William Jackson Harper


William Jackson Harper, is an American actor. He portrayed Chidi Anagonye on the NBC comedy The Good Place.

Early life

William Fitzgerald Harper was born on February 8, 1980, in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from the College of Santa Fe in 2003. Harper chose the stage name "William Jackson Harper" when registering for the Actors' Equity Association; most permutations of "William Harper" were already in use, and he thought that "Fitzgerald" was too long. Harper opted to use the middle name "Jackson", his mother's maiden name, to honor her.

Career

Harper made his Broadway debut in 2014, cast as James Harrison and Stokely Carmichael in All the Way.
From 2009 to 2011, Harper starred in the PBS children's series The Electric Company.
In 2016, Harper was cast on the NBC comedy The Good Place. Before landing the role of Chidi Anagonye, he considered quitting acting. Harper did not learn about the show's real premise until after he was cast. His performance has received critical praise. In 2017, in between filming the show's first and second seasons, he had a leading role in Zoe Kazan's After the Blast at Lincoln Center's Claire Tow Theatre.
In 2019, he starred in two critically acclaimed films, playing Josh in the film Midsommar and James Ross in Dark Waters.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Harper has also appeared in stage productions of Ruined and An Octoroon.

Awards and nominations