Donald Faison
Donald Adeosun Faison[1] (/ˈfeɪzɒn/; born June 22, 1974)[1] is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor, best known for his leading role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC/NBC comedy-drama Scrubs (2001–2010), and a supporting role as Murray in both the film Clueless (1995) and the subsequent television series of the same name. He also starred as Phil Chase in the TV Land sitcom The Exes (2011–2015).
Donald Faison | |
|---|---|
 Faison at Hollywood Life Magazine’s 7th Annual Breakthrough Awards in 2007 | |
| Born | Donald Adeosun Faison June 22, 1974 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, voice actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | 6 |
| Relatives | Olamide Faison (brother) |
Faison has also co-starred in the films Waiting to Exhale (1995), Remember the Titans (2000), Uptown Girls (2003), Something New (2006), Next Day Air (2009), and Kick-Ass 2 (2013).
Early life
Faison was born in Harlem in New York City, the son of Shirley, a talent agent, and Donald Faison, a building manager.[2] He is the older brother of singer/musician Olamide Faison. His middle name stems from the words "ade" (meaning "crown")[3] and "osun" (meaning "river of life”) in the west African language of Yoruba. His parents were active with the National Black Theater in Harlem. He attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan with his best friend, actor Dash Mihok.[4]
Career
Before his debuts on Scrubs and Clueless, Faison appeared in a 1991 commercial for Folgers coffee at the age of 17, in which he played the younger brother of a soldier returning from war. The following year, he appeared with Malik Yoba in the ABC News special Prejudice: Answering Children's Questions, hosted by Peter Jennings. He also had a small role in Sugar Hill starring Wesley Snipes. He then became famous for his role as Murray Duvall in the 1995 film Clueless and the subsequent television series, which ran from 1996 to 1999. In 1995, he also appeared in Waiting to Exhale as Tarik, the son of Loretta Devine's character, Gloria. He was featured in New Jersey Drive. He also starred in Big Fat Liar alongside Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, and Amanda Bynes. He had a recurring role as Tracy on Felicity, appeared in Remember the Titans as the running-back turned corner-back Petey Jones, and provided voice work for various characters in the MTV animated series Clone High. He had minor roles in the sitcoms Sister, Sister and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and in the film Josie and the Pussycats. In 2005, Faison produced one episode of MTV's Punk'd involving his Scrubs co-star Zach Braff. He also appeared in the music videos for Brandy's "Sittin' Up in My Room," Fall Out Boy's cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It," and Gavin Degraw's "Chariot."
In 2008, Faison voiced Gary the Stormtrooper in Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II. Afterwards, he interned on the Robot Chicken show to learn more about stop motion animation, and started a Star Wars-themed Lego stop-motion show, BlackStormTrooper, on his YouTube channel, shundigga.[5][6]
On February 13, 2009, Faison participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. Other celebrities participating included NBA Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins, NFL wide-receiver Terrell Owens, actor Chris Tucker, and four Harlem Globetrotters.[7]
In 2010, Faison starred alongside Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Eric Balfour, Laz Alonso, and Crystal Reed in the Brothers Strause science fiction thriller Skyline.[8]
Faison was in the 2010 CBS comedy pilot The Odds.[9]
As of March 2011, Faison appeared in commercials for The Sims Medieval. In 2012, he made a cameo appearance in the movie Pitch Perfect.[10][11] In 2013, Faison hosted the short-lived TBS comedy sketch show Who Gets the Last Laugh. As of 2016, he has hosted GSN game show Winsanity.
