Malik Yoba

Malik Yoba
Malik Yoba in 2010
Born	Abdul-Malik Kashie Yoba (1967-09-17) September 17, 1967 (age 49) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1993–present

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.

Currently, he stars in the role of FBI Deputy Director Jason Atwood in the ABC political drama Designated Survivor.

The fourth of six children, Yoba was born in Bronx, New York; his parents are Mahmoudah Young (née Lanier) and Abdullah Yoba. He is divorced from Trisha Mann, a model and actress who starred with Yoba in the stage play His Woman, His Wife in 2000. Yoba has three children: daughter Dena with Mann, son Josiah and another daughter Pria from a previous relationship. Yoba is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

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 episodes.