Who is Mekhi Phifer?
Mekhi Phifer is an American actor best known for playing Dr. Gregory Pratt in the television medical drama series “ER,” which won a Golden Globe. He is also well-known for appearing in several well-known films, including “8 Mile” (2002), “Honey” (2003), and “Dawn of the Dead” (2004).
Early Years
Mekhi Phifer (Pinterest)Mekhi, often spelled “Meck-high,” Phifer is an American citizen and an African American. She was born on December 29, 1974, in New York City, under the sign of Capricorn.
He and his twin brother were reared by a single mother named Rhoda, a high school teacher, in the Harlem section of Manhattan.
Career
Mekhi made his acting debut when he was 20 years old and was given the part of drug dealer Strike in Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed criminal thriller film “Clockers.” He received recognition for his first performance when he received a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor.
After this success, young Phifer later that year starred in the Golden Globe-nominated television war drama film “The Tuskegee Airmen,” followed by a few episodes of the TV show “New York Undercover.” He had the recurring role of Nathaniel Lee “Junior Bunk” Mahoney in the TV crime series “Homicide: Life on the Street” after being cast in the comedy film “High School High” in 1996.
These were followed by two appearances on the big screen in the comedies “Have Plenty” and “Soul Food” from 1997.
Mekhi made a brief appearance in the 1998 film “Hell’s Kitchen” before co-starring with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt in the second installment of the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” film series, the slasher horror picture “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.”
Mekhi played Silk in the suspense film “Uninvited Guest” in 1999, and he co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson and Christian Bale in the action film “Shaft” the following year. He co-starred with Beyoncé in the TV musical drama film “Carmen: A Hip Hopera” in 2001, and he then played the title character of Odin James in the thriller “O.”
Following these performances, he made a cameo in the 2001 science fiction mystery film “Impostor,” which was based on the same-named short novel by Philip K. Dick. He played the lead role in the critically praised action/crime movie “Paid in Full” after starring in the comedy film “The Other Brother” in 2002. Phifer gained notoriety later in 2002 when he co-starred with Eminem in the Oscar-winning movie “8 Mile” as David “Future” Porter; he is also addressed in the smash song “Lose Yourself,” which served as one of the film’s theme songs.
Following this significant big-screen role, he went on to play Dr. Greg Pratt, a recurring character in the popular TV medical drama series “ER,” in a total of 135 episodes throughout the show’s seven seasons, until 2009. This role earned him one of his most well-known on-screen roles to date.
He also played Chaz in the romantic drama film “Honey” at this time, and Mekhi made an appearance in Zac Snyder’s 2004 horror blockbuster “Dawn of the Dead.” He appears as Ben Reynolds in the TV show “Lie to Me” from 2009 to 2010, and then in the criminal comedy “Flypaper” from 2011 alongside Patrick Dempsey and Ashley Judd.
Following his recurring role as Agent Rex Matheson in the television series “Torchwood,” Phifer starred as Dre Collins in the Golden Globe-winning television series “House of Lies” in 2014. He also made an appearance in the Hollywood sci-fi extravaganza film “Divergent,” which made close to $290 million in worldwide box office receipts. Also returned to the role of Max in the film’s 2015 sequel, “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” and he made an appearance in the franchise’s 2016 finale, “Allegiant.”
Mekhi was cast in the first season of the TV show “Secret City” in 2016, and he later appeared on occasion in the role of Satch Reyna in the show “Frequency.”
His most recent on-screen roles include Harold Brooks in the TV comedy series “Love, Victor,” as well as the recurring character of Markus Knox in the TV murder thriller series “Truth Be Told.”
Individual Life
Mekhi Phifer (Pinterest)Mekhi wed his coworker, American actress Malinda Williams, in 1999. They had a son together, Omikaye, before divorcing in 2003. He has a second son, Mekhi Thira Phifer, Jr., with Onanong Souratha, with whom he had a brief engagement. Result Barnes, who was just named manager of Fox Cable News network’s creative services division, and Phifer have been married since March 2013.
Mekhi is not only a skilled actor but also a successful businessman and philanthropist. He is one of the franchise owners of the sportswear retailer “Athlete’s Foot,” which has six locations around the state of California. He has also given the Nigerian city of Ibadan over $100,000 in school supplies and scholarships as a result of his active involvement with The Vine Group charity organization. The Mekhi Phifer Education Center was inaugurated by the city in 2005 to recognize his selfless contributions.
Net Worth
Despite having a bright future and a sizable acting resume, Mekhi’s financial condition is not very encouraging. He declared bankruptcy in 2014, stating that his total debt was $1.3 million and that his assets were only worth $67,000 in real estate. Mekhi further stated that his monthly income is roughly $7,500 and that his expenses are roughly $11,000. According to reliable sources, Mekhi Phifer has a net worth deficit of $1.3 million as of the second half of 2020, of which $1.2 million is due to unpaid taxes.