Larenz Tate is a famous American film and TV actor who’s been gracing our screens since he was just nine years old. You might recognize his charming face from his roles in so many popular shows. But, if you ask me, his performance in the movie “Crash” was out of this world.
What’s really cool about Larenz Tate is that he’s got range. He’s played so many different characters over the years, but two of his most memorable roles have been O-Dog in “Menace II Society” and Councilman Rashad Tate in “Power.” He knows how to bring his characters to life on the big and small screens.
Larenz Tate Bio
Larenz Tate was born in Chicago on September 8, 1975, and has since been a true gem in the entertainment industry. He’s the youngest of three siblings, and both of his brothers, Larron and Lahmard, are actors too. When Larenz was just four years old, his family packed up and moved to California. It was when they enrolled in a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center that Larenz and his brothers started taking acting seriously. Larenz Tate also attended Palmdale High School, where he graduated in 1993. But you might be surprised to learn that Larenz’s birth name is actually Miles Xavier Tate.
Career
Larenz Tate’s career started with television appearances in popular shows like 21 Jump Street and The Wonder Year. His talent didn’t go unnoticed, and he was soon cast in The Women of Brewster Place, a television movie that gave him exposure in the industry. Tate’s popularity grew when he landed a recurring role in the hit sitcom Family Matters, playing Steve Urkel’s nemesis, Willie Fuffner. He also appeared on the CBS series The Royal Family as Curtis, the grandson of Redd Foxx’s character.
Collaborative filmmakers Albert and Allen Hughes saw Tate’s potential and approached him to star in their debut feature film Menace II Society. Tate portrayed “O-Dog,” a trigger-happy teenager, and Frederick I. Douglass of the Baltimore Afro-American praised Tate’s performance, calling it an instant classic. Larenze Tate continued to build his acting portfolio with a regular role on the short-lived television series South Central as Andre. He then acted in The Inkwell as Drew. While he received positive feedback from one reviewer who called him a “promising” actor, some critics thought he was overacting and compared him to Jim Carrey unfavorably.
In 1995, Tate proved his range as an actor when he played Vietnam veteran Anthony Curtis in the Hughes brothers’ Dead Presidents. A film reviewer praised his performance and stated that Tate could easily play sympathetic characters. In 1997, Tate took on the role of Darius, a love-stricken young poet, in the film Love Jones. Critics loved his performance, with one reviewer describing him as “engaging.”
You might also recognize Tate from his appearance on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where he played the character Kenny in an episode produced by the legendary Quincy Jones. Interestingly enough, Tate would later portray Jones himself in the 2004 film Ray. Throughout the 2000s, Larenz Tate continued to build his film career, portraying Vin Diesel’s drug officer partner in A Man Apart and appearing in movies like Biker Boyz, Crash, and Waist Deep. He even had a role in the short-lived TV series Love Monkey, where he played Shooter Cooper.
Tate continued to impress on the small screen as well. He starred in seasons 4-7 of FX’s Rescue Me as Bart “Black Shawn” Johnston and appeared in the hit series House of Lies as the brother of Don Cheadle’s character. More recently, Tate has continued to show off his acting chops in a variety of roles. He played beta tester Max in Beta Test (2016) and appeared in the 2017 film Girls Trip. Starting in 2017, he portrayed Councilman Rashad Tate on the popular series Power and continued to play the character in its sequel series, Power Book II: Ghost.
Music video appearance and video game
Larenz Tate’s career extends beyond his work in television and film. In fact, he’s made a name for himself in the music industry as well. One of his most memorable appearances was in R&B singer Ashanti’s music video for her hit song “Rain on Me.” Released in 2003, the video tackled the tough subject of domestic abuse. In it, Tate played Ashanti’s jealous and abusive spouse. He delivered a powerful performance that garnered attention and praise from fans and critics alike.
