Background
The youngest of four siblings, Lennix was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Lillian C. (née Vines), a laundress, and Harry Lennix, Junior., a machinist. His mother was African-American and his father was a Creole from Louisiana.
The youngest of four siblings, Lennix was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Lillian C. (née Vines), a laundress, and Harry Lennix, Junior., a machinist. His mother was African-American and his father was a Creole from Louisiana.
Lennix attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South and Northwestern University, where he majored in Acting and Direction.
He is best known for his roles as Terrence "Dresser" Williams in the Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats (1991) and as Boyd Langton in the Joss Whedon television series Dollhouse. Lennix currently co-stars as Harold Cooper, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Counterterrorism Division, on the National Broadcasting Company drama The Blacklist. Lennix played Calvin Swanwick in the District of Columbia Extended Universe.
In his senior year at Northwestern, he was the coordinator of the African-American student organization, Foreign Members Only.
He taught music and civics for several years in the Chicago Public School system and is a frequent lecturer. Lennix starred in the Showtime Networks made-for-cable television film Keep the Faith, Baby (2002) as Review
Adam Clayton Powell, Junior., who was a legendary Harlem Congressman from 1944 to 1972. In the movie Titus (1999), based on Shakespeare"s Titus Andronicus, as Aaron the Moor.
And in the American Broadcasting Company television series Commander in Chief.
Lennix currently co-stars as Harold Cooper, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Counterterrorism Division, on the National Broadcasting Company drama The Blacklist, which debuted September 23, 2013. In film, Lennix has had supporting roles such as The Five Heartbeats (1991), Get on the Business (1996), Love & Basketball (2000), The Matrix series (1999-2003), Ray (2004), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), Stomp the Yard (2007), and State of Play (2009). In television, he had a recurring role in Diagnosis: Murder as Agent Ron Wagner as well as a voice-over role in the Legion of Super Heroes animated series.
He appeared on the series House Doctor of Medicine as a paralyzed jazz trumpet player, and in six episodes of Emergency as Doctor Greg Fischer.
He also appeared in the episode "The Blame Game" of the first season of Ally McBeal. He played the parts of Boyd Langton in Joss Whedon"s series Dollhouse and United States. president Barack Obama in the comedy sketch show Little Britain United States of America. In 2007, he was an official festival judge at the first annual Noor Iranian Festival.