Starting in 2018, Faison voiced pilot Hype Fazon, a character written and named for him by Dave Filoni, in Star Wars Resistance. Faison had caught Filoni's attention via his stop motion Star Wars cartoons.[12]
In the podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends, launched in March 2020, Faison and Scrubs co-star Zach Braff share their stories and experiences of shooting the show, while rewatching the series. The podcast is distributed by iHeartRadio.[13]
Personal life
In 1997, Faison started dating Lisa Askey. The two were married from 2001 to 2005.[14] After six years of dating, Faison married his second wife, CaCee Cobb, on December 15, 2012.[15] The wedding was held at the home of Faison's former Scrubs co-star and best friend Zach Braff, who also served as a groomsman. Serving as a bridesmaid was singer Jessica Simpson, for whom Cobb formerly worked as a personal assistant.[16]
Faison has six children: son Shawn, born in 1997, with ex-girlfriend Audrey Ince; fraternal boy-girl twins Dade and Kaya born in 1999, and son Kobe, born in 2001, with first wife Lisa Askey;[17] and with second wife Cobb, a son Rocco born in 2013[18] and a daughter Wilder born in 2015. [19]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Juice | Student | |
| 1994 | Sugar Hill | Kymie Damiels | |
| 1995 | New Jersey Drive | Tiny Dime | Credited as Donald Adeosun Faison |
| Clueless | Murray Duvall | ||
| Waiting to Exhale | Tarik Matthews | Credited as Donald Adeosun Faison | |
| 1996 | The Quest | Robber | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Academy Boyz | Glen Lewis | |
| 1998 | Butter | Khaleed | |
| Can't Hardly Wait | Dan | ||
| 1999 | Trippin' | June Nelson | |
| 2000 | Remember the Titans | Petey Jones | |
| 2001 | Double Whammy | Cletis | |
| Josie and the Pussycats | D.J. | Uncredited | |
| 2002 | Big Fat Liar | Frank Jackson | |
| 2003 | Ravedactyl: Project Evolution | Gunner | Short film |
| Uptown Girls | Huey | ||
| Good Boy! | Wilson | Voice only | |
| 2005 | King's Ransom | Andre | |
| 2006 | Something New | Nelson McQueen | |
| Bachelor Party Vegas | Ash | ||
| Homie Spumoni | Renato Molina/Leroy | ||
| 2007 | Venus & Vegas | Stu | |
| 2009 | Next Day Air | Leo | |
| 2010 | Skyline | Terry | |
| 2011 | Stag | Ken | |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Older Acapella Man | |
| 2013 | Kick-Ass 2 | Doctor Gravity | |
| A Snow Globe Christmas | Ted | ||
| 2014 | Wish I Was Here | Anthony | |
| Let's Kill Ward's Wife | Ward | ||
| Wonderland | Ted | ||
| 2016 | The Perfect Match | Rick | |
| Hot Bot | Mr. Huffington | ||
| 2017 | Little Evil | Larry | |
| 2018 | Game Over, Man! | Himself | |
| 2019 | The Wave | Jeff |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sesame Street | Duane | Episode: "23.58" |
| 1996 | New York Undercover | James | Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" |
| 1996–2000 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Justin Dashiell Calzone |
(Justin) Episode: "Magic Joel" Dashiell) 7 episodes |
| 1996–99 | Clueless | Murray Duvall | Main role |
| 1998 | Sister, Sister | Darryl | Episode: "Greek to Me" |
| 1999 | Supreme Sanction | Marcus | Television movie |
| 2000–02 | Felicity | Tracy | 23 episodes |
| 2002–03 | Clone High | Toots Various characters |
Voice only 12 episodes |
| 2001–2010 | Scrubs | Christopher Turk | Main role Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (2006-2010) Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (2005) |
| 2004–05 | Higglytown Heroes | Firefighter Hero | Voice only 2 episodes |
| 2005–2020 | Robot Chicken | Various characters | Voice only 10 episodes |
| 2006 | The Playbook | Host | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Saturday Night Live | Christopher Turk | Episode: "Zach Braff/Maroon 5" |
| Robot Chicken: Star Wars | Dr. Cornelius Evazan/Mace Windu | Voice only Television special | |
| Kim Possible | Ricky Rotiffle | Voice only Episode: "Homecoming Upset" | |
| 2008 | The Boondocks | Catcher Freeman/Tobias/Wedgie Rudlin | Voice only 3 episodes |
| Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II | Gary/Darth Maul/Imperial Pilot | Voice only Television special | |
| 2009 | Scrubs: Interns | Christopher Turk | Episode: "Our Meeting with Turk and Todd" |
| American Dad! | Christopher Turk | Voice only Episode: "G-String Circus" | |
| Titan Maximum | Martian Fleet Commander | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2010 | Fact Checkers Unit | Donald | 9 episodes |
| Cubed | Himself | Episode: "2.12" | |
| Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III | Gary | Voice only Television special | |
| The Odds | Tyler | Television movie | |
| 2011 | Love Bites | Ricky | 2 episodes |
| 2011–15 | The Exes | Phil Chase | 64 episodes Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (2013) |
| 2012 | Tron: Uprising | Bartik | Voice only 5 episodes |
| Adventure Time | Princess Cookie | Voice only Episode: "Princess Cookie" | |
| 2013 | Wedding Band | Moses | Episode: "99 Problems" |
| Who Gets the Last Laugh? | Host | 9 episodes | |
| A Snow Globe Christmas | Ted | Television movie | |
| 2014 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself | 3 episodes |
| Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge | Wizard | Episode: "Head's Up" | |
