While there has been about a handful of black actors who have played the President of the United States on the big screen, such as Morgan Freeman ('Deep Impact'), Chris Rock ('Head of State'), and Danny Glover ('2012'), only two have done so on the small screen, Dennis Haysbert and D.B. Woodside, both on the now-cancelled hit series, '24.'
Well, you can now count Blair Underwood as the third black president to grace the TV world.
The Washington state native is set to play America's first Afro-Cuban leader of the United States, President Elias Martinez in the much hyped NBC series, 'The Event.''
Premiering on September 20, 2010 at 9 pm, the story revolves around Sean Walker (played by Jason Ritter), a man who, while investigating the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend, begins to discover the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.
Also starring in the series are Sarah Roemer, Laura Innes, Željko Ivanek, Ian Anthony Dale, Scott Patterson, Taylor Cole, Clifton Collins, Jr., Bill Smitrovich and Lisa Vidal as the Puerto Rican first lady.
For Underwood, the 46-year actor has come a long way since he first made his acting debut in as Russell Walker in 1985's 'Krush Groove.' His character was a take on the rapper/ pastor Russell Simmons of the famed rap group RUN D.M.C.
Although he's done his share of films from 'Set It Off' with Jada Pinkett Smith, 'Something New' with Sanaa Lathan to Tyler Perry's 'Madea's Family Reunion,' Underwood is more known for the roles he's created on TV.
For seven years, he played attorney Jonathan Rollins on NBC's 'L.A Law,' and Underwood was the only black actor who had a recurring role on the hit series, 'Sex and the City.' He was last seen in HBO's critically acclaimed series, 'In Treatment.'