Larenz Tate

Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975[1][2]) is an American film and television actor. Tate is best known for his roles as O-Dog in Menace II Society and as Councilman Tate in Power. Tate's other films and television series include the films Dead Presidents, Love Jones, A Man Apart, Crash, Waist Deep, Ray and the television series Rush and Game of Silence.

Larenz Tate
Born (1975-09-08) September 8, 1975
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1985–present
Known forO-Dog in Menace II Society
Councilman Tate in Power

Early life

Larenz Tate was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Peggy and Larry Tate.[3] Tate is the youngest of three siblings (his two brothers, Larron and Lahmard, are also actors) whose family moved to California when he was 4 years old. Convinced by their parents to enter a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center, the trio did not take the lessons seriously until classmate Malcolm-Jamal Warner's ascent to fame after being cast on the sitcom The Cosby Show. Subsequently, realizing that they could parlay their efforts into a tangible form of success, the siblings began to receive small roles and in 1985, Tate made his small-screen debut in an episode of The New Twilight Zone. Tate attended Palmdale High School, graduating in 1993.[4]

Career

Following appearances in such television series as 21 Jump Street and The Wonder Years, Tate was cast in the television movie The Women of Brewster Place before receiving the recurring role of Steve Urkel's nemesis, Willie Fuffner, in the family comedy series Family Matters. He was also a cast member on the CBS series The Royal Family, starring Redd Foxx and Della Reese, which ended prematurely after Redd Foxx died. In the video game 187 Ride or Die, Tate voices the main character, Buck.

Following numerous small-screen roles, offers began pouring in for Tate, and in late 1992, collaborative filmmaking siblings Albert and Allen Hughes approached him to star in their debut feature Menace II Society. The film found Tate channeling his substantial energy into creating "O-Dog", a trigger-happy teenager. Following up with the little-seen but often-praised television series South Central, Tate would later appear in the family comedy-drama The Inkwell (1994) before re-teaming with the Hughes brothers for Dead Presidents (1995) and taking on the role of a love-stricken young poet in the romantic drama Love Jones (1997). Larenz Tate also played the role of Kenny in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the episode "That's No Lady, That's My Cousin".[5]

There followed roles in The Postman (as the automotively monikered Ford Lincoln Mercury), the Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998, with Tate as Lymon), and 2000's Love Come Down. Though a big theatrical release had eluded Tate for the first few years of the millennial turnover, Tate would soon turn up opposite Laurence Fishburne in the high-octane but critically derided Biker Boyz (2003)[6] A Man Apart (2003), Crash (2004), as music legend Quincy Jones in Ray (2004), and Waist Deep (2006). Larenz was also featured in R&B singer Ashanti's 2003 released music video Rain on Me, where he played the jealous, abusive spouse of Ashanti. The video touched on the subject of domestic abuse. He also starred as part of the main cast in season's 4-7 of FX's Rescue Me as Bart "Black Shawn" Johnston.

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1993Menace II SocietyO-DogSupporting role
1994The InkwellDrew TateLead role
1995Dead PresidentsAnthony CurtisLead role
1997Love JonesDarius LovehallLead role
1997The PostmanFord Lincoln MercuryMain role
1998Why Do Fools Fall in LoveFrankie LymonMain role
2000Love Come DownNeville CarterLead role
2003Biker BoyzWoodSupporting role
2003A Man ApartDemetrius HicksMain role
2004CrashPeter WatersSupporting role
2004RayQuincy JonesSupporting role
2006Waist DeepLuckyMain role
2011Gun HillBird Stevens
Train Stevens		Television film
2015White WaterTerranceTelevision film
2015Beta TestMax
2017Girls TripJulianSupporting role
2017DeucesDeucesMain role

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1985The Twilight ZoneOlder brotherEpisode: "Night of the Meek"
1987HunterSporty's nephewEpisode: "Crossfire"
1988AmenLeShawnEpisode: "Get Em Up, Scout"
198921 Jump StreetAdam Fuller (young)Episode: "Wolly Bullies"
1989The Wonder YearsBasketball Team CaptainEpisode: "Loosiers"
1989The Women of Brewster PlaceSammyTelevision miniseries
1989MatlockStreet kid #3Episode: "The Scrooge"
1990New AttitudeChilly D4 Episodes
1990Family MattersWillie Fuffner2 episodes
1991The Royal FamilyCurtis Royal15 episodes
1992The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirKenny, Groom2 Episodes: "That's No Lady, That's My Cousin" Mama's Baby, Carlton's Maybe
1994South CentralAndre Mosely10 episodes
2006WaterfrontMarcus6 episodes
2006Love MonkeyShooter Cooper8 episodes
2007–2011Rescue MeBlack ShawnSeries regular
2011JustifiedClinton MossEpisode: "For Blood or Money"
2013House of LiesMalcolm Kaan10 episodes
2014RushAlex BurkeMain role
2016Game of SilenceShawn CookSeries regular
2017–2020PowerCouncilman Rashad TateRecurring role (season 4): Main role (seasons 5–6)
2021Power Book IV: InfluenceCouncilman Rashad TateSpin-Off Series
gollark: Greetings, "MrEgg".
gollark: Yes. I mean, you were probably not magically good at electronics and 3D printing before doing practice with them.
gollark: Just spend vast amounts of time learning infosec stuff and reverse engineering and check it yourself!
gollark: They should have backups.
gollark: Yes, that is somewhat ungood and suspicious.

References
  1. Willis, John; Monush, Barry (1 April 2006). "Screen World: 2005 Film Annual". Hal Leonard Corporation. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2 September 2009). "The A to Z of African American Cinema". Scarecrow Press. Retrieved 4 October 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. "Larenz Tate profile". Filmreference.com. 1975-09-08. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  4. "Hall of Fame - Alumni - Palmdale High School". Phsfalcons.org. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  5. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TV series): That's No Lady, That's My Cousin". IMDb.com. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  6. "Biker Boyz". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
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