Omari Hardwick

Plays Ty Curtis

Omari Hardwick's professional career is vast, ranging from solid work in film, television and theatre to playing professional sports and performing award-winning poetry. On television, Hardwick starred in the critically acclaimed drama series Saved and was a regular in Spike Lee's Sucker Free City. He has also had guest-starring roles on the series Lie to Me, CSI: Miami, Crossing Jordan and Savannah, among others.

Hardwick's feature credits include roles in Next Day Air with Mos Def, Donald Faison and Mike Epps; The Guardian with Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner; Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna; Linewatch with Cuba Gooding Jr.; Gridiron Gang with Dwayne Johnson; and Beauty Shop with Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard and Andie MacDowell. Hardwick has also had starring roles in Proof Positive and Within the Wall, and recently appeared in Kick-Ass.

Hardwick is a founding member of Plan B Inc. Theatre Group and co-founder of Los Angeles Actor's Lounge. He has had several leading roles on the stage, including All Good Soldiers in the West Wind for the Greenway Court Theater/Actors Studio; Dessalines for Robi Theater Company; For Colored Boys, El Haji Malik and Paul Robeson for Unity Players; and Shelly Garret's Beauty Shop.

In addition to acting, Hardwick is also adept at spoken-word poetry (he is nationally ranked); football (he played for his home state's University of Georgia and, briefly, in the NFL); and trained for two years in Los Angeles to become a firefighter and paramedic.