The best Sterling K. Brown movies and TV shows feature massively popular television shows and both critically acclaimed and mainstream blockbuster movies. Brown began studying early in life and ended up graduating from Stanford University with an acting degree. He studied further at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree. This led to his start in regional theater where he worked alongside some big names that all ended up in Hollywood.
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For Brown, his entrance to Hollywood started with roles on TV shows, as he appeared in everything from ER and NYPD Blue to Third Watch and Alias. However, he really began to get noticed with recurring roles in popular TV shows like Supernatural and his breakthrough in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. This almost immediately led to the role most fans know him from, playing Randall Pearson on the drama series This is Us.
10 Hotel Artemis (2018)
Sherman / Waikiki
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Hotel Artemis RActionCrimeDrama
Hotel Artemis is a dystopian thriller set in a riot-torn future Los Angeles. Jodie Foster stars as The Nurse, who operates a secret, members-only hospital for criminals. The facility, run with strict rules, provides sanctuary and medical care amidst the chaos outside. The film features an ensemble cast, including Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella, and Jeff Goldblum. Drew Pearce makes his directorial debut with this tense, action-packed narrative.
Director Drew Pearce Release Date June 8, 2018 Distributor(s) Global Road Entertainment Cast Jodie Foster , Sterling K. Brown , Sofia Boutella , Jeff Goldblum , Brian Tyree Henry , Jenny Slate , Zachary Quinto , Charlie Day , Dave Bautista Runtime 94 Minutes
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Released in 2108, Hotel Artemis is a dystopian crime thriller that takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles. The film is about a secret hospital called Hotel Artemis, set up to care for criminals, run by a brilliant Nurse named Jean Thomas (Jodie Foster) and her assistant Everest (Dave Bautista). The hospital has one main rule – no weapons, no non-members, and no killing other guests. Sterling K. Brown plays Sherman, a professional criminal who was involved in a botched bank robbery and ended up injured alongside his brother.
While he wasn’t the lead, Brown was the main criminal in the Hotel Artemis that the audience follows, and he carries that role admirably.
Sterling and his brother end up at the Hotel Artemis. He soon learns a fancy pen he stole from one bank customer before everything fell apart belonged to an associate of Orian “The Wolfking” Franklin (Jeff Goldblum), who owns the Hotel Artemis. It is also full of diamonds, and soon The Wolfking shows up. While he wasn’t the lead, Brown was the main criminal in the Hotel Artemis that the audience follows, and he carries that role admirably. The film received average to positive reviews, with praise going to the cast.
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9 Army Wives (2007-2013)
Roland Burton
Before his breakout on This is Us, Sterling K. Brown starred in the Lifetime drama series Army Wives. The series is based on the non-fiction book Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank. It is set at a fictional Fort Marshall in South Carolina and focuses on the lives of four Army wives, one Army husband, and their families. Brown is the husband, a psychiatrist who wants to reconnect with his wife (Wendy Davis), who just returned from a two-year deployment in Afghanistan.
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Brown was a main cast member for the first six seasons and then became a recurring cast member in the seventh and final season when he accepted a job at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The series picked up several accolades over its run, including several from the NAACP Image Awards and ASCAP Awards, with Wendy Davis receiving a lot of recognition for her performance alongside Brown throughout the series.
8 Solar Opposites (2021-2022)
Halk
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10/10 Solar Opposites Animation Sci-FiComedy
Solar Opposites is a Hulu adult animation series that centers on a family of aliens. After moving to America, they bicker about whether the country is better than their home planet. The series was created by Mike McMahan and Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, with characters voiced by Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone, and Mary Mack.
