Bio
Michael Potts is an American actor best known for playing the role of Brother Mouzone, a well mannered yet feared assassin from New York City, in the police drama television series The Wire; and for originating the role of Mafala Hatimbi in The Book of Mormon stage musical.
He also has a starring role as Detective Maynard Gilbough, who rigorously investigates a bizarre, ritualistic and brutal 1995 murder which was supposedly solved by detectives Martin "Marty" Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey), in the crime drama anthology series True Detective.
As a graduate of Columbia University and the Yale School of Drama, Potts developed his passion for performance into an extensive film, television and theatre career.
Aside from his acclaimed role on The Wire, he has held roles on primetime hits such as Bored to Death, Damages, Nurse Jackie, Flight of the Conchords, Oz and Law & Order.
On the silver screen, he has held his own alongside Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts in Conspiracy Theory and again in The Peacemaker with George Clooney and Nicole Kidman.
Potts' extensive theatre background has afforded him a number of performances on New York's theatre stages including roles in Rent, The Tempest, Twelfth Night and Richard III garnering him the prestigious Falstaff Award for best Male Supporting Performance and earning The Village Voice's Obie Award for his portrayal in the off-Broadway production of The American Play.
Potts originated the role of Brooks, Sr in the Tony Award-winning play Grey Gardens and additionally the role of Paul Pierce in Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures at the Guthrie Theatre.
In the regions, Michael has starred in Oedipus, Highway Ulysses, Romeo and Juliet, The Hostage and The Rivals, and was in the original company of Lennon.
Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Wisacky, South Carolina, Potts is an active supporter and contributor of the 52nd Street Project, which is dedicated to the creation and production of new plays for, and often, by kids between the ages of 9 and 18 that reside in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in New York City.
The organisation achieves this goal through a series of unique mentoring programs that match kids with professional theatre artists.