Larenz Tate (Terrence)
Tate got his first acting job at a young age, appearing in a Christmas episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE – THE SERIES. This appearance quickly led to guest-starring roles on series such as 21 JUMP STREET, THE WONDER YEARS and FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR. Shortly thereafter, Tate made his silver screen debut in Allen and Albert Hughes’ cult classic film MENACE II SOCIETY, where his groundbreaking role as the unforgettable O-DOG allowed him to be recognized as one of Hollywood’s most promising young actors. The film led him to being cast in many other projects, including the feature comedy THE INKWELL and Fox’s TV series SOUTH CENTRAL. Later, Tate teamed up with the Hughes brothers once again for the gritty crime drama DEAD PRESIDENTS.
Proving his acting diversity, Tate went on to star in the audience-loved film LOVE JONES opposite actress Nia Long. The film went on to win the Audience Awards for Best Film at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Tate’s role also garnered a Best Actor nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. Within a short period of time, Tate’s dedication to his craft led him to one of his most challenging roles as the singing lothario Frankie Lymon in the 1998 biopic WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE? The film also starred Halle Berry, Lela Rochon and Vivica A. Fox. The role won Tate the Acapulco Black Film Festival award for Best Actor in 1999.
Larenz Tate prides himself on his ability to transform himself completely into each character he plays. Tate co-starred in the Academy Awards-recognized film RAY opposite Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington. In the film, Tate portrayed legendary music producer and pop culture icon Quincy Jones. No stranger to a large ensemble cast, Tate co-starred in the film CRASH alongside the likes of Sandra Bullock, Terrence Howard and Matt Dillon. The film was lauded by the critics and won the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast and 2005 Academy Award for Best Picture.
Returning to television (where he got his start), Tate starred in the series BLUE BLOODS. The show, which was directed by Brett Ratner, had Larenz portraying a rookie NYPD cop. Next, Tate starred in the FX drama RESCUE ME. The series centered on the professional and personal lives of firefighters in post-9/11 New York; the show also starred Dennis Leary. Larenz also starred in the BET movie GUN HILL, where he plays identical twins, one a cop and the other a con.
Recently, Larenz appeared as a series regular in RUSH on the USA Network as Dr. Alex Burke, and can be seen in Showtime’s upcoming fourth season of HOUSE OF LIES as well as TVONE’s feature film WHITE WATER alongside Sharon Leal.
Tate has also recently ventured into directing, making his commercial directorial debut in 2012 for CONJURE COGNAC, starring Ludacris.
Tate grew up on the west side of Chicago with his two brothers and their parents. Family has been and will always be an important facet of his life. United under a single cause of easing the pain of sickle cell anemia, the Tate brothers have created an organization devoted to assisting and providing funds for children of color living with the debilitating disease. The Tate Bros Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded by Larenz and his brothers LaRon and Lahmard.
Larenz Tate resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.
