as Paul Briggs
- The Company You Keep (2023) as Robert Renway
- Echoes (2022) as Charlie Davenport
- The Bronx Is Burning (2007) as Reggie Jackson