| 2015 | Undateable | Donald | 2 episodes |
| 2015, 2018 | Supermansion | Quiplash | Voice only 4 episodes |
| 2015–18 | Drunk History | Joe Louis / Mansa Musa | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Winsanity | Host | |
| House of Lies | Donald | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | Bill Nye Saves the World | Himself | |
| 2017, 2019 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2017–18 | Ray Donovan | Antoine A'Shawn Anderson | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. | Jacques Agnant | 2 episodes |
| Star Wars Resistance | Hype Fazon | Voice only | |
| 2019 | Timeline | Principal Anderson | Main role (Eko original series) |
| 2019–20 | Emergence | Alex Evans | Main role |
Music videos
- "Sittin' Up in My Room" by Brandy (1995)
- "Kissin' You ("Oh, Honey" Remix)" by Total, Puff Daddy & Notorious B.I.G (1996)
- "No Doubt" by Imajin (1999)
- "Flava" by Imajin (1999)
- "Da Bomb" by DJ Fury and RX Lord (1999)
- "Chariot" by Gavin DeGraw (2003)
- "Beat It" by Fall Out Boy featuring John Mayer (2008)
- "More Champagne (Feat. A$AP Ferg, Problem, Wiz Khalifa) by DJ Whoo Kid (2013)
- "Time Machine", by Ingrid Michaelson (2015)[20]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6th OFTA Television Awards | Best Actor in a New Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2004 | 6th Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Sidekick | Nominated | |
| 1st BET Comedy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 2005 | 36th NAACP Image Awards | Nominated | ||
| 7th Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Sidekick | Nominated | ||
| 9th Prism Awards | Performance in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 2nd BET Comedy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 2006 | 37th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 8th Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Sidekick | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | 38th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 9th Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Sidekick | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | 39th NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2009 | 40th NAACP Image Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | 41st NAACP Image Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | 44th NAACP Image Awards | Nominated | ||
| 6th L.A. Comedy Film Festival and Screenplay Competition Awards | Best Actor in a Feature Film | Nominated |
References
- "Donald Faison: Biography". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- "What's Up, Doc?". People Magazine. June 17, 2002. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- "Ade". Behind the Name. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- Tanber, George J. (February 22, 2007). "Q&A: 'Scrubs' star as pro team owner?". ESPN. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- Opam, Kwame (December 1, 2014). "'Scrubs' actor Donald Faison has been a Black Stormtrooper for years". The Verge. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- Graham, Jefferson (January 21, 2014). "Talking Your Tech: Donald Faison gets animated over stop-motion". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- "NBA.com: Wilkins, Drexler, Owens among Celebrity Game notables". web.archive.org. March 18, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- Jeremy Kay. "IM Global want buyers to see the light on Skyline". Screen Daily.
- Andreeva, Nellie (February 18, 2010). "Five pilots beef up casts". Associated Press via The Hollywood Reporter.
- Klassen, Anna. "13 Things 'Pitch Perfect' Has Ruined Forever". Bustle. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- "What Donald Faison has been doing since Scrubs". Looper.com. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- Asarch, Steven (October 4, 2018). "'STAR WARS' RESISTANCE' ISN'T THE MYTHICAL SPACE OPERA YOU'RE USED TO". Newsweek. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- Lee, Emily (March 31, 2020). "Zach Braff & Donald Faison Launch 'Fake Doctors, Real Friends' Podcast". iHeartRadio. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- Stone, Natalie. "Donald Faison and Ex-Wife Lisa Askey: A Look Back at Their Relationship Before Her Passing". People.com. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- Messer, Lesley (December 15, 2012). "Donald Faison Marries Cacee Cobb". People. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- Johnson, Zach (December 15, 2012). "Donald Faison Marries CaCee Cobb!". Us Weekly. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- "Donald Faison- Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- Webber, Stephanie (August 24, 2013). "CaCee Cobb And Donald Faison Named Their Son Rocco!". Us Weekly. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- Webber, Stephanie (April 24, 2015). "CaCee Cobb Welcomes Baby Girl Wilder Frances With Donald Faison: First Photo!". Us Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- Ingrid Michaelson - “Time Machine” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO. YouTube. February 19, 2015.
- Crucchiola, Jordan (November 18, 2018). "Yes, That Is The Scrubs 'Poison' Dance In Fortnite, and No, Donald Faison Is Not Getting Royalties". Vulture. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