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*Availability in US Cast Thomas MIddleditch , Sean Giambrone , Mary Mack , Sagan McMahan , Justin Roiland , Tiffany Haddish Release Date May 8, 2020 Seasons 4 Showrunner Justin Roiland
Fans of the Hulu adult animation series Solar Opposites likely recognized Sterling K. Brown’s voice as he has the role of one of the most popular members of The Wall society – Halk Hogam. The character’s name was clearly a homage to professional wrestling megastar Hulk Hogan, as Halk is a haunted war hero from the Great Wall War and a member of Tim’s resistance movement. He is also someone who sets out to solve a series of murders and later becomes a member of the Wall Council.
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Brown was a cast member for two seasons (seasons 2-3) and sacrificed himself to save Cherie and kill a mosquito. Co-created by Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Rouland, the series was highly acclaimed, with the two seasons that Brown appeared in holding a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Wall storyline was just one of many for the aliens who want to integrate into Earth’s society but end up constantly messing things up along the way.
7 Invincible (2023- )
Angstrom Levy
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5.5/10 Invincible TV-MAAnimationAdventureAction
Based on the comic book character by Robert Kirkman, Invincible follows Mark Grayson, a seventeen-year-old who leads a seemingly average life save for the fact that he lives behind the shadow of his superhero father, Omni-Man. Mark goes on to develop superhuman abilities, but he must also learn that his father’s legacy isn’t as glitzy and glamorous as he’s been led to believe.
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*Availability in US Cast Mark Hamill , Gillian Jacobs , Jon Hamm , Mae Whitman , Steven Yeun , Walton Goggins , Ezra Miller , Jonathan Groff , Sandra Oh , Djimon Hounsou , Khary Payton , Seth Rogen , Jeffrey Donovan , Sonequa Martin-Green , Mahershala Ali , Malese Jow , J. K. Simmons , Clancy Brown , Zazie Beetz , Zachary Quinto , Jason Mantzoukas , Nicole Byer Release Date March 26, 2021 Seasons 2 Showrunner Simon Racioppa Expand
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After finishing up his voice work on Solar Opposites, Sterling K. Brown joined an even darker adult series with the comic book adaptation Invincible. Created by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Invincible follows a teenager who became a superhero (known as Invincible) and learned under his father, Omni-Man, himself the most powerful superhero on the planet. However, as the story plays out, it turns out that his father betrayed his superhero team and is an alien sent to Earth to set up for an invasion.
Brown picked up a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in 2024.
Brown voices the character of Angstron Levy, a man who can create portals to other dimensions. He gets together variants of himself to grow smarter to improve his world, but an accident mutates his brain and he becomes a villain. He was the main focus of Invincible season 2 and was the ultimate villain for Invincible throughout that entire season. Brown picked up a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in 2024.
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6 Supernatural (2006-2007)
Gordon Walker
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89 9.4/10 Supernatural ActionAdventureMystery
Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester – two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States.
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*Availability in US Cast Jensen Ackles , Misha Collins , Jim Beaver , Jared Padalecki , Katie Cassidy , Lauren Cohan , Mark A. Sheppard , Mark Pellegrino , Alexander Calvert Release Date September 13, 2005 Seasons 15 Showrunner Eric Kripke
One of Sterling K. Brown’s earliest major TV roles came on the fantasy series Supernatural. He was a recurring character named Gordon Walker, a vampire hunter who had worked with Bobby Singer and John Winchester. He shows up in Dean and Sam’s lives after John died and appeared in the second, third, and fourth seasons of the show. He also had a major character arc as he proves to be more sadistic and violent than Sam and Dean thanks to his intent hatred of all vampires.
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When Gordon decides that Sam is a danger to the world, he sets out to kill him, but Dean and Sam find a way to get him arrested rather than have to kill one of their dad’s old allies. Eventually, Gordon ends up turning into a vampire, but he remains steadfast in killing other vampires and still keeps his eye on eliminating Sam. Ironically, Gordon was supposed to have an even longer storyline, but he signed on for Army Wives and was only allowed two more Supernatural episodes to end his arc (via Eclipse).
