Donald Faison
American actor
Lisa Askey
(m. 2001; div. 2005)CaCee Cobb
(m. 2012)Donald Adeosun Faison (/ˈfeɪzɒn/; born June 22, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. He is 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). 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), Skyline (2010), and Kick-Ass 2 (2013).
Early life and education
Donald Adeosun Faison was born on June 22, 1974[1] in Harlem, New York City, to talent agent Shirley and building manager Donald Faison.[2] His parents were active with the National Black Theatre in Harlem.[3] They divorced in 1992.[2] He is the older brother of singer/musician Olamide Faison.[citation needed]
Faison attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan with his best friend, actor Dash Mihok.[3]
Career
Faison first appeared in a 1989 commercial for Folgers coffee at the age of 15, in which he played the younger brother of a soldier returning from war.[4] In 1992, 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 safety 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.[5] 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.[6][7]
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.[8]
In 2010, Faison starred alongside Scottie Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Eric Balfour, Laz Alonso, and Crystal Reed in the Brothers Strause science fiction thriller Skyline.[9]
Faison was in the 2010 CBS comedy pilot The Odds.[10]
As of March 2011, Faison appeared in commercials for The Sims Medieval. In 2012, he made a cameo appearance in the movie Pitch Perfect.[11][12] In 2013, Faison hosted the short-lived TBS comedy sketch show Who Gets the Last Laugh?.[13] From 2016 to 2018, he hosted the GSN game show Winsanity.[14]
From 2018 until 2020, 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.[15]
Faison and Scrubs co-star Zach Braff co-host the rewatch podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends, which launched in March 2020, sharing their stories and experiences of shooting the show. The podcast is distributed by iHeartRadio.[16]
Faison created the web series Alabama Jackson for Adult Swim's YouTube channel, which premiered in 2022. Faison stars as the title character.[17]
Personal life
In 1997, Faison started dating Lisa Askey, a nursing student. They two were married from 2001 to 2005, and had three children.
Faison married his second wife, CaCee Cobb, on December 15, 2012, after six years of dating.[18] The wedding was held at the home of Faison's best friend, and former Scrubs co-star, 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.[19] The couple have two children together.[20][21]
When Askey, Faison's first wife, died in 2017,[22] their children moved in with Faison and Cobb.[23][24]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Juice | Student | |
| 1994 | Sugar Hill | Kymie Daniels | |
| 1995 | New Jersey Drive | 'Tiny Dime' | Credited as Donald Adeosun Faison |
| 1995 | Clueless | Murray Duvall | |
| 1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Tarik Matthews | Credited as Donald Adeosun Faison |
| 1996 | The Quest | Robber | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Academy Boyz | Glen Lewis | |
| 1998 | Butter | Khaleed | |
| 1998 | Can't Hardly Wait | Dan | |
| 1999 | Trippin' | June Nelson | |
| 2000 | Remember the Titans | Petey Jones | |
| 2001 | Double Whammy | Cletis | |
| 2001 | Josie and the Pussycats | D.J. | Uncredited |
| 2002 | Big Fat Liar | Frank Jackson | |
| 2003 | Ravedactyl: Project Evolution | Gunner | Short film |
| 2003 | Uptown Girls | Huey | |
| 2003 | Good Boy! | Wilson | Voice only |
| 2005 | King's Ransom | Andre | |
| 2006 | Something New | Nelson McQueen | |
| 2006 | Bachelor Party Vegas | Ash | |
| 2006 | Homie Spumoni | Renato Molina / Leroy | |
| 2007 | Venus & Vegas | Stu | |
| 2009 | Next Day Air | Leo | |
| 2010 | Skyline | Terry | |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Older Acapella Man | |
| 2013 | Kick-Ass 2 | Samuel Keers / Doctor Gravity | |
| 2013 | A Snow Globe Christmas | Ted | |
| 2013 | Stag | Ken | |
| 2014 | Wish I Was Here | Anthony | |
| 2014 | Let's Kill Ward's Wife | Ward | |
| 2014 | Wonderland | Ted | |
| 2016 | The Perfect Match | Rick | |
| 2016 | Hot Bot | Mr. Huffington | |
| 2017 | Little Evil | Larry | |
| 2018 | Game Over, Man! | Himself | |
| 2019 | The Wave | Jeff | |
| 2020 | Embattled | Mr. Dan Stewart |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Sesame Street | Duane | 9 episodes |
| 1996 | New York Undercover | James | Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" |
| 1996–2000 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Justin | Episode: "Magic Joel" |
| Dashiell Calzone | 3 episodes | ||
| 1996–1999 | Clueless | Murray Duvall | Main role |
| 1998 | Sister, Sister | Darryl | Episode: "Greek to Me" |
| 1999 | Supreme Sanction | Marcus | Television film |
| 2000–2002 | Felicity | Tracy | 23 episodes |
| 2002–present | Clone High | Toots / Various Characters | Voice only; 13 episodes |
| 2001–2010 | Scrubs | Christopher Turk | Main role |
| 2004–2005 | Higglytown Heroes | Firefighter Hero | Voice only; 2 episodes |
| 2005–present | Robot Chicken | Various voices | 10 episodes |
| 2006 | The Playbook | Host | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Saturday Night Live | Christopher Turk | Episode: "Zach Braff/Maroon 5" |
| 2007 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars | Dr. Cornelius Evazan / Mace Windu | Voice only; television special |
| 2007 | Kim Possible | Ricky Rotiffle | Voice only; episode: "Homecoming Upset" |
| 2008 | The Boondocks | Catcher Freeman / Tobias / Wedgie Rudlin | Voice only; 3 episodes |
| 2008 | 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" |
| 2009 | American Dad! | Christopher Turk | Voice only; episode: "G-String Circus" |
| 2009 | Titan Maximum | Martian Fleet Commander | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010 | Fact Checkers Unit | Donald | 9 episodes |
| 2010 | Cubed | Himself | Episode: "2.12" |
| 2010 | Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III | Gary | Voice only; television special |
