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Ving Rhames

Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames (born May 12, 1959) is an American actor best known for his work in Bringing Out the Dead, Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Don King: Only in America, and the Mission: Impossible film series. Rhames was born in New York City, New York, he entered New York's School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. After high school, he studied drama at SUNY Purchase where he met fellow actor Stanley Tucci, who gave him his nickname "Ving". He later transferred to Juilliard, where he began his career in New York theater. Rhames first appeared on Broadway in the play The Winter Boys in 1984. Ving continued his rise to fame through his work in soap operas. He found work as a supporting actor, and came to the attention of the general public by playing the role of Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction (1994). Rhames was also getting public exposure on television as Peter Benton's brother-in-law on the medical drama ER, a recurring role he filled for 3 seasons. Not long after, Rhames was cast with Tom Cruise as the ace computer hacker Luther Stickell in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible (1996). With solid performances in two of these highly popular productions, his face was now known to moviegoers; the work offers began rolling in more frequently and he can been seen in several popular films such as Con Air and Dawn of the Dead. Rhames won a Golden Globe in 1998 for best actor in a TV miniseries for his performance in HBO's Don King: Only in America. At the ceremony Rhames gave his award to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon (who is White), saying "I feel that being an artist is about giving, and I'd like to give this to you." Lemmon was clearly touched by the gesture as was the celebrity audience who gave Lemmon a standing ovation. Lemmon, who tried unsuccessfully to give the award back to Rhames said it was "one of the sweetest moments I've ever known in my life." The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced later that they would have a duplicate award prepared for Rhames.


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Born:
May 12, 1959 In New York City, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
101
First Appeared:
In the movie Go Tell It on the Mountain 1985-01-14
Latest Project:
Movie Mission: Impossible 8 2025-05-21
Known For
Filmography
Movie Mission: Impossible 8 Luther Stickell 2025-05-21
Movie The Instigators Frank Toomey 2024-08-02
Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Charlie-27 2023-05-03
Movie QT8: The First Eight Self (archive footage) 2019-10-21
Movie Mission: Impossible - Fallout Luther Stickell 2018-07-13
Movie Con Man Peanut 2018-03-02
Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Charlie-27 2017-04-19
Movie Father Figures Rod Hamilton 2017-12-21
Movie The Star Thaddeus (voice) 2017-11-15
Movie A Sunday Horse Mr. Valentine 2016-02-15
Movie Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Luther Stickell 2015-07-23
Movie Operator Richard 2015-08-21
Movie Jamesy Boy Conrad 2014-01-03
Movie In Security Officer Hall 2014-04-28
Movie Force of Execution Ice Man 2014-02-03
Movie Death Race: Inferno Weyland 2013-01-04
Series Monday Mornings Dr. Jorge Villanueva 2013-02-04
Movie Percentage Porter 2013-04-24
Movie 7 Below Jack 2012-04-16
Movie Piranha 3DD Deputy Fallon (uncredited) 2012-05-11
Movie Art of Submission Gene 2012-09-21
Movie Soldiers of Fortune Grimaud 2012-06-07
Movie Won't Back Down Principal Thompson 2012-09-28
Movie Mafia Renzo Wes 2011-01-01
