Omar Epps

Birth Date:

July 20, 1973

Birth Name:

Omar Hashim Epps

Birth Place:

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Nick Name:

Unconfirmed

Film Debut:

Juice 1992

Breakthrough Film:

Juice 1992

Biography

Omar Epps was born on July 20, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents divorced during his childhood, and he was raised by his mother, Bonnie Maria Epps, an elementary school principal, along with his sister. The family moved among several Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, and East Flatbush. From a young age he showed creative talent, writing poetry, short stories, and songs by the time he was ten. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where he developed his interest in performance. Before fully committing to acting, he formed a rap group called Wolfpak with a relative in the early 1990s.

Epps made his feature film debut in 1992 as Quincy “Q” Powell in the crime drama Juice, starring opposite Tupac Shakur. The role established him as a promising young actor and led to a series of parts often portraying athletes or troubled young men. He appeared in The Program, Major League II, and John Singleton’s Higher Learning. Additional film credits from the late 1990s and early 2000s included Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and the romantic sports drama Love & Basketball, in which he played aspiring basketball player Quincy McCall. He also took a recurring role as Dr. Dennis Gant on the medical series ER.

In 2004 Epps joined the cast of the long-running medical drama House, portraying neurologist Dr. Eric Foreman for eight seasons and earning multiple NAACP Image Award nominations and wins. The role brought him widespread recognition and demonstrated his range in complex professional characters. Later television work included the series Resurrection, Shooter, and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. He has continued to appear in films such as Almost Christmas while also working as a producer. Over more than three decades Epps has built a steady career across film and television, earning respect for his consistent performances and contributions to both independent and mainstream projects.

Movie Portfolio