Joe Morton


Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. is an American stage, television and film actor. He worked with film director John Sayles in The Brother from Another Planet, City of Hope and Lone Star. Other films he appeared in include , Of Mice and Men, Speed, Apt Pupil, What Lies Beneath, Ali, Paycheck, Stealth, and American Gangster.
In 2014, Morton won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Eli Pope, Olivia Pope's father, in Scandal, and is known for playing the role of Henry Deacon on the popular TV series Eureka.

Early life

Morton was born in Harlem, New York City, the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton Sr., a U.S. Army intelligence officer. Because of his father's military service, he spent parts of his childhood in West Germany and Okinawa. When Morton was 10 years old, his father died.
Morton graduated from Andrew Jackson High School and studied drama at Hofstra University.

Career

Morton made his Broadway debut in Hair, appeared in Salvation, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Raisin. He has appeared in over 70 movies, including John Sayles' The Brother from Another Planet, ' and Blues Brothers 2000. He also played Police Lieutenant Herb "Mac" McMahon, in Speed. On daytime, Morton has had roles on Search for Tomorrow, Another World, and All My Children. In 2002, he appeared on the London stage in the play Art.
Morton has made many notable TV guest appearances, including his appearances as Dr. Steven Hamilton in the first two seasons of Smallville. He starred in the Sanford and Son spin-off Grady, M*A*S*H*, Under One Roof and E-Ring. He portrayed the jack-of-all-trades scientist Henry Deacon as a regular on Syfy Channel's Eureka. Morton played the role of Eli Pope on the hit drama Scandal, a role for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
In 2010, Joe Morton played Kyle Bancroft, Special Agent in Charge of the New York White Collar Division, on USA Network's White Collar.
In 2016, Morton portrayed the activist and comedian Dick Gregory in the play Turn Me Loose at the Westside Theatre in Manhattan. Morton portrayed Dr. Silas Stone, father of Victor Stone/Cyborg, in a cameo role in the 2016 film ', part of the DC Extended Universe. He reprised the character in the film Justice League.
From 2018 to 2020, Morton has co-starred as Reverend Arthur Finer in the CBS series God Friended Me.

Filmography

Film

Television

Videogame

Awards and nominations