Mekhi Phifer

Born: 1974-12-29 in New York City, New York, USA

Known For: Acting

Biography

Mekhi Thira Phifer (born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his multi-year role as Dr. Greg Pratt on NBC's long-running medical drama ER and his co-starring role opposite Eminem in the feature film 8 Mile. He was a regular on the Fox crime show Lie to Me portraying the role of Ben Reynolds, before season 3. He was born in in Harlem, New York City, the son of Rhoda Phifer, a high school teacher; he grew up in a single-parent household with his mother. His acting career began in 1995, when Phifer attended an open casting call for director Spike Lee’s Clockers, beating over a thousand others to get the lead role as a narcotics dealer embroiled in a murder cover-up. He followed that role with another in the comedy spoof feature High School High (which also starred his former wife Malinda Williams) and continued by co-starring in the fright flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr. Among Phifer’s other big-screen credits are Soul Food, The Biography of Spud Webb, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, Tears of a Clown, O (as the titular character Odin a.k.a. O), and the thriller Uninvited Guest (as Silk). He appeared in Impostor as well as Paid in Full, 8 Mile, opposite Eminem and Dawn of the Dead. Phifer has a son, Omikaye, with his ex-wife, actress Malinda Williams. His second son, Mekhi Thira Phifer Jr., was born to his girlfriend Oni Souratha in Los Angeles on October 30, 2007.

Filmography

2026

Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy as Peter Mosley
Be Happy as Peter Mosley

2024

High Potential as Arthur Ellis
Lights Out as Max Bomer
The Silent Hour as Mason Lynch
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat as James Henry
Long Gone Heroes as Moreao

2020

Love, Victor as Harold Brooks

2019

Truth Be Told as Markus Killebrew
Obsession as Sonny
Canal Street as Prosecutor A.J. Canton

2018

The Bobby Brown Story as Tommy Brown
A Talent For Trouble as Mekhi Phifer

2016

Match Game as Self - Panelist
Allegiant as Max
Frequency as Satch Reyna
Secret City as Ambassador Moreton
Roots as Jerusalem
Pandemic as Gunner
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip as Best Valentine

2012

Key & Peele as Cousin

2011

Flypaper as Darrien
Last Man Standing as Jeremy Davis

2009

White Collar as Kyle Collins
Lie to Me as Ben Reynolds
A Day in the Life as King Khi

2008

Nora's Hair Salon II: A Cut Above as Maxwell Terry

2007

This Christmas as Gerald

2006

Psych as Drake
Torchwood as Rex Matheson
Puff, Puff, Pass as Big Daddy

2005

Slow Burn as Isaac Duperde

2004

2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
Punk'd as Self
Honey as Chaz
The Making of '8 Mile' as Self

2002

8 Mile as Future
Paid in Full as Mitch
NBC 75th Anniversary Special as Self
The Other Brother as Martin

2001

Impostor as Cale
O as Odin James
Carmen: A Hip Hopera as Hill
Brian's Song as Gale Sayers

2000

Curb Your Enthusiasm as Omar Jones
Shaft as Trey Howard

1999

A Lesson Before Dying as Jefferson
Uninvited Guest as Silk

1998

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer as Tyrell
Hell's Kitchen as Johnny Miles

1997

The View as Self
Soul Food as Lem
Subway Stories as Man in Hallway (segment "Fern's Heart of Darkness")
Hav Plenty as Harold

1996

The Daily Show as Self
Girl 6 as Himself (cameo) (uncredited)
High School High as Griff McReynolds

1995

Clockers as Ronald 'Strike' Dunham
The Tuskegee Airmen as Lewis Johns

1994

ER as Greg Pratt
New York Undercover as Sekou

1993

Homicide: Life on the Street as Nathaniel Lee 'Junior Bunk' Mahoney
Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest

1990

Law & Order as Lyman Ross

1963

Miss USA as Self - Judge