Background
Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Preparatory in 2002.
Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Preparatory in 2002.
Amherst College.
He is known for his roles in the films Finding Forrester (2000), Coach Carter (2005), Take the Lead (2006), and The Express (2008), and for starring in the Home Box Office series Treme (2010-2013). He is currently cast in the National Broadcasting Company drama Blindspot as Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Edgar Reade. Brown shot into the spotlight after starring opposite Sean Connery in the 2000 film Finding Forrester.
He had neither professional nor amateur acting experience prior to taking this role.
Brown tried out as an extra after finding a flyer hanging on a bulletin board in his school. Despite his lack of previous experience, he was given the lead role of Jamal Wallace.
In 2005, he played the role of Kenyon Stone, a basketball player for the Richmond High School Oilers in Coach Carter, starring Samuel L. Jackson. He was one of the lead roles alongside Ashanti.
Production began in March 2007, and the film was released in October 2008.
He is currently cast in the National Broadcasting Company drama Blindspot as Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Edgar Reade. In 2008, Brown was named the official spokesman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society"s Light the Night Walk. As spokesman, Brown appears in Light The Night publicity materials and public service announcements to help spread the word about the program
He is also a member of the academic program Preparatory for Preparatory, which provides opportunities for minorities in New York City and its surrounding area to attend elite independent schools.