| 2010 | The Odds | Tyler | Television film |
| 2011 | Love Bites | Ricky | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2015 | The Exes | Phil Chase | 64 episodes |
| 2012 | Tron: Uprising | Bartik | Voice only; 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Adventure Time | Princess Cookie | Voice only; episode: "Princess Cookie" |
| 2013 | Wedding Band | Moses | Episode: "99 Problems" |
| 2013 | Who Gets the Last Laugh? | Host | 9 episodes |
| 2013 | A Snow Globe Christmas | Ted | Television film |
| 2014 | Hollywood Game Night | Himself | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge | Wizard | Episode: "Head's Up" |
| 2015 | Undateable | Donald | 2 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Supermansion | Quiplash | Voice only; 4 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Drunk History | Joe Louis / Mansa Musa | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Winsanity | Host | |
| 2016 | House of Lies | Donald | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Bill Nye Saves the World | Himself | |
| 2017–2019 | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Ray Donovan | Antoine A'Shawn Anderson | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. | Jacques Agnant | 2 episodes |
| 2018–2020 | Star Wars Resistance | Hype Fazon/TIE Pilot #1 | Voice only; 18 episodes |
| 2019 | Timeline | Principal Anderson | Main role |
| 2019–2020 | Emergence | Alex Evans | Main role |
| 2020 | Star Wars The Clone Wars | Tactical Droid | Voice only; episode: "Old Friends Not Forgotten" |
| 2021 | The L Word: Generation Q | Tom Maultsby | 5 episodes |
| 2022–present | Alice's Wonderland Bakery | Harry the March Hare | Voice only[25] |
| 2022 | Legends of Tomorrow | Booster Gold | Episode: "Knocked Down, Knocked Up"[26] |
| Reindeer in Here | Bucky (voice) | Television special[27] | |
| 2022–present | Alabama Jackson | Alabama Jackson | Main role; also creator, executive producer and writer |
| 2023 | The Wonder Years | Terrence | Episode: "Blockbusting" |
| 2023–2024 | Extended Family | Trey | Lead role |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Sittin' Up in My Room" | Brandy |
| 1996 | "Kissin' You ("Oh, Honey" Remix)" | Total, Puff Daddy & Notorious B.I.G |
| 1999 | "No Doubt" | Imajin |
| 1999 | "Flava" | Imajin |
| 1999 | "Da Bomb" | DJ Fury and RX Lord |
| 2003 | "Chariot" | Gavin DeGraw |
| 2008 | "Beat It" | Fall Out Boy featuring John Mayer |
| 2013 | "More Champagne" | DJ Whoo Kid featuring A$AP Ferg, Problem and Wiz Khalifa |
| 2015 | "Time Machine"[28] | Ingrid Michaelson |
Video games
A dance that Faison performs during an episode of Scrubs is featured in the video game Fortnite. Faison's permission was not sought before including the dance, and he did not receive royalties for it.[29]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6th OFTA Television Awards | Best Actor in a New Comedy Series | Scrubs | 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 | Stag | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Donald Faison: Biography". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "What's Up, Doc?". People. June 17, 2002. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- ^ a b Tanber, George J. (February 22, 2007). "Q&A: 'Scrubs' star as pro team owner?". ESPN. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- ^ "Folgers ad (1989)". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Zach Braff Busted Beating Up Teen on 'Punk'd'". Hollywood.com. September 14, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ 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". NBA.com. February 10, 2009. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (February 11, 2010). "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 (April 16, 2015). "13 Things 'Pitch Perfect' Has Ruined Forever". Bustle. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ Bell, Amanda June (March 15, 2017). "What Donald Faison has been doing since Scrubs". Looper.com. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ Berenz, Ryan (April 4, 2013). "Who Gets the Last Laugh?: Donald Faison hosts TBS hidden-camera comedy". Channel Guide Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (November 18, 2015). "GSN Will Play 'Winsanity' With Host Donald Faison". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (May 19, 2021). "Adult Swim To Produce Digital Short Series Based On Its Hit Shows Including 'Rick And Morty'". Deadline. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ Messer, Lesley (December 15, 2012). "Donald Faison Marries Cacee Cobb". People. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Zach (December 15, 2012). "Donald Faison Marries CaCee Cobb!". Us Weekly. 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.
- ^ Stone, Natalie (March 2, 2017). "Donald Faison and Ex-Wife Lisa Askey: A Look Back at Their Relationship Before Her Passing". People. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ Chestang, Raphael (March 8, 2017). "Donald Faison Spends Time With His Kids Following the Death of Ex-Wife Lisa Askey". ET Online. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Braff, Zach; Faison, Donald (December 22, 2020). "315: My Tormented Mentor". Fake Doctors, Real Friends (Podcast). iHeartRadio. Event occurs at 1:03:35. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ Carras, Christi (January 5, 2022). "Disney sets 'Alice in Wonderland' series with Craig Ferguson". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (February 2, 2022). "'Legends of Tomorrow' casts Donald Faison in season 7 finale role". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (November 3, 2022). "'Reindeer in Here' Announces Sledful of Stars for Voice Cast". Animation Magazine. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Ingrid Michaelson - "Time Machine" OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO. YouTube. February 19, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021.
- ^ 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.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donald Faison.
- Donald Faison at IMDb
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