Rise to Fame
A billing clerk at AT&T in Atlanta who cut a parody song about Mike Tyson's marriage wasn't the obvious path to a network TV career. The novelty track got him signed to a label, the music stalled, and he moved to L.A. at 30 with no acting experience. Guest spots on The Fresh Prince and In Living Color came fast. Boston Public (2000) was the real break: four seasons as Principal Steven Harper on a David E. Kelley drama that held up for a while.
In the Spotlight
Captain Lou Grover on Hawaii Five-0 is the defining run. He joined in Season 4 as a recurring guest, became a series regular, and stayed through the show's finale in 2020, adding writing credits along the way. Seven seasons on a major CBS procedural, plus voice work as Nick Fury in Marvel animated shows since 2012, and a Harlan Coben Netflix limited series casting him in 2025. Most character actors who enter a long-running show mid-run don't end up writing the scripts too.
Side Notes
The nickname 'Chi' is just shorthand for Chicago, where he grew up singing in a gospel choir and finished high school at 16. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009), where he played the dry private investigator Emerson Cod, still has a devoted cult following. His music career does not.