Rocky Carroll

Rocky Carroll, born Roscoe Carroll on July 8, 1963, in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an American actor and director whose career spans theater, television, and film. He graduated from the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati in 1981, then pursued formal training at the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University in St. Louis, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Webster University later awarded him an honorary degree in 2009.

After completing his education, Carroll relocated to New York City, where he became involved in Joe Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival, participating in the "Shakespeare on Broadway" series and introducing young audiences to Shakespeare's works. Through the festival, Carroll took on non-traditional roles in Shakespeare productions that had rarely been portrayed by Black actors, contributing to broader representation on the stage. His Broadway credits from 1986 to 1990 include Romeo + Juliet, Macbeth, As You Like It, and The Piano Lesson. His work in The Piano Lesson, based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, earned him a Theatre World Award in 1990, as well as Tony and Drama Desk nominations.

Carroll's television career gained significant momentum with his role as Joey Emerson, a ne'er-do-well musician, on the Fox comedy-drama Roc, which ran from 1991 to 1994. He subsequently starred as Dr. Keith Wilkes on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope, where he shared the cast with Mark Harmon and Lauren Holly. Carroll has also guest-starred in numerous television programs, including The West Wing, Law & Order, ER, Grey's Anatomy, Boston Legal, and Family Law, among others.

Beginning in the fifth season of the CBS drama NCIS, Carroll appeared in a recurring role as Assistant Director Leon Vance, reuniting him with his Chicago Hope castmates Harmon and Holly. Following the departure of Holly's character, Vance was elevated to director of NCIS and Carroll joined the main cast. He has reprised the role in the NCIS spin-offs Los Angeles and New Orleans. In 2015, Carroll expanded his work on NCIS by stepping behind the camera, making his directorial debut with the Season 12 episode "We Build, We Fight."

Carroll's film work includes roles in Born on the Fourth of July, Crimson Tide, The Great White Hype, Prelude to a Kiss, The Chase, Best Laid Plans, The Ladies Man, and Yes Man. He married Gabrielle Bullock in 1996, and the couple have one daughter, Elissa.