Malik Yoba

Abdul-Malik Kashie "Malik" Yoba (born September 17, 1967) is an American actor and occasional singer. He is known for his starring role as NYPD Detective J. C. Williams on the Fox police drama New York Undercover and as Yul Brenner in Cool Runnings. He also appeared as former FBI Special Agent Bill Harken on the Syfy drama series Alphas, as Jim Hudson in Revolution as well as Vernon Turner in Empire. Recently, he starred in the role of FBI Deputy Director Jason Atwood in the ABC political drama Designated Survivor. He was a guest host of the popular weekly music series Soul Train in May 1997. 2Personal life The fourth of six children, Yoba was born in Bronx, New York; his parents are Mahmoudah Young (née Lanier) and Abdullah Yoba. 2Career In 1994, Yoba began his role as NYPD Detective J.C. Williams on the popular FOX police drama series New York Undercover, opposite Michael DeLorenzo. Yoba and DeLorenzo (who is of Puerto Rican and Italian descent) made television history, as the series was the first police drama on American television to feature two people of color in the starring roles. Yoba's work on New York Undercover earned him three consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (in 1996, 1997, and 1998). The series was cancelled in 1998, with Yoba as the only actor to appear in all 89 episode