5 Black Panther (2018)
N’Jobu
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13 9/10 Black Panther PG-13 Sci-FiDramaActionSuperhero
Black Panther is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sees the titular hero return after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Set in the fictional nation of Wakanda, Black Panther sees the succession of T’Challa as the nation’s new king. However, when a mysterious soldier with ill intentions arrives with proof of his claim to the throne, the future of Wakanda is thrown into jeopardy.
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*Availability in US Director Ryan Coogler Release Date February 16, 2018 Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Cast Chadwick Boseman , Lupita Nyong’o , Letitia Wright , Angela Bassett , Winston Duke , Michael B. Jordan , Danai Gurira , Forest Whitaker Runtime 134 Minutes
Sterling K. Brown also has an MCU role, and while he only appeared for a few short minutes, he ended up as one of the most important characters to appear in the Black Panther universe. Brown played N’Jobu, the brother of T’Chaka and uncle to T’Challa. Black Panther opened with King T’Chaka visiting his brother who was working undercover in Oakland, California. However, N’Jobu was working with a black-market arms dealer named Ulysses Klaue and was selling stolen Vibranium to him.
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Related Black Panther: Every Wakandan Character Introduced So Far, Explained
Black Panther introduced fans to the nation of Wakanda, filled with dozens of memorable characters. Here’s what you need to know about all of them.
T’Chaka killed his brother, which set his young son Erik on the path to becoming Killmonger, a man who challenged T’Challa for leadership of Wakanda with the intention of starting a new World War. It was only the one scene and then some flashbacks that Erik had of his childhood, but Brown helped make N’Jobu a sympathetic man, despite him being a criminal who betrayed his own people. Brown picked up a BET Awards nomination for Best Actor for his performance.
4 American Fiction (2023)
Cliff Ellison
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9/10 American Fiction Not Yet RatedDrama
Based on the novel by Percival Everett, American Fiction is a drama film that stars Jeffrey Wright as author and English Professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison. With his students lacking cultural sensitivity and publishers rejecting his novels, believing them not to be “Black enough,” Monk returns to his hometown where he witnesses a new young Black author who has created an instant best seller. As he attempts to ignore the success of another, he reunites with his family, where tragedy and chaos begin to consume them.
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*Availability in US Director Cord Jefferson Release Date September 8, 2023 Distributor(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Cast Jeffrey Wright , Tracee Ellis Ross , John Ortiz , Erika Alexander , Leslie Uggams , Adam Brody , Keith David , Issa Rae , Sterling K. Brown Runtime 117 Minutes
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Cord Jefferson directed the comedy-drama American Fiction in 2023 with Jeffrey Wright in the lead role. Wright plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, an upper-class Black writer and professor in Los Angeles. His novels are all great but sell poorly, and his editor tells him they aren’t “Black enough.” As a result, Monk takes on a new persona to be “more Black” and suddenly finds his books selling in massive numbers after he writes a book using ridiculous Black stereotypes.
Brown won Best Supporting Actor from the Black Film Critics Circle and the African-American Film Critics Association.
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The film is a satire on what people expect Black-written fiction to look like. Sterling K. Brown plays Dr. Clifford “Cliff” Ellison, Monk’s brother who recently came out as gay. Brown plays a strong role as someone who tries to figure out his place in the world and then tries to help Monk realize he needs to be more true to himself as well. Critics praised American Fiction, awarding it a 93% fresh rating, and Brown won Best Supporting Actor from the Black Film Critics Circle and the African-American Film Critics Association.
3 The People V. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016)
Christopher Darden
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American Crime Story TV-MABiographyCrimeDrama
Created for FX, American Crime Story is an anthology true crime series that follows a new cast each season. Each is a self-contained series exploring true crime court cases in American history. The initial season visits and reenacts the murder trial of O.J. Simpson in the 1990s, with the show’s structure following several points of view to give a wider picture of each case.
