Blair Underwood has distinguished himself as an award-winning actor/director/producer who continues to showcase his multitude of talents in the world of film, television, theatre and literature.

Underwood recently starred in the NBC drama "The Event," where he played the President of the United States. He also co-starred in the independent drama film "The Art of Getting By" opposite Emma Roberts and Freddy Highmore - which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Fox Searchlight June 19.

In 2009, Underwood received an abundance of accolades including a Grammy for Best Spoken Word for former Vice President Al Gore's album "An Inconvenient Truth" (read by Blair Underwood, Beau Bridges and Cynthia Nixon). He also received his second Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his powerful role on HBO's groundbreaking drama "In Treatment." Additionally, he was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards and was awarded his sixth overall.

Underwood was seen in three high-profile television projects in 2008. He starred opposite Donald Sutherland in ABC's hit drama "Dirty Sexy Money" as Simon Elder, a billionaire who tangles with the fictional Darling family. He received extensive critical acclaim and was an Emmy semi-finalist for his role as a navy fighter pilot opposite Gabriel Byrne in "In Treatment." And he reprised his recurring role of Mr. Harris opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus in CBS' award-winning comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

In 2007, Underwood shot his feature directorial debut in Pittsburgh, the independent drama "Bridge to Nowhere." The film, which stars Danny Masterson, Bijou Phillips and Ving Rhames, is the story of four blue collar twentysomething men from North Pittsburgh who team up with a destitute prostitute to create a high-priced escort service. The dark story follows their rise and inevitable spiraling descent.

In fall 2005, Underwood published his first book, a non-fiction best seller called "Before I Got Here" (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc.). The book is a collection of stories and anecdotes from parents that speak to the existence of a child's soul prior to birth. In 2007, he returned to the literary world, co-authoring his first detective novel "Casanegra" with Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes. Their subsequent novel, "In the Night of the Heat," was released the following summer, and the third installment of the series, entitled "From Cape Town With Love," will be released May 18, 2010 by Atria Books. The detective series has received rave reviews from both readers and critics.

He burst into the national spotlight with his confident and passionate portrayal of lawyer Jonathan Rollins in the NBC hit series "L.A. Law." The role also earned him his first Golden Globe nomination in 1990. Additionally, TV Guide singled him out as one of "The Top Stars of the '90s." Underwood starred in CBS' top-rated 1998 dramatic miniseries "Mama Flora's Family," which was based on Alex Haley's final book. The performance earned him an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie/Mini-series.

Underwood won the NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Television Movie for NBC's "Murder in Mississippi" and starred as Jackie Robinson in HBO's "Soul of the Game," for which he received another NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie/Miniseries. Underwood again won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his starring role in Steven Bochco's "City of Angels." He has also starred in Showtime's "The Wishing Tree," HBO's "Sex in the City," TNT's award-winning "Heat Wave," the CBS miniseries "The Hades Factor," and in 2004, the NBC drama "LAX" opposite Heather Locklear.

His theater credits include his 2004 workshop/tour of his one-man show "IM4: From the Mountaintop to Hip Hop." The play, which he created and conceived and was written by his brother Frank Underwood, is the story of a rap mogul who is gunned down. During his heavenly journey, the mogul meets the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Underwood played eight characters in all.

Underwood is involved in numerous charitable organizations. His dedicated support of The Muscular Dystrophy Association won him the 1993 Humanitarian Award, presented by the Los Angeles Chapter of MDA. In 2003 Underwood, along with Ashley Judd, served as the spokesperson for YouthAIDS. He is also co-founder of Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA). Founded in 1989 by members of the arts and entertainment community, ANSA is a non-profit organization working in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, assist children orphaned by the disease, advance human and civil rights, educate and empower youth, and build bonds between our nations through arts, culture, and our shared pursuit of social justice.

On September 10, 2009, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the United States' largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, announced the grand opening of their first AIDS treatment center in Washington D.C., and the facility was named after Underwood in recognition of his longtime advocacy. The AHF Blair Underwood Clinic includes a state-of-the-art, full-service HIV/AIDS treatment clinic as well as an on-site AHF Pharmacy.

In addition to serving as an artist in residence at Harvard University in 2009, Underwood also holds an honorary Doctorate from Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts.