Harold Perrineau

Harold Perrineau is an American actor born on August 7, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, his parents changed his surname to Williams, though he later reverted to Perrineau after learning that a Harold Williams was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild. He studied at Shenandoah University and trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Perrineau's professional stage career began in 1989, when he originated the role of Tyrone Jackson in the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Fame at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His Broadway debut came in 2016 with the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, adapted by Stephen Karam. Perrineau played Lopakhin opposite Diane Lane as Ranevskaya, with the production running from September through December 4, 2016.

His screen career gained early momentum with the independent film Smoke (1995), for which he received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. The following year he appeared as Mercutio in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet (1996). Additional film credits include The Edge (1997), The Best Man (1999), Woman on Top (2000), 28 Weeks Later (2007), and 30 Days of Night: Dark Days. He took on the role of Link in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both 2003), stepping into the part after the original actor, Marcus Chong, was dismissed from the production over a monetary dispute.

On television, Perrineau built a substantial body of work across multiple decades. He starred as Augustus Hill in the HBO prison drama Oz from 1997 to 2003, a role he secured around the same period he joined The Matrix franchise. He subsequently played Michael Dawson in the ABC series Lost beginning in 2004. His character departed the show at the end of season two and was absent for the entirety of season three before returning as a series regular in season four. Perrineau made a single guest appearance in the sixth and final season. Other television credits include Sons of Anarchy (2012), in which he portrayed Damon Pope, the primary antagonist of the fifth season; Constantine (2014–2015), where he played the angelic messenger Manny; and the TBS comedy Wedding Band (2012–2013), in which he starred as Stevie, a bass player. From 2017 to 2022, he appeared in TNT's Claws as Dean, a man on the autism spectrum and the brother of the lead character Desna, a performance for which he won the NAACP Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Since 2022, Perrineau has starred as Sheriff Boyd Stevens in the MGM+ horror series From, with the show's third season premiering on September 22, 2024, and a fourth season announced.

Beyond acting, Perrineau has pursued a musical career. He released his debut single "Stay Strong" in 2007 and collaborated with music producer DJ Tomo Tom Tom on his debut album Seeker. The album's first single, "Moving On," was released on October 15, 2011. He has performed live with a full band and appeared at Los Angeles venue The Mint in April 2010. He also voiced the title character in Marvel's Blade anime series, which aired on G4 beginning in January 2012.

Since 2002, Perrineau has been married to Brittany Robinson Perrineau, a former actress and model. The couple have three daughters, including actress Aurora, born in 1994, and two others born in 2008 and 2013.