Dennis was born on the 2nd June 1954 in San Mateo, California. His father was a deputy sheriff and his mother was a housewife. He grew up around a large family of 8 brothers and sisters and had a great love of acting from a very early age.He was offered various different sports scholarships but decided that he wanted to pursue his true love of acting and got his first role in 1979 in ‘The White Shadow’. He has also had several guest roles in TV shows including: Lou Grant, Laverne & Shirley, The A-Team, Dallas, Magnum, P.I., Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Duckman.

His extensive TV work later spawned a successful movie career and Dennis began to get cast in films such as Absolute Power, Far From Heaven and Random Hearts. In 1989 he starred in ‘Major League’ and in 1992 he starred alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in a movie about the assassination of President John F Kennedy called ‘Love Field’.

In 2001 Dennis Haysbert gained his most popular role yet, that of President David Palmer in the TV series ‘24’ the show became an instant success and David Palmer was a much loved regular character and appeared in four seasons of the show. He then went on to star in the CBS action drama show ‘The Unit’ in which he plays the part of ‘Jonas Blane’.

He also starred in Far from Heaven (2002) and Breach (2007).

Dennis Haysbert now a divorced father of two children. He has remained close friends with at least 2 of his former 24 co-stars Glenn Morshower and Gregory Itzin.

Filmography

• "The Unit" (36 episodes, 2006-2007)
• Breach (2007)
• Goodbye Bafana (2007)
• 24: The Game (2006)
• "24" (80 episodes, 2001-2006)
• Jarhead (2005)
• "Stories of the Innocence Project" (1 episode, 2005)
• "Empire" (2005)
• Secrets of Pearl Harbor (2004)
• Call of Duty: Finest Hour (2004)
• Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004)
• "Justice League" (3 episodes, 2001-2003)
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
• "Static Shock" (4 episodes, 2001-2003)
• Ticker (2002)
• Far from Heaven (2002)
• "The Outer Limits" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Soul Food" (2 episodes, 2001)
• "Now and Again" (21 episodes, 1999-2000)
• Love & Basketball (2000)
• What's Cooking? (2000)
• Random Hearts (1999)
• The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
• The Minus Man (1999)
• "Superman" (1 episode, 1998)
• "The New Batman Adventures" (1 episode, 1998)
• Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)
• How to Make the Cruelest Month (1998)
• Standoff (1998)
• Absolute Power (1997)
• Amanda (1996)
• The Writing on the Wall (1996)
• "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man" (1 episode, 1996)
• Widow's Kiss (1996)
• Insomnia (1996)
• Waiting to Exhale (1995)
• Heat (1995)
• Major League II (1994)
• "American Playhouse" (1 episode, 1993)
• "Return to Lonesome Dove" (1993)
• Suture (1993)
• "Queen" (1993)
• Love Field (1992)
• Mr. Baseball (1992)
• K-9000 (1991)
• Navy Seals (1990)
• "Night Court" (1 episode, 1989)
• Major League (1989)
• "Just the Ten of Us" (1988)
• "Crime Story" (2 episodes, 1988)
• "Growing Pains" (3 episodes, 1985-1988)
• "Wilder Westen, inclusive" (1988)
• "The Facts of Life" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Our House" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Valerie" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Knots Landing" (1 episode, 1987)
• "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (1 episode, 1986)
• "227" (1 episode, 1986)
• "The Fall Guy" (1 episode, 1986)
• "What's Happening Now!" (1 episode, 1986)
• "Magnum, P.I." (1 episode, 1985)
• A Summer to Remember (1985)
• "Off the Rack" (1984)
• "Riptide" (1 episode, 1984)
• "Dallas" (1 episode, 1984)
• The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. (1984)
• "The A-Team" (1 episode, 1983)
• "Code Red" (1981)
• Grambling's White Tiger (1981)
• Code Red (1981)
• "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (5 episodes, 1980-1981)
• "Quincy M.E." (2 episodes, 1980-1981)
• "Galactica 1980" (1 episode, 1980)
• "The Incredible Hulk" (1 episode, 1980)
• "Laverne & Shirley" (1 episode, 1979)
• "The White Shadow" (1 episode, 1979)

Awards

• Washington Film Critics Award Best Supporting Actor "Far From Heaven" 2002
• Saturn Award TV Supporting Actor "Now and Again" 2000