Movie Julia X The Man 2011-09-24
Movie The River Murders Captain Langley 2011-06-30
Movie Zombie Apocalypse Henry 2011-10-29
Movie Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Luther Stickell (uncredited) 2011-12-07
Series Gravity Dogg McFee 2010-04-23
Movie Master Harold... and the Boys Sam 2010-03-17
Movie Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed Mike 2010-07-12
Movie Operation: Endgame Judgement 2010-07-20
Movie The Wrath of Cain Cain 2010-11-16
Movie King of the Avenue Norman / De'Sha 2010-09-17
Movie Death Race 2 Weyland 2010-11-12
Movie Piranha 3D Deputy Fallon 2010-08-20
Movie Evil Angel Carruthers 2009-02-05
Movie Give 'em Hell, Malone Boulder 2009-01-04
Movie Echelon Conspiracy Agent Dave Grant 2009-02-27
Movie The Tournament Joshua Harlow 2009-05-01
Movie Surrogates Prophet 2009-09-24
Movie The Bridge to Nowhere Drug Dealer 2009-08-17
Movie The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Jibby Newsome 2009-05-29
Movie Day of the Dead Captain Rhodes 2008-04-08
Movie Saving God Armstrong Cane 2008-10-14
Movie Phantom Punch Sonny Liston 2008-09-01
Movie Ascension Day 2007-02-02
Movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry Fred G. Duncan 2007-07-12
Movie A Broken Life The Vet 2007-09-23
Movie Animal 2 James 'Animal' Allen 2007-09-04
Movie Mission: Impossible III Luther 2006-04-25
Movie Leroy & Stitch Cobra Bubbles (voice) 2006-06-23
Movie Tarantino's Mind Marsellus Wallace (archive footage) 2006-01-04
Series American Gangster 2006-11-28
Series Aquaman McCaffery 2006-07-24
Movie Idlewild Spats 2006-08-25
Movie Back in the Day J-Bone 2005-05-24
Movie Animal Animal 2005-05-01
Movie The Story Room: The Making of 'Lilo & Stitch' Himself 2005-08-22
Movie Shooting Gallery Cue Ball Carl Bridgers 2005-12-26
Movie Dawn of the Dead Kenneth 2004-03-19
Movie Sin Eddie Burns 2003-01-01
Movie Stitch! The Movie Cobra Bubbles (voice) 2003-08-26
Movie Beef Narrator (voice) 2003-08-03
Movie Little John John Morgan 2002-05-05
Movie Lilo & Stitch Cobra Bubbles (voice) 2002-06-21
Movie RFK Judge Jones 2002-08-25
Movie Pulp Fiction: The Facts Self (archive footage) 2002-08-20
Movie Dark Blue Arthur Holland 2002-12-14
Movie Baby Boy Melvin 'Mel' 2001-06-27
Movie American Tragedy Johnnie Cochran 2000-11-12
Movie Mission: Impossible II Luther Stickell 2000-05-24
Movie Holiday Heart Holiday Heart 2000-12-10
Movie Entrapment Aaron Thibadeaux 1999-04-29
Movie Bringing Out the Dead Marcus 1999-10-22
Movie Body Count Pike 1998-04-28
Movie Rosewood Mann 1997-02-21
Movie Dangerous Ground Muki 1997-02-12
Movie Con Air Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones 1997-06-05
Movie Don King: Only in America Don King 1997-11-15
Movie Mission: Impossible Luther 1996-05-22
Movie Striptease Shad 1996-06-28
Movie Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning Detective Artie Brown 1995-03-19
Movie Kiss of Death Omar 1995-04-21
Movie Deadly Whispers Det. Jackson 1995-05-10
Movie Pulp Fiction Marsellus Wallace 1994-09-10
Movie Drop Squad Garvey 1994-10-28
Movie Dave Duane Stevenson 1993-05-07
Movie Bound by Honor Ivan 1993-02-05
Movie The Saint of Fort Washington Little Leroy 1993-11-03
Movie Flight of the Intruder McRae 1991-01-18
Movie Homicide Robert Randolph 1991-05-28
Movie Iran: Days of Crisis Charles Jones 1991-09-30
Movie The People Under the Stairs Leroy 1991-11-01
Movie Rising Son Ed 1990-07-23
Movie The Long Walk Home Herbert Cotter 1990-12-21
Movie When You Remember Me Leon 1990-10-07
Movie Casualties of War Lt. Reilly 1989-08-18
Movie Patty Hearst Cinque 1988-09-23
Movie Native Son Jack 1986-12-24
Movie Go Tell It on the Mountain Young Gabriel 1985-01-14
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