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*Availability in US Cast Sterling K. Brown , Kenneth Choi , Cuba Gooding Jr , Nathan Lane , Sarah Paulson , David Schwimmer , Edgar Ramirez , Darren Criss , Ricky Martin , Penelope Cruz , Beanie Feldstein , Annaleigh Ashford Release Date February 2, 2016 Seasons 3 Showrunner Scott Alexander , Larry Karaszewski , Tom Rob Smith , Sarah Burgess
Sterling K. Brown’s first major awards recognition came in 2016 when he starred in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Brown stars as Christopher Darden, the real-life co-prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. With an ensemble cast, the FX docuseries tells the familiar story of O.J.’s trial while somehow remaining thrilling and shocking.
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Brown parlayed the role into great success, as he won his first-ever Emmy Award along with a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. Brown also said that this was the role that caused him to “trust and believe that I am capable, that I can do the job people pay me to do” (via Entertainment Weekly). In all, The People, v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story picked up a total of 22 nominations, with Sarah Paulson, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Travolta, David Schwimmer, and Courtney B. Vance also earning nominations.
2 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2019)
Reggie
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7/10 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ComedyDrama
Miriam “Midge” Maisel is a 1958 New York City woman who has everything she’s ever wanted—the perfect husband, two kids, and an elegant Upper West Side apartment perfect for hosting Yom Kippur dinner. But her perfect life suddenly takes an unexpected turn and Midge discovers a previously unknown talent for stand-up comedy—a talent that changes her life forever.
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*Availability in US Cast Rachel Brosnahan , Kevin Pollak , Caroline Aaron , Jane Lynch , Marin Hinkle , Michael Zegen , Tony Shalhoub , Alex Borstein Release Date March 17, 2017 Seasons 5 Showrunner Rachel Brosnahan
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Sterling K. Brown also had a major role in the hit Prime Video historical drama series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The series stars Rachel Brosnahan as a New York housewife named Midge Maisel who discovers a unique talent for stand-up comedy. The series then follows her rise to the top, despite the obstacles standing in the way of a woman in the male-run industry of the 1950s and 60s. As for Brown, he plays Reggie, the protective manager of entertainer Shy Baldwin (LeRoy McClain).
Related Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Timeline (Every Season & What Happened)
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According to Brown, this acting experience was the “closest thing to live theater being done on television. There was nothing more exhilarating than being on that set” (via Entertainment Weekly). Brown received an Emmy Award nomination in 2020 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. The series itself also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2018.
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1 This Is Us (2016-2022)
Randall Pearson
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This Is Us TV-14RomanceComedyDrama
This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who people become and how the connections people share with each other can transcend time, distance, and even death.
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*Availability in US Cast Susan Kelechi Watson , Lonnie Chavis , Justin Hartley , Melanie Liburd , Hannah Zeile , Mandy Moore , Eris Baker , Sterling K. Brown , Milo Ventimiglia , Logan Shroyer , Faithe Herman , Niles Fitch , Parker Bates , Chris Sullivan , Chrissy Metz , Alexandra Breckenridge , Jon Huertas , Lyric Ross Asante Blackk Griffin Dunne Caitlin Thompson Chris Geere , Ron Cephas Jones , Mackenzie Hancsicsak Release Date September 20, 2016 Seasons 6 Showrunner Dan Fogelman Expand
The show that Sterling K. Brown is most known for, and the one he won the most awards for, is This is Us. The series is told across two timelines. In one, Jack and Rebecca Pearson (Mile Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore) have twins and adopt a baby born that day and abandoned by his parents and this timeline shows the family’s history growing up. The second timeline is in the future when the three are in their 30s and their father has died. Brown plays Randall, the adopted son.
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Along with the other two of the Big Three – Chrissy Metz’s Kate and Justin Hartley’s Kevin – the grown adults have to figure out their place in the world while dealing with their own personal trauma. Sterling K. Brown won several awards for his performance from the Black Reel Television Awards, Critics’ Choice Television Awards, GLAAD Media Awards, Golden Globe Awards, NAACP Image Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and Primetime Emmy Awards.