Charles S. Dutton

Though he seemed destined to spend his life going in and out of prison, actor Charles S. Dutton managed to turn himself around to become an acclaimed and award-winning performer who excelled both on stage and on screen. Dutton first won fame for his Tony-nominated performance in August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (1985) while broadening his appeal with a memorable supporting turn in "Crocodile Dundee II" (1988). But it was his starring role on the sitcom "Roc" (Fox, 1991-94) that propelled him to stardom. Critically acclaimed because of its shift from sitcom to more dramatic themes, "Roc" entered television history as being the first show since the late 1950s to air an entire season live. Meanwhile, Dutton had a major supporting role in the much maligned "Alien3" (1992) before settling into a series of guest appearances and made-for-television movies following the cancelation of "Roc" in 1994. He also stepped into the director's chair to helm the widely hailed social drama, "The Corner" (HBO, 2000), a six-part miniseries that chronicled the lives of people affected by drugs and gang violence in West Baltimore. Sutton added the feature "Against the Ropes" (2004) to his directing résumé while appearing in a variety of screen projects like the independent "Honeydripper" (2007) and the special effects-laden "Legion" (2010), proving that Sutton was as versatile as he was talented.