The Practice Guy

Background:

Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated actor Steve Harris garnered rave reviews for her portrayal of Judge Eugene Young, the second highest-ranking partner at a Boston law firm, and later senior partner, on ABC legal drama TV series "The Practice" (1997-2004).

Initially planning to become a professional football player until an injury ended his dream, the Chicago native, who holds a B.A. And M.F.A degree in Theater Arts, has appeared in such films as "Sugar Hill" (1994), "The Rock" (1996), "The Mod Squad" (1999), "The Skulls" (2000), "Beyond the City Limits" (2001), "Minority Report" (2002), "Bringing Down the House" (2003), "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" (2005), "The Unseen" (2005), and "Ball Don't Lie" (2008). Next, he will co-star in the upcoming films "Quarantine," "12 Rounds," and "Bone Deep."

Meanwhile, the multi-talented actor continued acting on television playing recurring roles in "Law & Order," "New York Undercover," and "Eli Stone," as well as co-starred in "Heist" (as James Johnson; 2006) and voiced Detective Ethan Bennett/Clayface (2004-2006) in "The Batman." He also has starred in various TV series and miniseries as well as guest starred in the TV series "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Murder One," "Chicago Hope," "Ally McBeal," and "Grey's Anatomy."

This 6' player with bald pate and imposing frame was one of People Magazine's “Sexiest Men Alive” (2006; can be found in the "Bald and Beautiful" section) and was one of "People Magazine" 50 most eligible bachelors (2002). He was a 2004 Celebrity spokesperson for Big brother big sister organization of America.

“I like women who have flavor. I can't really define what that is, but I can smell it when she's got it.” Steve Harris.

Busta, Smooth

Childhood and Family:

“My mother is wonderful. My mother and father helped raise me. I give them credit for whatever the best part of me and then the rest, I did on my own.” Steve Harris.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 3, 1965, Steve J. Harris was raised in Westchester, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Son of John Harris, a bus driver who also worked nights at a racetrack (died in 1999), and Mattie Harris, a housewife, Steve has a younger brother named Wood Harris (born Sherwin David Harris on October 17, 1969), who is also an actor.

Steve played running back at St. Joseph High in Westchester, Illinois, a private school known for developing star athletes such as basketball star Isiah Thomas and was featured in the documentary “Hoop Dreams” (1994). He then played linebacker at Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois, where he also studied drama and earned a B.A. Theatre Arts in 1989. Steve, whose favorite pigout food is his mom’s caramel cake, received college nicknames “Busta” and “Smooth.”

Following a torn ankle ligament that ended his football career, Steve, who was teased by college football teammate to become a professional actor, went on to complete his studies with a Master's of Fine Arts degree in theater from the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware.

In Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Career:

After his dreams of playing professional football curtailed by sports injury, Chicago-born Steve Harris, who holds a B.A. And M.F.A degree in Theater Arts, began to hone his craft on the stage, tackling roles in Shakespeare and in more contemporary fare. Meanwhile, he made earlier film appearances with tiny parts as a radio announcer in writer/director Meir Zarchi's action/drama/horror movie "Don't Mess with My Sister" (1985) and as a van driver in Beau Bridges' action/crime/drama film "Seven Hours to Judgment" (1988).

In the early 1990s, after guest-starring in a January 1993 episode of NBC's police procedural drama series "Homicide: Life on the Street," Harris landed recurring roles on NBC's police procedural and legal drama series "Law & Order" and on Fox's one-hour police drama "New York Undercover" from 1994 to 1995.

During this time, he appeared in the miniseries war drama miniseries based on the novel by John Jakes, "Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III" (1994), and the HBO action/drama/thriller TV movie about the Attica prison uprising, John Frankenheimer's "Against the Wall" (1994), in which he had big break as an "angry black man," as well as guest-starred in an episode of ABC crime/drama/thriller series "Murder One." He was also cast in the films "Sugar Hill" (1994), a crime-drama/neo-noir starring Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright, and "The Rock" (1996), Michael Bay's Academy Award-nominated action film starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Harris.

