Background
He was born legally blind due to his Albinism. He grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He was born legally blind due to his Albinism. He grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He is African American and albinistic. In Minneapolis, Varnado worked with the local improvisation troupes ComedySportz, The Bad Mamma Jammas and several regional theater companies, before landing his first role in the Big River Productions film Full Moon Rising, playing a copy clerk. Soon after, his role in Giraffe Films" Kids Adventures in Oz spurred him on move to New York to pursue an acting career.
His first "big break" came when he landed a role in Elton John"s music video "Recovering Your Soul".
Shortly after, he starred in Forensic Films" Julien Donkey-Boy with Ewen Bremner, Werner Herzog and Chloë Sevigny. He was subsequently cast in Universal"s feature film End of Days (1999), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He co-starred in Eddie Murphy"s space-age comic thriller, The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002). Showing in the New York International Film Festival playing in Los Angeles, Hacks was an official selection for The Milan Film Festival.
Varnado is working on a superhero film with famous comic book legend Stan Lee.
He has performed character voices for a new video game for Sony PlayStation 3 called Rat Race. He has also been a guest on the popular podcast Keith and The Girl.
Varnado is a member of Chicago City Limits, New York¹s longest running comedy improv theater company for which he writes and direct as well as performing regularly as a stand up comedian.