Raised in Okinawa, Japan and Europe

Moved with family to Dachau, Germany (date approximate)

Remained in Germany until father's death

Moved with mother and family to New York

Decided to become an actor on his first day at Hofstra University

First professional acting job in off-Broadway production of "A Month of Sundays", a modern version of the Noah story

Broadway debut at age 20 in the trendsetting musical, "Hair"

Starred in the musical version of "Two Gentlemen of Verona"

Starred as Walter Lee Younger in "Raisin", the Broadway musical version of Lorraine Hansberry's drama "A Raisin in the Sun"

Cast as a regular in the TV soap "Search for Tomorrow"

Appeared as Hal Marshall, a regular character on the NBC sitcom "Grady", a short-lived NBC spinoff of "Sanford and Son"

Played first notable role in a feature, as Ahmed in Joan Micklin Silver's "Between the Lines", a character study of the counterculture

Had regular role of Dr. Abel Marsh in the TV soap "Another World"

Played first lead in a major feature, as the title character in John Sayles' "The Brother From Another Planet"; first collaboration with writer-director Sayles

Appeared as a major member of the ensemble cast of "Equal Justice", an ABC-TV legal series

Starred in Sayles' "City of Hope"

Appeared as a recurring character on "A Different World"

Appeared as Carleton, one of two recurring characters on the Fox-TV anthology drama, "Tribeca"

TV directorial debut with "The Loft" episode of "Tribeca"

Narrated the well-received PBS documentary series, "The Great Depression"

Narrated PBS documentary series, "Against the Odds: The Artists of the Harlem Renaissance"

Appeared in ensemble drama "Under One Roof" (CBS)

Cast as a regular in CBS drama series "New York News"

Co-starred in short-lived NBC drama "Prince Street"

Appeared in the award-winning HBO movie "Miss Evers Boys" as one of the doctors treating black men with syphillis

Starred in the short-lived UPN sci-fi medical series "Mercy Point"

Acted in the Broadway play "Art"; also performed in the London production alongside Judd Hirsch

Had supporting role in "The Astronaut's Wife"

Cast as the Duke in the New York Shakespeare Festival Central Park staging of "Measure for Measure"

Rejoined the London production of "Art", featured with Judd Hirsch and Richard Thomas

Appeared in the Off-Broadway play "Brutal Imagination"

Portrayed Dr. Zeke McMillan on "All My Children"

Cast in the film by director John Woo "Paycheck"

Starred as Capt. Dick Marshfield in the big budget "Stealth," with Jamie Foxx

Cast in an adaptation of Armistead Maupin's novel "The Night Listener"