Robert Brown (born March 11, 1984) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films Finding Forrester (2000), Coach Carter (2005), Take the Lead (2006), and The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008), and for starring in the HBO series Treme (2010–13) and NBC series Blindspot (2015-2020).
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Early life
Brown was born in Harlem, New York, on March 11, 1984, the middle of three children. Brown's mother works as a substance abuse counselor. He was raised in Brooklyn. Brown attended Poly Prep Country Day School and Prep for Prep, where he played on the school's football team as a wide receiver. He graduated from Amherst College, where he balanced his education and acting career. Prior to being cast in Finding Forrester, Brown's only acting experience was a school play during childhood.
Career
When he turned 16, Brown auditioned for Finding Forrester, expecting to be cast as an extra. However, the film's director Gus Van Sant claimed Brown was the actor he was seeking to portray high school basketball player Jamal Wallace, and cast him in the role. Brown made his acting debut in the 2000 film, opposite Sean Connery. Brown received positive reviews in his first acting role. One critic believed Brown shone more than his veteran co-star. A film reviewer stated Brown held his own "remarkably well" alongside Connery, with a third opining the two actors had an "appealing chemistry."
