Deon Cole — Movies, TV Shows & Roles

Actor

1972-01-09 · Chicago, Illinois, USA · Male

26 series in the catalog

Deon Anthony Cole (born January 9, 1972) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is best known for his role in the sitcom Black-ish (2014–2022), which earned him nominations for two NAACP Image Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. On June 25, 2020, he became the second panelist to win the Doris Award on the ABC version of To Tell the Truth. He stars in Average Joe.
Cole was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for co-writing the late-night talk shows The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Conan; for the latter, he was also nominated for three Writers Guild of America Awards.
Early life
Cole was born on January 9, 1972, in Roseland in Chicago. He was educated at Thornridge High School and earned an acting degree from Philander Smith College.
Career
Cole started his career in comedy after a friend bet him $50 that he would not get up on stage one night in Chicago. Cole was on the writing staff for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien from 2009 to 2010, and he worked as a writer for Conan from 2010 to 2012. He has appeared frequently in comedic bits for both broadcasts, and he has, along with the rest of the staff, received two Primetime Emmy nominations. Cole also performed on Conan O'Brien's "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour" in 2010.
In February 2010, Cole performed on Comic Aid Haiti, a comedy performance that benefited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Cole has performed stand up on other programs such as John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, Mash Up and Lopez Tonight. Cole created his own production company, Cole Blooded, to produce the sketch comedy show Deon Cole's Black Box. It premiered on TBS, on June 10, 2013, but was canceled on October 25, 2013.
Cole had a recurring role on the ABC sitcom Black-ish as Charlie Telphy. He was promoted to a main role in season 4. He later made several appearances in Black-ish's spin-off Grown-ish. Cole was cast on Angie Tribeca from 2016 to 2018. Cole hosted the game show Face Value on BET in 2017. That year, he also performed in a half-hour set in the Netflix original series The Standups.
In October 2019, Netflix released a stand-up special called Deon Cole: Cole Hearted. Since 2019, Cole has been a part of a television ad campaign for Old Spice body wash, alongside actress/comedian Gabrielle Dennis.
On June 25, 2020, Cole appeared on To Tell the Truth and won the Doris Award, becoming the second panelist to do so.
On May 6, 2023, Cole received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from his alma mater Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Personal life
Cole has a son, Dylan. Cole is a single parent who keeps things private regarding his son's mother.