From 1997 to 2004, Harris played his most prominent role to date, as Judge Eugene Young, the second highest-ranking partner at a Boston law firm, and later senior partner, on ABC legal drama TV series "The Practice." His performance in the show won him an Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2004 and two Q Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series in 1989 and 1999. He was also nominated an Emmy twice, in 1999 and 2000, both for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and Screen Actors Guild Awards three times, in 1999, 2000, and 2001, all for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

During his "Practice" tenure, Harris continued acting in films, in William DeVizia's crime/drama "Lesser Prophets" (1997; with Michael Badalucco, Zachary Badalucco, and Amy Brenneman), Mark Freed's drama "Lovers and Liars" (1998; alongside Michael York, David Faustino, and Chris Conrad), Scott Silver's action/thriller "The Mod Squad" (1999; with Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi, Omar Epps, Dennis Farina, and Josh Brolin), and Rob Cohen's teen thriller "The Skulls" (2000; alongside Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, Hill Harper, and Leslie Bibb).

He also co-starred in the films "Beyond the City Limits" (2001; opposite Jennifer Esposito and Alyson Hannigan), a crime/drama by Gigi Gaston in which he played the security guard and the inside information man of a casino, "Minority Report" (2002), Steven Spielberg's science fiction film loosely adapted from the initial storyline of the Philip K. Dick short story in which he played Jad, who oversees the precogs and helps Tom Cruise's lead character interpret their visions, "Bringing Down the House" (2003), Adam Shankman's comedy starring Queen Latifah and Steve Martin, and "Death and Texas" (2004), a mockumentary written and directed by Kevin DiNovis in which he was featured alongside Charles Durning.

Meanwhile, besides on "The Practice," TV viewers could catch him in the book-based TV movies "George Wallace" (1997; TNT; with Gary Sinise, Mare Winningham, and Angelina Jolie), "Nightmare Street" (1998; alongside Sherilyn Fenn and Rena Sofer), and "King of the World" (2000; opposite Terrence Howard). He was also spotted as a guest in an episode of Emmy Award-winning CBS medical drama series "Chicago Hope," Fox drama/comedy starring Calista Flockhart, "Ally McBeal," and Nickelodeon's animated television series "The Wild Thornberrys."

Following the demise of his show "The Practice," Harris began providing the voices of Detective Ethan Bennett/Clayface (2004-2006) on Kids' WB Emmy Award-winning animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero, "The Batman," and then co-starred as James Johnson on the short-lived NBC action/drama series "Heist" (2006), alongside Dougray Scott and Michele Hicks.

Meanwhile, Harris received a Black Movie Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his turn as Charles, the rich husband to Kimberly Elise's Helen, in the feature adaption of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" (2005), which was based on a play of the same name written by Tyler Perry who also co-stars. That same year, he also starred in Lisa France's interracial relationship drama film "The Unseen" and appeared in the music video "Testify" for rapper Common. Additionally, he appeared as a guest in an episode of Playhouse Disney's cartoon series "Higglytown Heroes" (voice) and ABC's primetime television medical drama "Grey's Anatomy."

Harris recently co-starred with Dean Cain and Eric Balfour in an unsold TV series pilot "Protect and Serve" (2007) and had a recurring role as Jayson Turk (2008) on ABC legal comedy-drama series starring Jonny Lee Miller, "Eli Stone." On the big screen, he teamed up with Rosanna Arquette, Nick Cannon, and Emilie de Ravin in Brin Hill's dramatic film "Ball Don't Lie," an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by Matt de la Peña that premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and is set to arrive in theaters in early 2009.

Next, Harris will star opposite Jennifer Carpenter, playing her cameraman who spend the night shift with a Los Angeles Fire Station, in John Erick Dowdle's soon-to-be released horror movie, "Quarantine," a remake of the Spanish horror film "REC" that will be released on October 10, 2008 by Screen Gems Pictures.

Harris is currently working on his upcoming film projects, "12 Rounds," an action film set to be directed by Renny Harlin and produced by WWE Studios in which he co-stars with professional wrestler John Cena, as well as Aidan Gillen, Brian J. White, Ashley Scott, and Taylor Cole, and "Bone Deep," an action/crime drama helmed by John Luessenhop in which he shares the screen with Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker, Zoe Saldana, and Matt Dillon. He also just completed a new TV movie called "Good Behavior," an American adaptation of the New Zealand series "Outrageous Fortune." He is featured alongside DJ Qualls, Mae Whitman, Gary Cole, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Tambor, and Treat Williams.

Awards:

• Image: Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, "The Practice," 2004

• Q: Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series, "The Practice," 1999

• Q: Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series, "The Practice," 1998